God Speaks
A Father Advises His Children As They Enter Adulthood
Verse of the Day: Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. . . . Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:5-6, 23 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 155
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Proverbs 4-6:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Proverbs 4
1. God is willing to teach wisdom to people who ask for it and to guide them in the path of righteousness.
2. People are to direct their children in the way of wisdom and lead them in upright paths.
Proverbs 5
1. God is a good father who warns His children of the dangers of improper or immoral behavior.
2. People need to submit to discipline whether of themselves or from others who are trying to prepare them for life.
Proverbs 6
1. God knows His wayward creatures. He has put this instruction in the Bible so that we will learn and avoid the pitfalls of life.
2. People are prone to get into difficulty by trying to please others (cosigning a debt), by being lazy, or by associating with wicked people in trying to be popular or to “just fit in.”
Prayer
3. How might I pray regarding Proverbs 4-6?
Dear LORD God, You are the ultimate good parent. You are the model for human parenting. Your word, the Bible, is the instruction manual for life here on earth. Help us to pay attention and gain understanding. Help me to be continually growing in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, all centered in You. Help me acquire, love, and hold on to wisdom. Please help me to not be tripped up by sin by not going down that path, by avoiding it, and by turning away from it. Help me not to associate with those who are continually doing evil or perpetrating violence and dark schemes. Instead help me, Holy Spirit, to be steadily increasing in righteousness. Help me please the Father by cooperating with the Holy Spirit to take control of my heart (mind, will and emotions) as well as my body, just as Jesus did. Then I will gain a good reputation and bring glory to Your name, LORD. Dear LORD God who instructs and protects His children, please help me to pay attention to wisdom and heed wise counsel. Help me to show discernment and learn to recognize immoral individuals whether male or female and avoid them or becoming like them. Make me aware of the consequences of immoral or unwise behavior. May I accept and/or apply discipline before it is too late. Since You, O LORD, see the end of every path I take, please help me to be satisfied with the spouse of my youth. Don’t let me be evil, held captive by my own sins. I don’t want die for lack of self-control or be lost because of my great foolishness. That would not bring You the glory I so desire to give You. Dear Father God, thank You for giving me this and other proverbs to instruct me, Your child, on the ways and importance of wisdom. Keep me from ever co-signing someone else’s loan. If I foolishly do, please help me to humbly go to the people involved and get out of that trap as quickly as possible. I admit that I am often lazy. Help me to learn from ants to plan ahead, work hard, and provide for the future. Laziness (whether sleeping too much or engaging in frivolous activities) will sooner or later lead to poverty, and it will steal my time if not my money. You are teaching me how to recognize worthless and wicked people. I should ask myself, “Are they constantly lying, excusing deceit, or signaling with their eyes, feet or hands to get others to join them in their rotten attitudes and behavior?” In Proverbs 6:16-19, You share seven things You, LORD God, hate so that I can recognize and avoid them and/or the people who insist on doing them. You want me to pay attention to, hold on to, and put into practice the wise lessons my parents have taught me; they will protect me from the traps of immorality and poverty. You give a specific warning against adultery. I shouldn’t be an utter fool and destroy my own life (family and reputation) in this way. The consequences are too great. Besides, it brings disgrace to Your name, the glorious Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, which I should always seek to honor and glorify, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Proverbs 4-6?
- I will study Proverbs to learn to distinguish wisdom from folly.
- I will pay attention to the godly instruction of the parents, teachers, or mentors that God has put in my life.
- I will seek out situations where I can pass on biblical wisdom to people in the next generation–examples: interacting with my own children/grandchildren, youth clubs, or home schooling.
- I will set up boundaries or guidelines for avoiding situations that would tend to draw me into adultery or anything else God hates.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.