One in a Crowd

(Pro 7:7 KJV) And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

How was this young man picked out?  What made him different than those around him?  Obviously the street was filled with young people with nothing constructive to do.  That is not an unusual vista.  When I was young and foolish we used to go down into LA and walk down Hollywood Boulevard looking at the strange people.  We were not noticing that they were looking right back at what they considered strange people.  Every once in awhile you would see someone walking in a determined way through the crowd.  That is this young man.

He knew where he was going and what he was looking for.  At the same time he was ignoring where he was really going.  He saw a scintillating evening with a loose woman.  What he did not see were the “chambers of death” at the end of the road.

So?  Having a goal is not a good thing if it is destructive eternally.  Know where you are heading.  Make wise decisions because sometimes it becomes too late to change direction. 

Pre-Valentine Thoughts for Swingers

(Pro 6:29 KJV) So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

Sin has consequences.  Sexual sin has consequences that won’t go away.  You would not know it from observing the popular media.  I have stated openly that we could do away with HIV in a generation if we would simply follow the directions of God.  Chaste monogamy is a cure-all for sexually transmitted disease.  In case you were not listening in school or had a class in sex education from a believer in free love, the list of diseases that can be transmitted sexually is long and deadly.  How many are there?  When I asked Google all I got was a run around.  When I used Duck-Duck-Go the first listing said 31.  I don’t see that in the movies or on TV, but then I don’t watch TV or go often to the movies.

The consequences will not go away.  You may be forgiven but the results of your sin can endure for generations.

So?  Sexual purity is a matter of life and death.  That does not even mention such things as birth defects and other consequences. 

Seasonal

(Pro 5:19 KJV)  Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Sometimes Christians are portrayed as dull and passionless.  People who believe that have obviously never read the Bible.  The difference between the Bible and the world in the area of sex is not the enjoyment but the venue.  The world we live in is committed to immediate gratification and “if it feels good, do it”.  The Bible says,

(Ecc 3:1 KJV) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

In regard to the sexual preoccupation of the world that means within marriage, yes; outside marriage, no.

Think of all the differences we would see in our communities if this simple formula were followed.

So?  Do your part.  Know the season. 

Now

(Pro 4:5 KJV) Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Priorities are in place.  We live by them.  The problem we have is acknowledging them.  Just about anyone will say that their family is a high priority and yet they allow just about anything to dump the kids with a babysitter.  Someone once said to find out what is important in your life, look at your checkbook.  Obviously that is dated.  Who uses checks any more, right?  But you understand the point.

“Wisdom” (2451) should be a priority.  We might even say it is important to us.  How many of us do much to “get” (acquire NASB) (7069) it?  The demand here is that we put aside the other pursuits of the day and get started acquiring wisdom. 

So?  The day may be almost over.  Your brain may be on hold.  Sounds like a good time to make a decision and start the journey. 

Good Impressions

(Pro 3:4 KJV) So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Evil exists.  Proverbs continually reinforces that.  There are people who delight in doing evil.  This verse reminds us that there are also a lot of people who respond to righteousness.  If you look back to the previous verse it talks about kindness and truth.  Even people who do not follow the God of the Bible can respond to that and many will.

So?  While some will reject and persecute there are many who will see your righteousness and honor it.  Even if they don’t agree with you they will sometimes take it into account. 

An Unpleasant Truth

(Pro 2:18 KJV) For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

We don’t like to think about it.  We have real problems when it comes to people we care about.  How we live makes a difference in eternity.  Don’t get distracted by the claim that the Arminian position leads to salvation by works or the nonsense of Calvinism that says a person who turns away from following Jesus was never saved in the first place.  The point is that disobedience to the righteousness God demands leads to “death” (4194).

So?  God is patient.  God forgives.  God does not play games.  Some things require that we get serious. 

One Wish, Not Three

(Pro 1:2 KJV) To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

This verse should bring to mind the dialogue between Solomon and God.  You can read the story in I Kings 3.  God gave Solomon a wish and he asked for an understanding heart, or in popular tales, wisdom.  This is where Solomon starts off in the book of Proverbs.  It reminds us that the first thing we seek should be “wisdom” (2451).  Everything else falls into place if we have that.  What does not fall into place is not needed.

So?  You don’t need three wishes, one will do.