(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)
(Proverbs 9:1-18)
1 Wisdom has built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;
3 She has sent out her attendants, she calls out
From the tops of the heights of the city:
4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks understanding she says,
5 “Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Abandon your foolishness and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”
7 One who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And one who rebukes a wicked person gets insults for himself.
8 Do not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you;
Rebuke a wise person and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise person and he will become still wiser;
Teach a righteous person and he will increase his insight.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you alone will suffer from it.
13 A woman of foolishness is boisterous,
She has a lack of understanding and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by the high places of the city,
15 Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their paths:
16 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks understanding she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;
3 She has sent out her attendants, she calls out
From the tops of the heights of the city:
4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks understanding she says,
5 “Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Abandon your foolishness and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”
7 One who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And one who rebukes a wicked person gets insults for himself.
8 Do not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you;
Rebuke a wise person and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise person and he will become still wiser;
Teach a righteous person and he will increase his insight.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you alone will suffer from it.
13 A woman of foolishness is boisterous,
She has a lack of understanding and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by the high places of the city,
15 Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their paths:
16 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks understanding she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
What I notice in this passage is that evil hates feedback and critiques and responds in negative ways. And evil tries to lure people in with lies and promises that sinning will feel "good." So then, as believers who desire to spread the gospel message, we should know that pointing out people's sins will only backfire. Seriously, most likely they are already very aware that they are sinners. And if they are not Christians - WHY should we expect them to behave as Christians???!!!
The GOOD news is that we can go to Jesus AS WE ARE - and become Christians! THEN Jesus changes us from the inside and continues to work on us as we allow and as we ourselves seek to know Him better and apply His will to our lives. So, in this passage, we need to note that wisdom prepares a wonderful feast and invites people in. Wisdom prudently points out that we all fall short of God's glory, but then points out the benefits and blessings!
We should also never use prideful or rude ways to point out a person's need for Jesus. And we should never be manipulative or pushy when sharing the gospel. At the heart of all our words and actions, we need God's love as our only motive. And with all our words and actions, we should be asking for God's courage, patience and guidance. Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts a person's heart, and it is Jesus who saves!
The passage below is from yesterday's devotion, which supports the approach we should take in being a witness. To be an effective witness, we need to walk-the-talk. We need to be a living example...
(Proverbs 9:12-14)
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And I find knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride, arrogance, the evil way,
And the perverted mouth, I hate.
14 Advice is mine and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, power is mine.
And I find knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride, arrogance, the evil way,
And the perverted mouth, I hate.
14 Advice is mine and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, power is mine.
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