PROVERBS 24 THE STRENGTH OF THE WISE

December 22

PROVERBS 24
5 A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool;
in the gate he does not open his mouth.
– Proverbs 24:5-7

PROVERBS 24 THE STRENGTH OF THE WISE
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When a man meditates on God’s truth day and night
He discerns what is wrong and evil from what is right
The man who humbly seeks guidance from wise counsel
Will prosper and have victory in all his battles
When one is full of wisdom, he will surely be strong
But fools are weak and unable to resist what is wrong.

What do you consider strong? Our world today sees strength in wealth, power and control. The humble and righteous person are invisible as far as the world is concerned. Little did the world know that when one is weak, they are strong. Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 about the concept of God’s grace. When a person is weak, powerless or vulnerable, then God’s grace abounds which makes them stronger than how others look at them.
In these Proverbs, Solomon highlights the meaning of strength almost synonymous to wisdom. We know that God is the source of all wisdom. The book of James tells us that if we want wisdom, all we need to do is ask for it and God gives it generously without reproach and it will be given. When you have wisdom, you have everything you need. You have power over the wicked. This power is not like the world’s concept of power where there is discrimination and struggles. The strength that comes from God’s grace is sufficient. You won’t need anything else because you will be content, lacking in nothing.

REFLECTION
• How can wisdom be a source of strength for someone?

December 21

PROVERBS 24
Be not envious of evil men,
nor desire to be with them,
2 for their hearts devise violence,
and their lips talk of trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.
– Proverbs 24:1-4

PROVERBS 24 STAY AWAY FROM EVIL MEN
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, avoid evil men
Do not envy if they have what you don’t have
Their hearts are only after violence and power
If you come close to them, they will want control
Keep filling your heart with the truth in God’s word
Obey God’s laws and the devil will flee from you.

In Psalm 1, David gives us a comparison between the righteous and the wicked men. He also warns us like Solomon to stay away from evil men when David says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his laws, he meditates day and night. He described the righteous and compared it to a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruits in its seasons and its leaves do not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Then David differentiates the wicked men from the righteous because the evil men are like chaff that the wind drives away. They will not stand the judgement of God nor can they stand amongst the congregation of the righteous. God knows the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish.

REFLECTION
• How can a believer avoid evil men?

PROVERBS 23 EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS

December 20

PROVERBS 23
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter perverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.
35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I must have another drink.”
– Proverbs 23:33-35

PROVERBS 23 EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you indulge to satisfy your thirst for spirits
It will be like you are in the midst of the seas
You will begin to see bizarre and strange things
Sensual pleasures will be something you cannot resist
Then you will have no power over your senses when you are drunk
Things just happen and you won’t even remember most of it.

I’ve heard of many stories of the aftermath of drunkenness. So many horror stories of women being raped during wild parties. Some men get women drunk or put something in their drinks to keep them unconscious and then take advantage of them. They wake up with no memories what of happened to them. I myself have been a victim of date rape in my twenties, where I was made to drink a juice and then I couldn’t remember what happened after. My boyfriend proposed after I woke up saying that he wants to honor me after we slept together. I remembered nothing and I told him that I am not marrying someone who took advantage of me. I was tricked to drink something that I didn’t even know about. I was young and my mother trusted this man so much. After that, I broke off with him.
Some effects of drunkenness would be sexual perversions or orgies or taking in drugs as well. Solomon warns us not to indulge in wine and spirits.

REFLECTION
• What message does it say if a Christian is an alcoholic or an addict?

PROVERBS 23 WARNING ON DRUNKENNESS

December 19

PROVERBS 23

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
– Proverbs 23:29-32

PROVERBS 23 WARNING ON DRUNKENNESS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
If we do not curb our appetites and desires
We will easily be tempted to satisfy our cravings
Be watchful that you do not get enticed by too much drinks
If you succumb to the call of wine and alcohol, you may sin
Drunkenness leads to many other undesirable outcomes
You will lose control and later regret that you caved in.

Is drunkenness a sin? Ephesians 5:18 says that we should not be drunk on wine because it leads to debauchery. Gotquestions.org defines debauchery as the habitual and unrestrained indulgence of lust and sensuality. There are several places in Scripture where the word debauchery is used to indicate what we would today call “partying.” It encompasses several aspects of unholy living, including but not limited to sexual immorality, drunkenness, crude talk, and generally out-of-control behavior. Solomon warns us of the sin of drunkenness which leads to other sins.

REFLECTION
• What does Ephesians 5:18 recommend for us to be filled with instead of wine?

PROVERBS 23 WATCH OUT FOR TRAPS

December 18

PROVERBS 23
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit;
an adulteress is a narrow well.
28 She lies in wait like a robber
and increases the traitors among mankind.
– Proverbs 23:24-28

PROVERBS 23 WATCH OUT FOR TRAPS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As you navigate this world, you need to watch out
The devil is always watching someone to devour
He uses the adulteress to drag you into the pit
Guard your heart so that you won’t be his victim
Give your heart, mind, soul and strength to the Lord
So that you will be protected from the corruption of the world.

Solomon gives advice particularly to the young men. He cautions them to watch out for traps laid by the devil using prostitutes and adulteresses. In the information and technology advancement of our world today, access to sexual sins becomes very easy. It is just right under our fingertips. Men or women do not even need to go out of their rooms and houses to satisfy their lusts and desires.
Paul warns the Corinthian church in chapter 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 to run from sexual sins as no other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. It is a sin against your own body. The temple is now in our bodies since Jesus paid a high price to cleanse us from our sins. So why would we want to defile God’s temple?

REFLECTION
• How could one protect oneself from the sexual traps that the devil lays?

PROVERBS 23 LISTEN AND OBEY YOUR PARENTS

December 17

PROVERBS 23
20 Be not among drunkards
or among gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
– Proverbs 23:20-23

PROVERBS 23 LISTEN AND OBEY YOUR PARENTS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
The Lord God assigned a set of parents to you
If you honor them, you are submitting to God
If you listen and obey your father and mother
You are following God’s authority and order
When you respect and heed their instruction
Your life will be long and you’ll overcome temptations.

In the book of Ephesians chapter 6, Paul teaches the church in Ephesus the secret of long life. He says in verses 2-4“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Why do you think this command was included in the ten commandments of God? It is the first commandment with a promise tied to it: a long well-lived life. Why has this command been minimized by so many people? Both parents and children do not take this law so seriously. Discipline and guidance in the way that is right have been a rarity in our world today. No wonder we have so many problems in our society. Parents do not bring up their children in the way God designed it to be. Children do not honor their parents anymore.

REFLECTION
• What hindrances do parents and children have towards following this command?

PROVERBS 23 BENEFITS OF FEAR OF THE LORD

December 16

PROVERBS 23
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
my heart too will be glad.
16 My inmost being will exult
when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not your heart envy sinners,
but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.
18 Surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear, my son, and be wise,
and direct your heart in the way.
– Proverbs 23:15-19

PROVERBS 23 BENEFITS OF FEAR OF THE LORD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you fear the Lord your God faithfully
You will always follow the right path continually
There will be wisdom ready for you to use
There is hope and a future awaits you
When you fear the Lord and obey him
You will tread the right way and overcome sin.

In these Proverbs, Solomon gives us a glimpse of the outcome of fearing the Lord. He says that when we fear the Lord, he is delighted. Each time we speak the truth, God is glorified.
Those who revere God will be spared from envying the world’s ways. They will have a future and they will not be desperate or hopeless.
In Proverbs 14:27, Solomon also mentions another benefit of fearing the Lord. It is the fountain of life and it ensures that we can avoid the snares of death. In Proverbs 8:13, he also mentions that fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil. In other words, when we revere the Lord, we will not get into the habit of sinning. Proverbs 19:23 says it protects us from harm and keeps us content and satisfied.

REFLECTION
• How come some people don’t fear God despite its many benefits?

PROVERBS 23 COMMIT YOURSELF TO INSTRUCTION

December 15

PROVERBS 23

10 Do not move an ancient landmark
or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Redeemer is strong;
he will plead their cause against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ear to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike him with the rod,
you will save his soul from Sheol.
– Proverbs 23:10-14

PROVERBS 23 COMMIT YOURSELF TO INSTRUCTION
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
If you want to be able to live a life of peace and joy
Commit yourself to instruction from God’s word
Meditate on truth and fill your mind and heart with it
Then darkness will be exposed and you’ll see the devil’s tactics
Be faithful to follow what God commands you to do
If you press to obey the law, you’ll find love and joy.

What do you think verse 12 of these Proverbs mean? What does it look like to apply your heart to instruction? Many Christians read the bible but probably few believers actually apply the laws and truth in our lives. We get stuck in our minds and usually what we read in the bible or teachings in our churches do not always touch our hearts into applying such commands or instructions.
In the book of James chapter one he stresses the importance of not just hearing the word, but in also doing it. He says that if one only hears and doesn’t do it, he is like a man looking at his natural face in the mirror who forgets quickly what he looks like after leaving.

REFLECTION
• Why is it important to commit ourselves to God’s instructions?

PROVERBS 23 DON’T GIVE WISDOM TO FOOLS

December 14

PROVERBS 23
6 Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;
do not desire his delicacies,
7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
for he will despise the good sense of your words.
– Proverbs 23:6-9

PROVERBS 23 DON’T GIVE WISDOM TO FOOLS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you have acquired truth and wisdom, use it wisely
Do not mishandle it by throwing it on people who are foolish
Why waste your time on instructing fools; they won’t listen
If you attempt to put some sense into them, it is only useless
Fools care only about their own limited understanding
They are so senseless; they don’t know what is good for them.

In Matthew 7:6, Jesus warns his disciples “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” What does this verse mean? According to a commentary, “It is easy to focus on the derogatory imagery of dogs and pigs and miss the real point, which is not meant as an insult. The message is about wasting things of value on those who not only won’t appreciate them, but might even be angered by the offer.” Just like Solomon warns us in verse 4 of this Proverbs that we need not speak good sense in the hearing of a fool or they will just despise us. What is the point of giving valuable wise words to someone who does not want it? One will just be wasting efforts to bring truth to someone who doesn’t want to hear it. Bring truth only to those who would value and appreciate it.

REFLECTION
• Cite an instance when someone foolish just trampled on a sensible word you said.

PROVERBS 23 DESIST THE LOVE OF MONEY

December 13

PROVERBS 23
When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3 Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
4 Do not toil to acquire wealth;
be discerning enough to desist.
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
for suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.
– Proverbs 23:1-5

PROVERBS 23 DESIST THE LOVE OF MONEY
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
The love of money cannot exist if you are a servant of Christ
No one can serve two masters but only those with double minds
Those who are lovers of money work to acquire riches
But the believer gathers treasures that belong to heaven
You will be a slave to the dark powers if you love money
Satan will surely keep you in bondage to sin and be greedy.

Solomon warns us in verse 4 of the dangers of the love of money and wealth. He says that if one works only to acquire wealth, there will be consequences that will not be beneficial for that person.
In the garden of Eden before the fall, the history of work began “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it (Genesis 2:15). Work then wasn’t that hard since God had already provided everything they needed. After the fall, the consequence of their disobedience changed the purpose of work. Because man was tainted with sin, he has a tendency to work to gather wealth instead of his daily bread. Before the fall, man was content with God’s provision, but greed entered his heart after.

REFLECTION
• Why should we be purposeful with our work ethics? What happens if we aren’t?