All Blog Posts Tagged 'proverbs' (133)

How do we react to criticism?

“and you say [on your deathbed], ‘How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!’” -Proverbs 5:12 This is my fear for our generation. This is my real fear, that we will find ourselves upon our deathbed, wondering why we were so proud as to not take correction. Or worse still, that we will find ourselves before the Lord on the Day of Judgment, wondering why we didn’t listen to those who were trying to point us in the right direction. We have this idea in modern America that I a… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on November 20, 2009 at 7:24am — No Comments

Don’t wait for a deathbed confession

“and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,” -Proverbs 5:11 You’re going to die. I can say that with almost 100% certainty. Now, I’ll allow for the possibility of Jesus’ return before that happens, which is why I’m not quite ready to say 100%, but I am almost certain of your eventual death. You know it too. You may not want to think about it or acknowledge it, but you know. Maybe you’re a little closer than you would like. Maybe it’s so far off that it… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on November 18, 2009 at 6:46pm — No Comments

The money pit

[Avoid the forbidden woman] “lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,” -Proverbs 5:10 When I worked in the court system, I came across the case of a man who was arrested for violation of a protective order. He was divorced from his wife, and due to various circumstances (some his fault, and some beyond his control), a protective order was granted against him. He was no longer allowed to see his children. He was broke and could not p… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on November 16, 2009 at 8:42pm — No Comments

The truth behind the death penalty

“[Avoid the forbidden woman,] lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless,” -Proverbs 5:9 A lot of people would describe the moral laws of the Bible to be rather restrictive. Adultery was a capital offense, as was being caught in premarital sex. We moderns would likely scoff at such laws as primitive and unenlightened. We may likewise laugh at verses like this, that talk about losing honor because of sexual sin. Perhaps this is a part of that old system that does not rea… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on November 11, 2009 at 7:36pm — No Comments

On sexual sin

“Keep your way far from her [the forbidden woman], and do not go near the door of her house,” -Proverbs 5:8 Quite often, my wife and I will watch movies or television shows in the evenings. We were both real lovers of movies before marriage, and so, naturally, that part of our single lives have carried over into the marriage. Not all of these movies are what you might call family friendly, but my wife always insists that we either skip sex scenes or at least turn away. It’s not somethi… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on November 9, 2009 at 8:09pm — No Comments

Where is your Bible, dad?

“And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.” -Proverbs 5:7 We have seen quite a bit of direct address in the Proverbs. This sort of surprised me when I first really read the book. We sort of think of the Proverbs as simply a collection of sayings, mostly by Solomon, almost like if you got a lot of fortunes out of fortune cookies and taped them all on a big piece of paper. When you needed advice for something, you just search the paper for the right subje… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on November 6, 2009 at 10:28am — No Comments

Planning for tomorrow

“she [the forbidden woman] does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.” -Proverbs 5:6 When I was not a Christian, my outlook on life really didn’t go much beyond the next weekend. I wasn’t what the world would call a bad person. Far from it. Most people considered me pretty good. But I wasn’t really thinking about how my choices would affect next week, or next year, or especially eternity. Even the most careful planners miss that last one. They will conc… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on November 4, 2009 at 9:03am — No Comments

What’s the big deal?

“Her [the forbidden woman’s] feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;” -Proverbs 5:5 “It’s not a big deal.” How many times have I heard that in regard to someone’s sin? How many times have I said it? Honestly, I am as guilty as anyone here. And I still do it! I treat someone badly, and I blow it off. Everyone does it. I engage in a little gossip at work. So what? My issues may be different than someone else’s, but the reaction seems to be the same. I have some friends… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on November 3, 2009 at 9:07am — No Comments

The bitter aftertaste of sin

“but in the end she [the forbidden woman] is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.” -Proverbs 5:4 There are a thousand temptations that greet me every day. Most don’t affect me that much. I may go by a billboard that tries to tempt me to buy some sort of food, but I’m not really hungry, so I pass it by. There is always a temptation at work to talk bad about others. Most of the time, I really just don’t want to. Some temptations are a little tougher. By about 9:00 at night, the… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on October 31, 2009 at 12:04am — No Comments

Memorizing the defensive plays

“For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil,” -Proverbs 5:3 I am terrible at memorizing verses. (To which you may reply, “Paul, what in the world does this have to do with the adulterous woman of Proverbs 5? I mean, this is the verse that begins that section, and here you are talking about memory verses.” Stick with me a little on this, and hopefully it’ll become clear.) So back to the original point – I am terrible at memorizing verses. I have a f… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on October 28, 2009 at 7:05am — No Comments

I think . . .

“[Listen,] that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.” -Proverbs 5:2 I’ve been listening lately to a lot of “bad” sermons. These are sermons that are not so much based upon the Word of God, but on something else, whether it is on finances, or movies, or personal experiences by the pastor. Often, the pastor will read a verse or two from Scripture, but then spend the rest of the time going in a different direction from the text. There has been a common thread to thes… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on October 27, 2009 at 7:02am — No Comments

The only drum I have

“My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding,” -Proverbs 5:1 As we have so often seen in the Proverbs, Solomon again asks his son to pay attention, to listen carefully. And to be honest, part of me is getting a little annoyed. I am trying to write down my thoughts about each verse I come to, but I keep coming to this same verse. The same thing is repeated over and over again. It’s my instinct to move on to something new, something hipper. Isn’t there some rea… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on October 23, 2009 at 7:10am — No Comments

My enemy, my tongue

“Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.” -Proverbs 4:24 I used to work at a place that thrived on gossip, and I really didn’t know to be on my guard until one particular day. I was ill and about to leave early, when I saw something my boss had put up in the breakroom. I was looking at it and muttering something to myself and then moved on. There was one other person in there with me, but I didn’t know she had heard me, and I hadn’t really said anything to be… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on October 7, 2009 at 8:54pm — 1 Comment

It’s about what you believe

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” -Proverbs 4:23 Most of us are aware of how important our hearts are. Some of us even monitor it when exercising or at certain times throughout the day. They always take your pulse and blood pressure at the doctor’s office, because the heart keeps the body going. Once the heart is gone, you’re gone too. It’s rather appropriate that we use the word “heart” as a personification of our emotional center today. If you… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on October 5, 2009 at 8:58pm — No Comments

It’s not about what you do

“For they [my words] are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” -Proverbs 4:22 There have been so many times lately when I’ve heard someone talk about the Gospel message, the Good News, as a set of behaviors or a way of life or something of the like. And that makes sense, right? This is the way the world works – it tells us that if your message has meaning, it will change something. If your business has value, then you’ll start getting more money. If your philosoph… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on October 2, 2009 at 7:11pm — No Comments

Forgetting these words

“Let them [my words] not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.” -Proverbs 4:21 It surprises me, going through Proverbs verse-by-verse, how much of this book is simply a plea for us to remember these words. Over and over again Solomon has asked his son (and us) to remember, to hold these words in our hearts. In truth, we are very quick to forget what the Bible tells us. We are so fast to go about our way into the world without thinking about it at all. It’s almost like wh… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on September 18, 2009 at 6:31pm — No Comments

Where did lunch come from?

“For they [the wicked] eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.” -Proverbs 4:17 In my line of work (insurance), I occasionally come across people who are trying to defraud my company of how ever much money we are willing to give them. Strangely, they don’t seem like total jerks at all (well, most of them), but when the chance for some quick cash arises, it has an odd effect on them. Some of these are really obvious. Others are not. For some, it just seems like they ar… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on September 4, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Why we need a guide, and how to get a free one

“For they [the wicked] cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.” -Proverbs 4:16 I sat down to write about this verse, and I had to take a little time just to meditate on it. Solomon is describing an evil that I never want to know. He is talking about someone who wishes harm on other people, someone who loses sleep when his enemy is safe. This is the sort of wickedness we sometimes see in dictators or unrepentant murderers,… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on September 2, 2009 at 2:31pm — No Comments

The road most traveled

“Avoid it [the path of the wicked]; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.” -Proverbs 4:15 Most of the time, I know it’s coming. I know I’m starting to get angry. Some of the time, I recognize that I’m getting angry and I take a walk or start praying. Sometimes I ignore all off that and lash out. Afterward, I wonder at how stupid I was. I never get out of a fight with my wife, family, or friend thinking, “That was good. I really stuck it to him!” No, I always regret it. So why… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on August 31, 2009 at 8:05pm — No Comments

Seeking pleasure, or seeking life

“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.” -Proverbs 4:14 What is it we value in our society? What character traits do we seek to emulate? You know, if you ask people who they admire, you’re going to get the strangest mix of egotistical sports figures, power-hungry politicians, movie stars that can’t seem to stay married to the same person for more than a year, and then like the Pope or Mother Teresa. Or you’ll get some really ambiguous group like “sin… Continue

Added by Paul Lytle on August 29, 2009 at 11:17am — No Comments