Tag Archive | book of proverbs

Proverbs 21 – Proverbs 21 The king’s heart…

Jul13

Good evening y’all. Happy Monday 🙂

Today we are studying chapter 21 of Proverbs.

Be blessed 🙂

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Proverbs 21:1
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord , Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes”.(NKJV)

The Lord can guide our heart as He pleases. He can do whatever He wishes to do with it. That gives me comfort that God can use the same people who intended evil for me, to be a blessing to me. This shows the sovereignty of God.  He created man and can do with Him whatever He pleases.

Proverbs 21:2
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts”.(NKJV)

Again God’s sovereignty shown here. In our own eyes we may think we are right, but God is the one who sees deep into the secret places of our heart. We can hide from ourselves and man, but we can’t hide the truth from God. I’m reminded of what happened when Samuel went to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel. He was looking at the sons based on their outward appearance but God made him realize He doesn’t  choose based on man’s standards; He looks on the heart and not outward appearance (1 Samuel 16).

Let’s be careful when men are praising us, telling us how good we are. We should go back to God and find out His opinion of us is, and if we are still on the right track.

1 Corinthians 10:12 says ” Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”.

Proverbs 21:3
“The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices”.(NLT)

God is more pleased when we do the right thing than when we offer him sacrifices. I’m reminded of 1 Samuel:15, where Saul was given an instruction from God to destroy a city completely, not leave anything at all.  Saul decided to leave some of the best animals in the city with the intention of offering them as a sacrifice unto God.  But God was displeased because he didn’t obey the instruction he was given. God sent the prophet back to him to tell him of his disobedience. Samuel told Saul that to obey is better than sacrifice.

“Samuel replied, “Has the Lord as much pleasure in your burnt offerings and sacrifices as in your obedience? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. He is much more interested in your listening to him than in your offering the fat of rams to him”.(1 Sam 15: 22 TLB)

I pray God helps us to do the right thing at the right time.

Proverbs 21:13
“Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need”.(NLT)

We shouldn’t turn a blind eye or deaf ears to those who are in need especially when we are in a position to help them. In doing so we are opening doors for our own blessings.

Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 that “when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me”

Galatians 6:2 also tells us to bear one another’s burden.

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (NLT)

Proverbs 21:30
“There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the Lord” (NKJV)

Nothing can beat God. He is sovereign over all. Love the message version

“Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived, can get the better of God”” (MSG)

Proverbs 21:31
“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord” (NLT)

Trust God for victory. Prepare for the battle. You do your bit and leave God to handle His own side. One thing stands for sure, and that is that God can never fail.  Nothing or no one can compare to Him or be as powerful as He is.  Everything is subject to Him.  Even the demons and principalities are under His authority.  Be rest assured that as long as God is on your side victory is certain.

Thanks for joining today. Pls feel free to share your thought on today’s chapter.

Have a blessed evening 🙂

***With God all things are possible***

Proverbs 16 – Wise in your own eyes? Think twice…

Jul6

Good afternoon y’all. Happy Monday 🙂

Today we are continuing our study of Proverbs. We are in chapter 16.

I identified 3 P’s from today’s chapter. Be blessed as your read 🙂

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1) Planning

Do we consult God before making plans, no matter how small or big they may be?

Few verses in the chapter stress the fact that we need to consult God before making plans.

“Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word”. (Proverbs 16: 1 MSG)

“Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place”.(Proverbs 16: 3 MSG)

“Commit your actions to the lord , and your plans will succeed”.(Proverbs 16: 3 NLT)

“We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it”.(Proverbs 16: 9 MSG)

“Make your motions and cast your votes, but God has the final say”.(Proverbs 16:33 MSG)

We can make plans but God has the final say. That’s why it’s crucial we partner with Him for all our plans.

God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Sovereign. He knows it all. He’s been to the future. He can decide to allow our plans be successful or not. It is pride that makes us believe we can plan outside of God. Truth is, everything in our lives only happen because God allowed it. It’s not by our own strength.

James says it well in James 4:13 -16

“Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil”.(James 4: 13 -16 NLT)

When we put God in charge, there is a guarantee from verse 3 that He will make our plans successful.  Who better to partner with and have as a planner and director than God himself; The creator of Heaven and earth; The one who knows everything and nothing takes Him by surprise.

Psalmist says in Psalm 127:1 that except the Lord builds a house, the labourers labor in vain.

Don’t let all your hard work be in vain. Commit all to God. He is interested in every area of our life.

2) Purpose

Everything has a purpose in life. I don’t believe in coincidence but I believe in God – incidents. According to verse 4 nothing happens by chance. It’s because God has designed it that way.

“God made everything with a place and purpose; even the wicked are included—but for judgment”. (Proverbs 16:4 MSG)

“The lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster”.(Proverbs 16:4 NLT)

All has a purpose plus the good and bad. Nothing is wasted in Gods economy. Even the people we struggle to live with are there for a purpose. Perhaps they are in our lives to teach us patience or help us learn to truly forgive and love unconditionally.

I pray God will help us see each situation in our lives from His perspective and help us find purpose in everything.

3) Pride
God doesn’t like pride, arrogance or pretense. People who exhibit this behaviour will be put in their place by God.

“God can’t stomach arrogance or pretense; believe me, he’ll put those upstarts in their place”.(Proverbs 16:5 MSG)

“First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. It’s better to live humbly among the poor than to live it up among the rich and famous”. (Proverbs 16:18-19 MSG)

“Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud”. (Proverbs 16:18-19 NLT)

It is better to humble ourselves than for God to humble us. Ask king Nebucadnezzer and he will tell you how he wish someone had told him this before he started pumping himself up and boasting in his strength. God deflated him so fast with a good humbling experience in the wilderness living like a wild animal. When God was through with humbling him, he didn’t need anyone to convince him about who is in charge. He had learnt his lesson the hard way. Nebucadnezzer went on to say this about God in Daniel 4: 34 – 35

“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’”. (Daniel 4:34-35 NLT)

I pray we would learn to humble ourselves before God.

Verse 7 is not part of the Ps as such but I love the truth in the verse 🙂

“When God approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand”. (MSG)

“When a man’s ways please the Lord , he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him”.(KJV)

I pray our ways will be pleasing to God and if we are engaging in any activity that doesn’t make us pleasing to God, I pray God will have mercy on us and give the grace to turn away and restitute our ways.

Thanks for joining today. Pls feel free to share your thoughts on the chapter.

Have a blessed day basking in God’s goodness 🙂

***With God all things are possible***