Seek your parents' advice. (Proverbs 6:20-23)

Proverbs 6:20-23

The Message (MSG)

 

^20-23 Good friend, follow your father’s good advice;
    don’t wander off from your mother’s teachings.
Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;
    wear them like a scarf around your neck.
Wherever you walk, they’ll guide you;
    whenever you rest, they’ll guard you;
    when you wake up, they’ll tell you what’s next.
For sound advice is a beacon,
    good teaching is a light,
    moral discipline is a life path.



It is natural and good for children, as they grow toward adulthood, to become increasingly independent of their parents. Young adults, however, should take care not to turn a deaf ear to their parents - to reject their advice just when it is needed most. If you are struggling with a decision or looking for insight, check with your parents or other older adults who know you well. Their extra years of experience may have given them the wisdom you seek.



Joe

















 

A Lesson from the Ant (Proverbs 6:6-11)

Proverbs 6:6-11

The Message (MSG)

 

^6-11 You lazy fool, look at an ant.
    Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.
Nobody has to tell it what to do.
    All summer it stores up food;
    at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
    How long before you get out of bed?
A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
    sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,
    poverty your permanent house guest!



Those last few moments of sleep are delicious - we savor them as we resist beginning another workday. But Proverbs warns us against giving in to the temptation of laziness, of sleeping instead of working. This does not mean that we should never rest: God gave the Jews the Sabbath, a weekly day of rest and restoration. But we should not rest when we should be working. The ant is used as an example because it utilizes its energy and resources economically. If laziness turns us from our responsibilities, poverty may soon bar us from the legitimate rest we should enjoy.



Joe



















 

Lips as sweet as honey (Proverbs 5:3-8)

Proverbs 5:3-8

New Living Translation (NLT)


 

³ For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
    and her mouth is smoother than oil.
⁴ But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
    as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
⁵ Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.
⁶ For she cares nothing about the path to life.
    She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.

⁷ So now, my sons, listen to me.
    Never stray from what I am about to say:
⁸ Stay away from her!
    Don’t go near the door of her house!



Any person should be on guard against those who use flattery and smooth speech (lips as sweet as honey) that would lead him or her into sin. The best advice is to take a detour and even avoid conversation with such people.




Joe







 

Don't get sidetracked on detours that lead to sin. (Proverbs 4:23-27)

Proverbs 4:23-27

New Living Translation (NLT)


 

²³ Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

²⁴ Avoid all perverse talk;
    stay away from corrupt speech.

²⁵ Look straight ahead,
    and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
²⁶ Mark out a straight path for your feet;
    stay on the safe path.
²⁷ Don’t get sidetracked;
    keep your feet from following evil.



Our heart - our feelings of love and desire - dictates to a great extent how we live because we always find time to do what we enjoy. Solomon tells us to guard our heart above all else, making sure we concentrate on those desires that will keep us on the right path. Make sure your affections push you in the right direction. Put boundaries on your desires: don't go after everything you see. Look straight ahead, keep your eyes fixed on your goal, and don't get sidetracked on detours that lead to sin.





Joe

















 

God will share His heart with you. (Proverbs 1:23-28)

Proverbs 1:23-28

New Living Translation (NLT)



 

²³ Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
    and make you wise.

²⁴ “I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come.
    I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
²⁵ You ignored my advice
    and rejected the correction I offered.
²⁶ So I will laugh when you are in trouble!
    I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone,
    and anguish and distress overwhelm you.

²⁸ “When they cry for help, I will not answer.
    Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.



God is more than willing to pour out His heart and makes known His thoughts to us. To receive His advice, we must be willing to listen, refusing to let pride stand in our way. Pride is thinking more highly of our own wisdom and desires than of God's. If we think we know better than God or feel we have no need of God's direction, we have fallen into foolish and disastrous pride.




Joe















 

Sin is enticing. (Proverbs 1:10-19)

Proverbs 1:10-19

New Living Translation (NLT)


 

¹⁰ My child, if sinners entice you,
    turn your back on them!
¹¹ They may say, “Come and join us.
    Let’s hide and kill someone!
    Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
¹² Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave;
    let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.
¹³ Think of the great things we’ll get!
    We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.
¹⁴ Come, throw in your lot with us;
    we’ll all share the loot.”

¹⁵ My child, don’t go along with them!
    Stay far away from their paths.
¹⁶ They rush to commit evil deeds.
    They hurry to commit murder.
¹⁷ If a bird sees a trap being set,
    it knows to stay away.
¹⁸ But these people set an ambush for themselves;
    they are trying to get themselves killed.
¹⁹ Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;
    it robs them of life.




Sin is enticing because it offers a quick route to prosperity and makes you feel like one of the crowd. But when we go along with others and refuse to listen to the truth, our own appetites become our masters, and we'll do anything to satisfy them. Sin, when attractive, is deadly. We must learn to make choices, not on the basis of flashy appeal or short-range pleasure, but in view of the long-range effects. Sometimes this means steering clear of people who want to entice us into activities that we know are wrong. We can't be friendly with sin and expect our lives to remain unaffected.




Joe





















 

Actions speak louder than words. (Proverbs 1:8)

Proverbs 1:8

New International Version (NIV)


 

⁸ Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.



Our actions speak louder than our words. This is especially true in the home. Children learn values, morals, and priorities by observing how their parents act and react every day. If parents exhibit a deep reverence for and dependence on God, the children will catch these attitudes. Let them see your reverence for God. Teach them right living by giving worship an important place in your family life and by reading the Bible together.



Joe