COMMON SENSE BOOK
Proverbs 4:7-10
When I became a Christian I was told that Proverbs was a great book to use for devotions because it had 31 chapters which worked perfectly with the days in the month. When February or months with only 30 days in them, you didn’t cover those chapters. So, whatever the day date was, that’s the chapter you covered. My dad called Proverbs the “Common Sense” book. It worked then, it still works well now.
Early in Proverbs we are told that ‘fear of the Lord’ is the beginning of wisdom. Here in chapter 4 we are told, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get Wisdom…” According to Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, “wise and godly men, in every age of the world, and rank in society agree that true wisdom consists in obedience, and is united to happiness. Get wisdom, take pains for it. Get rule over thy corruptions; take more pains to get this than the wealth of the world, And interest in Christ’s salvation is necessary. This wisdom is the one thing needful. A soul without true wisdom and grace is a dead soul. How poor, contemptable and wretched are those who with all their wealth and power, die without getting understanding without Christ, without hope and without God! Let us give heed to the sayings of Him who has the words of eternal life.”
My dad also stressed to me that if you find words that cover a subject well and does not take volumes to do so, why try to improve them. My hat is off to Matthew Henry. He said it so well!
When I became a Christian I was told that Proverbs was a great book to use for devotions because it had 31 chapters which worked perfectly with the days in the month. When February or months with only 30 days in them, you didn’t cover those chapters. So, whatever the day date was, that’s the chapter you covered. My dad called Proverbs the “Common Sense” book. It worked then, it still works well now.
Early in Proverbs we are told that ‘fear of the Lord’ is the beginning of wisdom. Here in chapter 4 we are told, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get Wisdom…” According to Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, “wise and godly men, in every age of the world, and rank in society agree that true wisdom consists in obedience, and is united to happiness. Get wisdom, take pains for it. Get rule over thy corruptions; take more pains to get this than the wealth of the world, And interest in Christ’s salvation is necessary. This wisdom is the one thing needful. A soul without true wisdom and grace is a dead soul. How poor, contemptable and wretched are those who with all their wealth and power, die without getting understanding without Christ, without hope and without God! Let us give heed to the sayings of Him who has the words of eternal life.”
My dad also stressed to me that if you find words that cover a subject well and does not take volumes to do so, why try to improve them. My hat is off to Matthew Henry. He said it so well!
by Paul Kightlinger, Elder
Recent
Archive
2023
January
WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER?RESOLVING CONFLICT AND DEALING WITH EVILWHAT KIND OF FRUIT DO YOU HAVE?GOD IS PROUD OF HIS SONPEACE IS A FUNCTION OF FOCUSTHE HEALING POWER OF JESUSGOD CALLS YOU BY NAMESMOKE AND MIRRORSBE A LIGHTWISE WORDSEXODUSCHOOSING THE RIGHT PATHGOD SEES AND HEARSWHO IS THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM?WARNING AGAINST FOLLY
February
March
HE HAS A PLAN FOR YOUTHE PLACE OF COMFORT AND SAFETYIT'S THE LITTLE THINGSBE ALERTMY GOD IS NOT TOO SMALLWHEN TO SPEAK AND WHEN NOT TO SPEAKGOD IS GRACIOUS TO USKEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUTSTAND STRONG FOR YOUR FAITHOUR HOPEDO I DO WHAT THE LORD ASKS OF ME?DON'T BE A SCHEMERA TREASURE HUNTLISTEN AND FOLLOWWORDS OF COMFORT OR WARNINGTHE POSSESSOR OCCUPIES AND FILLS THE POSSESSEDUNDIVIDED LOYALTY TO GODONE CONCESSION STAND
April
OUR GOD IS HOLY AND JUSTA CAUSE FOR OBEDIENCETELL THE COMING GENERATIONTHE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOLSHINE YOUR FACE UPON USLISTEN UP!CHECK WITH GOD FIRST - HE KNOWS MORE THAN WE DOPSALM 86THAT IS ENOUGH SAIDDO YOU REMEMBER?TRANSITIONSSERVE ONE ANOTHERPROVERBS“Insignificant Does Not Equal Insignificant” (Judges 6)
May
JESUS IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!FINISHING WELLARE YOU THE TEACHER OF ISRAEL AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS?FORGETTING GOD IS DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTHREPENTANCE BRINGS MERCYGOD'S SOVEREIGN TIMING IS ALWAYS RIGHTWHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?A GODLY FATHERJESUS CARES FOR US - HE'S OUR SHEPHERDWHO DO YOU LISTEN TO?CARELESS SPEECHCONTINUE TO SERVE GODUNDIGNIFIED, HUMILIATED, AND GLORIFYING GOD!CLEAR PROMISESMEPHIBOSHETH AND THE KINGTRUST IN GOD'S LEADINGJESUS DOES THE FATHER'S WILL DEMONSTRATING LOVE FOR HIS MOTHER AND WAS GIVEN A KING'S BURIAL
June
2022
January
No Comments