Good morning everyone this morning. We are in Proverbs chapter 15 and in Proverbs we have the wisdom of Solomon on display and it really is special how when Solomon is sitting down to pen these Proverbs being the anointed one of God being the one who Asked for wisdom and God gave it to him wisdom just pours forth from the spirit from Solomon in these wise Saints these are not
promises of God. These are a man of God, a man who has given wisdom, given us good guidance and instruction in that in general, when you follow these principles, they're going to lead to a better life, a more godly life.
We know that Solomon himself sometimes struggled to control some of the sins of his life. But when he was operating with his pen to write what now is the inspired Word of God, he surely had great advice for us. And some of it is very
personal to me in areas where, you know, and maybe you're the same where you look at some of these sayings and you're like, man, I really need to hear that one. I really need to apply that one. And it hits me right away in the first verse. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
You know, as a preacher and probably more of an emotional preacher, you know, I'm now in my 50s. So, you know, you change as you get older. But nonetheless, sometimes when I speak, I'll speak with passion or zeal or enthusiasm.
And sometimes that's just like my normative. It's not like something I'm trying to do. It's kind of who I am. So then when you're speaking of something that let's say it's challenging or it's a divisive issue or it's, you know, something where you're you're dealing with conflict in some way.
Well, it says here a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. And when you have your more emotional or you're more enthusiastic, it takes really a lot of God and a lot of the spirit to remain gentle and not have emotions appear in your language, which sometimes if you're dealing with difficult things,
That's not what you want is for your words to be with emotion. You want them to be more calm and gentle. So, great instruction for me and maybe those of you who have similar issue. I used to and I probably talked about this before.
When there'd be conflict, I'd have like this fight or flight mechanism. You know, you've probably heard of that. It's pretty natural for a human. If you're obviously being threatened, you have a flight or flight response. And sometimes when I would sense a challenging situation, some of that fight or flight like tendency would rise up in me, which would make it even more challenging for me.
Now that I recognize that sometimes that happens, it's a little bit better as far as me being able to control that and be more gentle. Lord, help me.
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge look good, but the mouth of fools pours forth folly. And you know, words, I tell you what, words are a spark, right? They can set a forest fire. They can get a forest fire going and, you know, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. So we have to be careful and spirit guided with our words.
The eyes of Yahweh are in every place watching the evil and the good, isn't that? One of my friends from church, Ken, he always likes to say the eyes of the Lord look to and to and fro throughout the earth. Just kind of generally quoting and looking for one who like follows God's ways. And you know, the eyes of the Lord, he knows what we do and
He's in every place. May we be found doing good because of the goodness of God in us. A tongue that brings healing is a tree of life. And man, our words can do so much good and harm, but perversion in its
In it breaks the spirit and may we encourage people and lift people up and when you you know even when you Speak a word of correction to someone may the intent be that They would learn From that so that they can be better so and ultimately they can be led in a direction that leads to life an ignorant fool
burns his father's discipline, especially when the father is giving godly advice. You know, with years you do get wisdom and it pays to listen to those around you who have it. But he who keeps reproof
is prudent. When you listen to advice, when you listen to correction, when you ponder what someone's saying, many times there's wisdom in that. The house of the righteous has much treasure
But in the income of the wicked, there is trouble. I mean, money in the hands of a fool can be a real problem. But you know what? Sometimes people who are honorable, who are wise, who handle their finances well and with wisdom and with prudence, sometimes they're going to have more of it because of how they've, you know, how they've conducted their affairs. And if you are wise and if you are hardworking, there's going to be a reward to that.
The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not so... It's so good to take in God's word, to gain more knowledge, and to not be foolish. And fool, it just leads to destruction. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. You know, even though God desired that people would bring animal sacrifices to Him,
If their heart was not right, it wasn't looked at favorably because they were just going through the motions or doing it even when their conduct wasn't righteous. So if it was really out of devotion to God and out of obedience to him and out of a heart that wanted to follow him, it was a lovely thing. But the prayer of the upright is his delight.
Wasn't that good and right to know that I think even now as we're in the Word and when you're in prayer You're delighting in God the fact that you're even listening to this podcast right now I believe God is delighting in that the way of the wicked is an abomination to the to Yahweh
You can't justify sin. You can't take what God says is sin and say it's proper. It's an abomination to the Lord. Living a sinful life, complacent and just doing what you will instead of what God's will, it's an abomination. But he loves one who pursues righteousness and how do you pursue righteousness? It's first by knowing it. You know, by knowing what is good and right, by knowing the word of God, not by going by your own rules or what you think. God's not gonna
You know, what you think is not of utmost importance, what is utmost important what God thinks in getting in alignment with that. Grievous discipline is for Him who forsakes the way. That's, you know, the way to God, the Christian way now. And there will be discipline for those who don't follow God's way. He who hates reproof will die.
And you know, that's what those do that don't want to follow God there. They hate reproof. They don't want to hear it. Shual and a bad and lie open before Yahweh. How much more the hearts of the sons of men. You know, when we get into shual and a bad and shual is the place of the data, bad in the place of destruction.
It appears in the Old Testament that the idea of Sheol was a place where the dead went. There was a lower or more remote or pit place of Sheol that was like a hell. There seems to be a waiting place of Sheol that wasn't the lower part of Sheol that people went awaiting their future resurrection one day. So it was not quite like paradise that we've been given now.
that those who believe when they die they go to be with the Lord. But it was a waiting place of the dead and it appears to be there was a more wicked bad place and a place of death but a place of living on and death, the place of the dead in Sheol.
How much more the heart to the sons of men. God sees it. He knows who's there. Iskafr does not love one who reproves him. And you know what? Again, good reproof is good. If you can get a wise word from someone and sometimes even if it's reproof, it can be a blessing to you.
He will not go to the wise. While scoffer doesn't want to go to the wise, they will usually go to those who are going to give them the advice that they want to hear, the wicked advice they want to hear. They don't want to go to the man of God because they don't want to be told they're wrong. A glad heart makes a face look good. Excuse me. But when the heart is pain, the spirit is broken.
Yeah, it's it's tough when we our heart is downcast, you know, and may not be there for long. I mean, sometimes when we're coming to face the reality of our situation or the reality of our sinfulness, there can be a momentary place of being down. But you know what, that can be the greatest place to be because once we
Turn away from what God says is sin and turn towards God. It's very uplifting and the sun is shining and there's hope for the future. The heart of the one who has understanding seeks knowledge. You know what? Seek what God says. Stop going by what you think. Instead, learn what God says and come in alignment with that.
But the mouth of fools feeds on folly. And that's what people do who don't want God. They just feed on foolishness. They feed on folly. They don't feed on God's word. They feed on the ways of the world. All the days of the afflicted are evil, but a good heart has a continual feast. And, you know, there's a lot of words in the Bible regarding that if you honor God,
And you live to please him that you know what, there may be blessing in this life for honoring God. But even if there's not, listen to what it says here, better is little with the fear of Yahweh than great treasure and turmoil with it.
Listen, there's no promise that because someone's wealthy, they're going to be happy, purposeful, living for God. No, wealth can be a disguise that can keep people away from God. And that's not worth anything. You know, much better to have little and to have the fear of Yahweh. But once you actually fear Yahweh and apply your life to His principles, there may be more treasure for you.
Better is a dish of vegetables where there is love. How about that? Then a fat and ox and hatred in it. There's nothing like being around division or people who are against you. It's no fun. Vegetables with people who love you is a great place to be versus having an ox but a lot of hatred and strife. A hot tempered man stirs up strife and
Oh God, help us. Help us to be slow. But listen, but the slow to anger, quiet to dispute, do not be quick to speak, right? And be slow to anger. It says in the book of James, I'm sure Jesus knew the book of Proverbs and knew the word and James, excuse me, the brother of Jesus who wrote that, knew the word of God when he wrote that and brought it into the New Testament.
But the slow to anger quiets a dispute. And that's wise. You know, in a dispute, if we can remain calm and patient and loving and try to have words of wisdom, oh God help me help us. The way of the slugger is a hedge of thorns. Well, if you live like a slugger, you're probably going to die a slugger and you're going to face the consequences of being a slugger.
But the path of the upright is a highway. Hallelujah. It's a better path to be in the path of God. A wise son makes a father glad. Well, all of our sons be wise, and I can tell you an unwise son makes a father sad. But a wise son makes a father glad. Hallelujah. But a foolish man despises his mother. I love my mom. She's great.
Folly is gladness to him who lacks a heart of wisdom. And people who are full of folly, they just want to stay there. Try to live unaccountable lives. Don't live in the fear of God and just continue to live in folly. But it won't turn out well. But a man of discernment walks straight. Walk straight with God, walk on his path. Without consultation, plans are frustrated. But with many counselors, they succeed.
And you know what, especially when you have men and women of God in your life, get counsel from people who are godly and you're likely to be on a better path. A man has gladness in an apt answer and how good is a timely word. You know, isn't that great? And sometimes you can get that timely word from the word, like even now, in taking in this word, there could be something that you
partake of this morning that really even helps you this day a timely word hallelujah. The path of life leads upward for the one who has insight that he may not that he may turn away from the shiole below.
And that's one hint, by the way, to the lower places of Sheol. It's talked about in the Bible. It appears there's more than one chamber of Sheol or there's a deeper part of Sheol and then a less deep part of Sheol.
Yahweh will tear down the house of the proud, but he will cause the boundary of the widow to stand. Being pride of heart and lacking humility is not looked at favorably in the Bible.
evil thoughts are an abomination to the Lord. And I'll tell you what, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. So we have to, you know, what we think about matters and we have to get our thoughts in alignment with God. Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. So we want to make sure that we don't let evil thoughts harbor in our minds and dwell around in our minds because it's an abomination to the Lord.
and it leads to greater evil but pleasant words are pure and may from our pure hearts of God may our words be pleasant he who is greedy for gain troubles his own house excuse me geez I'm really sorry about that you know I don't know what I need to do maybe gargle in the morning or something I do this very early in the morning thank you for your patience
He who is greedy for gain troubles his own soul.
We have to make sure that we keep God preeminent and living for Him as the most important thing. And I always talked about in this podcast and it talks about a lot in Proverbs that there may be blessing and treasure for those who love God, but don't be greedy for gain because if you put wealth above God, it's going to bring trouble.
But he who hates gifts of bribery will live. Well, definitely don't want to be a part of any kind of bribery or evil in that way. The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer. That's really good, isn't it?
And sometimes that may be how we have the right words is by pausing, having a prayerful prose, getting wisdom from God so that we can answer more in alignment with God. But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil things.
Well, there we have it again out of the overflow of the heart. The mouth speaks. Watch out what's going on inside of your heart. That's why it's good we're in the Word. You know, get our minds in alignment with God so that we have better words than Yahweh is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Oh, thank you, God. O me, we draw near to God and turn away from wickedness.
Bright eyes glab in the heart. A good report puts fat on the bones. It's nice when even your eyes show joy and show love and show goodness. And it's good to get good words and a good report, Hallelujah. He whose ears listens to the life giving reproof will lodge among the wise. We have to learn from other people.
You know, you don't have to figure everything out on your own. You know, people have gone before us and have learned from what's gone well and they've learned from their mistakes. And you know what? When you can learn from other people's mistakes so that you don't have to make the same mistakes and when you can realize that there's people who have gone before who have wisdom and you can learn their wisdom instead of waiting to make your own mistakes, that's really wise.
He who neglects discipline despises his soul and man discipline in so many areas discipline financially discipline with exercise discipline with eating discipline with staying away from sin lord help us to have really good discipline
and honor the soul that you've given us. But he who listens to reproof acquires a heart of wisdom. There it is again. How often is it? Does it talk about how when we learn from the wisdom of others, when we are able to take correction, especially from man of God, that we can acquire a heart of wisdom,
The fear of Yahweh is the discipline leading to wisdom. And I'll tell you what, it so often comes down to this. If you will fear God, if you will revere His Word, if you will honor and have reverence for God in His ways, it makes all the difference in the world. I mean, even looking at this word reverently and saying, you know what, man, this word is so good.
I'm so glad to be in God and in His Word and to get instruction from the Most High. I highly value it. I see God in His Word as high and lifted up. I revere and fear God. I have an utmost respect for Him and the things He teaches me. If you have that, that's going to lead to a better life. Man, that is such a word.
And before glory comes humility, and so often in Proverbs, we will see the humility as something that God values and as pride comes before the fall and pride leads to destruction, but to come humbly to God and receive His guidance is so good. Well, there's so much to learn from Solomon and from these wise saints. And I trust and pray that, you know, find one to apply.
Find something that you learned today that you can really implement. There's so many things. It's almost overwhelming. But Lord, help us. And for me, a gentle answer turns away wrath. Lord, help me know and help everyone here to learn what it is that you have for him and for them. And God, please instill in me what you have for me today. What wonderful words we have in the book of Proverbs. God bless you all.