Practical Wisdom from Proverbs 23

Proverbs 23:15-19 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. 16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. 17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. 19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

Illustration: Imagine you were in an airplane, the the plane started to lose cabin air pressure, the plane started to depressurize.

Wisdom teaches us to use our time effectively. The more we recognize how short our time really is, the more we see the need to use our time wisely.

Proposition: In this short time we have called life, we must learn how to get help from God, and then guide those around us to do the same.

Some People You Cannot Help

Proverbs 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

The destiny of a fool only has two options:

Some will die in their sin

Some will repent (prodigal son)

Revelation 16:8-11 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. 10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

People take all the credit for the good times (No thanks to God), when there are bad times, they curse God for it.

Start THANKING GOD folks!

When pestilences and plagues come because of sin, DON'T CURSE GOD, REPENT OF YOUR SIN!

This is why I believe Pride to be the worst sin. It never acknowledges any wrong doing, it is always someone else’s fault.

Matthew 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

Life Application Bible Commentary, Matthew Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples / 10:1–16 / 93

As long as the disciples had faithfully and carefully presented the message, they were not to blame if the townspeople rejected it. Likewise, we are not responsible when others reject Christ’s message of salvation, but we do have the responsibility to share the gospel clearly and faithfully.

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

John 15:20-21 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

They’re only hope is to see the light of the Gospel and to repent.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Review: Some people you cannot help...

Some People You Must Help

Yourself

Proverbs 23:12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

start with yourself first, lest you become a hyporcrite.

Matthew 7:3-5 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Wisdom Teaches us to Get Control of Yourself

Proverbs 23:1-3 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Helping yourself starts with having some self-discipline

Self-discipline effects every aspect of your life

Don’t overlook small things, like making the bed

Review: Wisdom teaches us to get control of Yourself

Wisdom Teaches us to Understand the Purpose of Work

Proverbs 23:4-5 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

People look for “riches”, they look for “the good life” in ABQ or PHX.

Stop looking for “the good life”… “cease from thine own wisdom”

Start looking to do what God wants you to do…THAT IS THE GOOD LIFE

Bro Begay, “Life is TOO SHORT” - Don’t wait to serve God when you are too old to do something.

Wisdom Teaches us that the Grass is not Greener

Many people are looking for “the good life”. The good life that you think others have, that always seems to elude you.

Proverbs 23:17-18 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:20-21 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Proverbs 23:29-35 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. 34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

Your Children

Proverbs 23:13-14 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Children need to learn to love and respect their parents at an EARLY AGE. (Don’t wait until they are teenagers)

Children need stability and consistency, that is simply not possible if parents are not in the home to provide that.

It is truly best for the children, if Mom is at home.

Pray for it

Trust God to do it

Let God lead

Making more money is NOT important compared your children’s development.

Proverbs 23:26-28 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. 27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. 28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

Conclusion

Is your life on track?

Do you need to make any adjustments to get on track?

We can make a positive impact in our family if we make wise decisions

Stop looking for “the good life” and start looking for the life GOD has for you.

Proverbs 23:17-18 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. 18 For surely there is an end;