Lesson's to Learn By: Men's Breakfast - 2.20.21

Lesson's to Learn By

We have all heard it said that I would rather learn from someone else’s mistakes instead of my own...

What a great philosophy, but how many of us truly do this… being able to make application to ourself is not as easy as it is when it is someone else.

“you can’t see the forest because of the tree’s” -

I am fairy good in the woods, I have a good sense of direction, but I cannot tell you how many times out hunting that I have got turned around a little - never completely lost - but I became very aware how it could happen - even to me… a ridge, a hill - peak - different look - AND IF I DIDN’T HAVE MY COMPASS & a map, I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN LOST. Our senses, our thoughts, what we believe to be right, is not always reality...

In life - we have a compass and we have a map - but sometimes, we don’t know how to properly orient them...

Proverbs 20:29–30 KJV 1900

29 The glory of young men is their strength: And the beauty of old men is the gray head. 30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: So do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

vs 30 almost always get’s tied to childrearing, but there isn’t any connection in context that would lead you to believe it is talking about childrearing.

This passage - Young and Old - have the same awareness and admonition.

Pain and Punishment are restorative...

cleanseth away evil...

The wound, the pain causes us to look hard at what we did… why we did it… if we should do it again...

Blueness of a wound -

not just the pain of the injury

but the reminder of the injury - afterwards… blueness of the wound

Cleanseth: to clean, cleanse, purify - to cleanse of evil...

Whether we are young or old, we can learn from the mistakes of others...

Destructive behavior’s -

drugs

alcohol

immorality -

affairs, divorce, broken homes & dreams

laziness

poverty, thievery,

gambling

Injurious behaviors -

gossip

pornography

critical - scorner

we see those who get away from the Lord

we see those who drop out of church

we see the impact it has on a family… individual… life...

We should all be continual leaners...

Proverbs 3:11 KJV 1900

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; Neither be weary of his correction:

Proverbs 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

Proverbs 10:17 KJV 1900

17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: But he that refuseth reproof erreth.

Proverbs 15:31–32 KJV 1900

31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life Abideth among the wise. 32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: But he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

Reproof’s of life...

we see the bruises everywhere we look -

we see the hurt

we see the injury

we see the destruction

We are not above making any of the mistakes that are possible in life- but we are given a great admonition to learn from the mistakes we have made - as well as others...

Proverbs 20:29–30 KJV 1900

29 The glory of young men is their strength: And the beauty of old men is the gray head. 30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: So do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

Pain - wound

Punishment - stripes

Both are designed to be corrective

Lesson’s to learn by -

from our own mistakes

by the mistakes of others...

Youth - your strength will not keep you from destroying your life - wisdom will -

Aged - our length of life & experience isn’t a guarantee that we will not blow it… just because you have made it this far does not mean that we are in the clear...

The reproofs of life are a continual teacher - let’s be a continual learner - so we are not the ones who have to endure the pain or the punishment...