Proverbs: Chapter 1:

Chapter 1: The Beginning of Knowledge:

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Solomon, son of David (a man after God's own heart), wants everyone to know the way they should live their lives. He is wanting to pass down wisdom, understanding, and advice to those who come after him. We should seek those who are wise and will instruct us on how we should handle situations. He tells us to surround ourselves with those who are righteous and listen to their advice. This is Solomon's "Way to Live" book. There is one place that everyone must start at in order to begin the pathway to true knowledge, fear of the Lord. Only fools will look to their own merit when going through life. (Count me a fool.) These are ideas that we struggle with constantly, we are not good at asking for help or seeking the advice of others, we prefer to try it out and burn ourselves many times before being forced to get help. If we are wise we will listen to those who came before us and increase our knowledge.

The Enticement of Sinners:

Listen to me! Listen to your mother's teaching! We are not trying to hurt you; we are trying to help you by placing parameters around you during your upbringing. Do not forsake us when we disappoint your feelings. There are a lot of people who are going to try and drag you into situations that are evil and filled with regret, avoid these people while you are maturing into a young man or woman. I know that I have been blessed with a lot of great friends in my lifetime, I have also been witness (or have walked away) a lot of sinful behavior. (When I say this, it isn't that I wasn't sinning, I am still just as much of a sinner as the next person.) They were participating in illegal behavior and a lot of illicit acts were being committed. I would avoid these situations as best I could in order to be safe. It is tempting to follow the crowd and seek pleasure from the association with others, but we must choose our friends wisely. We shouldn't choose friends who will never challenge our thoughts or ideas, or friends who don't care what we do as long as it is fun, a friend who truly cares will see mischief and poor behavior and call it as he or she sees it. They won't sugarcoat the truth, because they want what is best for you, not something that could lead to trouble. (This does not mean they should be inconsiderate or rude towards you.) It isn't easy to say no when you are being enticed to do something you know is wrong, you must prepare yourself for these situations and seek guidance and how to handle them. Do not suck the life out of others in order to lift yourself up, bless others by helping them and loving them. 

The Call of Wisdom:

Wisdom, if you can imagine it, is like a subtle wind that blows through the streets with passing ideas or realizations that something should or shouldn't be done. Unfortunately, we disregard the wise choice most of the time, especially in our youth. How long will we continue to be simple? God created us for the most epic story in the universe! [Spoiler Alert: We are not the main character, Christ is.] We have the creator of all things who wants us to experience joy and happiness, the fullness of life that is found in Him, yet we seldom choose Him, we choose foolishness. All we have to do is turn to God and He will pour out His love, kindness, grace, mercy, and His spirit to us, He will make His words known to us and incline our hearts towards Him. There is a choice we must all make; A. Live a life that glorifies God. B. Live a life that glorifies yourself. These two options are essentially the broadest ways of stating you will either love God through your sin or you will reject God through your sin. No matter what your choice is, you will sin, it is inevitable. God is just and He will not accept anything less than perfection. This is why Christ had to come and die on the cross to take our sins and receive the punishment for us, otherwise, we would be dead in our sin and have no hope in life. He restored us, He redeemed us, He makes us perfect in Himself. The most beautiful things in life are found in Him and through Him, not in us or through us. He makes the stars shine, He ensures the sun rises, He put into motion all of the gases that create such things as the aurora borealis, He created the mountains and valleys, He started the bang that led to everything that is and ever will be. He is the alpha and omega. We should love to Worship Him, it is why we were created. 

Dear Lord, I pray that you would give me wisdom and understanding that I might live a life that is glorifying to you and not to myself. Draw me away from pride and into humility, eradicate the sins that place barriers between myself and you, let me be still in your presence and not be anxious for anything. Amen. 

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