Sunday 20 August 2017

Wisdom on Finances

Today's Scripture: Proverbs 20 (KJV)


Proverbs 20 (KJV)
1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

10 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.

11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.

24 Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?

25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.

26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

28 Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.

30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.


Scripture Meaning


Verses
1: A poor man who fears God, is more honourable and happy, than a man without wisdom and grace, however rich or advanced in rank.
(2). What good can the soul do, if without knowledge? And he sins who will not take time to ponder the path of his feet.
(3). Men run into troubles by their own folly, and then fret at the appointments of God.
(4). Here we may see how strong is men's love of money.
(5). Those that tell lies in discourse, are in a fair way to be guilty of bearing false-witness.
(6). We are without excuse if we do not love God with all our hearts. His gifts to us are past number, and all the gifts of men to us are fruits of his bounty.
(7). Christ was left by all his disciples; but the Father was with him. It encourages our faith that he had so large an experience of the sorrows of poverty.
(8). Those only love their souls aright that get true wisdom.
(9). Lying is a damning, destroying sin.
(10). A man that has not wisdom and grace, has no right or title to true joy. It is very unseemly for one who is a servant to sin, to oppress God's free-men.
(11). He attains the most true glory who endeavours most steadily to overcome evil with good.
(12). Christ is a King, whose wrath against his enemies will be as the roaring of a lion, and his favour to his people as the refreshing dew.
(13). It shows the vanity of the world, that we are liable to the greatest griefs where we promise ourselves the greatest comfort.
(14). A discreet and virtuous wife is more valuable than house and riches.
(15). A sluggish, slothful disposition makes men poor; it brings them to want. And this applies both to the present life and that which is to come.
(16). If we keep God's word, God's word will keep us from every thing really hurtful. We abuse the doctrine of free grace, if we think that it does away the necessity and advantage of obedience. Those that live at random must die. This truth is clearly taught in words enough to alarm the stoutest sinner. (17). God has chosen the poor of this world, to be rich in faith, and heirs of his kingdom.
(18). When parents keep under foolish tenderness, they do their best to render children a comfort to them, and happy in themselves.
(19). The spared and spoiled child is likely to become a man of great wrath.
(20). Those that would be wise in their latter end, must be taught and ruled when young.
(21). What should we desire, but that all our purposes may agree with God's holy will?
(22). It is far better to have a heart to do good, and want ability for it, than to have ability for it, and want a heart to it.
(23). Those that live in the fear of God, shall get safety, satisfaction, and true and complete happiness. (24). Indolence, when indulged, so grows upon people, that they have no heart to do the most needful things for themselves.
(25). A gentle rebuke goes farthest with a man of understanding.
(26). The young man who wastes his father's substance, or makes his aged mother destitute, is hateful, and will come to disgrace.
(27). It is the wisdom of young men to dread hearing such talk as puts loose and evil principles into the mind.
(28). Those are the worst of sinners, who are glad of an opportunity to sin.
(29). The unbelief of man shall not make God's threatenings of no effect. Christ himself, when bearing sins not his own, was not spared. Justice and judgment took hold of our blessed Surety; and will God spare obstinate sinners?

Scripture Application


Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue with the Book of Proverbs with Chapter 20.
In our text today we continue in wisdom with many practical applications from being balanced to being diligent. What catches my eye is verse 1 which explains the sin of the recreational drinking alcohol. In making application we see that God gave us alcohol as a medicine as other drugs but those who misuse this item are not wise and are deceived.

Today we are bombarded with beer and alcohol commercials with the world saying it is o.k. to recreationally drink alcohol, but the Bible is clear on the use of alcohol. Those who want to justify alcohol bring up how Jesus turned water into wine but it was a "fruit of the vine" or a fresh grape juice not a fermented alcoholic beverage.
Today verse gives us more insight on this deception. How about you? Do you believe that the recreational drinking of alcohol is o.k.? Let us learn from our text today to shed light on this issue that has many deceived.

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