All witty, intelligent, and clever inventions of science come from GOD's wisdom on display.

"Word Pictures" for Our Imagination

Free Printable Devotional Sheets Wednesday, August 27th

Today's Daily Verse is found in Proverbs 23.12 (session 5)

"Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to the words of knowledge."

This is session 5...

We have covered 15-20. Today we shall look at number 21through 25...

The instruction and knowledge of GOD is information that GOD's system provides.

There is good information, and bad information.

The source is the difference... which means - where does the information originate from? Who is speaking? What is their agenda? Why are they saying what they are saying? What is their plan?

What GOD says can be trusted.

His information, which is found in the scriptures, has the power to establish GOD wisdom in our life.

Jeremiah 15.16

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts"

Here lies the value of the Bible, as the one source of instruction, and the alone "treasure-house" of the "words of knowledge."

What do the words of knowledge bring to us...

Here is 21 thru 25. We go all the way up to #44... It's going to be a longer page each day, and I will take all 44 wisdom "deliveries" and put them into an e-book for you to download in a PDF file...

In the meantime, let's keep learning...

     21. We will have witty inventions

• Proverbs 8.12 " I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions."
•  All witty [ intelligent, clever ] inventions of science come from GOD's wisdom on display

• We see this from the craftsmen of Exodus 31:3-6 " I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 4 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft! 6 “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:

• Exodus 35.30-33 "Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 32 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 33 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft."

Also we see this in the revelation of the pattern for Solomon's temple in:

1 Chronicles 28.19 "“Every part of this plan,” David told Solomon, “was given to me in writing from the hand of the Lord."

The farmer in Isaiah 28.26 "The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding."

Wisdom also delivers "insight" for handling those who have "mentally fabricated" an opposition to the wisdom of GOD.

Jesus reveals such in Matthew 9.4-8 "Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

7 And the man jumped up and went home! 8 Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority."

Matthew 22.15-33

Taxes for Caesar

15 Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 16 They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. 17 Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, 20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.

“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.

Discussion about Resurrection

23 That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: 24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.’ 25 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. 26 But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. 27 Last of all, the woman also died. 28 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”

29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 30 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

31 “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.”

33 When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching.

     22. We will receive chastening and correction for our growth

• Proverbs 3.11-12 "My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
  12 For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights."

Hebrews 12.7-8 "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all."

This tells us that chastening and correction attest to the fact that we are a family member. [the NIV version uses the word "discipline" for "correction".]

• When correction comes, quickly look to the hand that holds the rod, not to the method used.
• 2 Chronicles 16.11-13 " The rest of the events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord’s help but turned only to his physicians. 13 So he died in the forty-first year of his reign."

Asa failed to correctly react to his diseased feet. He sought the doctors and not the Lord. He died two years later.

Discipline is to "soften" us, to impart discipline in our life, and to teach us the "fear of the Lord"

• This is huge. Read this sentence often...

Judges 6.13 " “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”

Jonah 4.9 "Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”

     23. We will receive riches

• Proverbs 3.16 "She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left."

The interesting definition of "riches" is not that we may have more than our neighbor in money, houses, or lands; rather the meaning conveys That "the quality" of what we have inwardly surpasses the value and strength of what the world-system offers.

These were given to Solomon in 1 Kings 3.12-14  " I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14 And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

• These are treasures that are delivered to those who seek a "wise and discerning heart".
  

     24. We will receive honor

• Proverbs 3.16; 4.8 "If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you."
• Exalting heavenly wisdom and understanding will promote us and bring us to honor.

Honor is living with GOD-given self-esteem, self-worth, and dignity. The greatest recognition of honor is before the Father Himself, but this honor or godly self-esteem will be as an ornament of grace around our neck.

• That tells us that others will see it, with the sense of what is right, just, and true. Dignity and a respect for character spring out of "highly  valued principles".
  

     25. We will walk in pleasantness

• Proverbs 3.17 "She will guide you down delightful paths;  all her ways are satisfying."

Walking in the "ways" of pleasantness is the reversal of Isaiah 55.8-9 "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

• This is huge!

GOD's wisdom-system has its own strictness - without bondage, knowing that the Kingdom of GOD rules children, not slaves.

Moses agrees. Hebrews 11.26 "He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward."

• Religion to the world is cold and heartless, but wisdom's ways bring great joy

       Isaiah 57.10 "You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. Desire  gave you renewed strength, and you did not grow weary."

       Psalms 138.5 "Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways, for the glory of the Lord is very great."

• His "ways" mean less toil and more fruit.

The fruit of Galatians 5.19-21"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God."

is replaced by by the fruit of Galatians 5.22-23 "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"

GOD's Wisdom gives us :

Benefits 6-10 session 2  Proverbs 23.12A

Benefits 11-15 session 3 Proverbs 23.12B

Benefits 16-20 session 4 Proverbs 23.12C

Benefits 21-25 session 5 Proverbs 23.12D

Benefits 26-30 session 6 Proverbs 23.12E

Benefits 31-35 session 7 Proverbs 23.12F

Benefits 36-40 session 8 Proverbs 23.12G

Benefits 41-44 session 9 Proverbs 23.12H

See you tomorrow...

Kenneth