Taking the Proverbs To Heart
Proverbs 2.1-8All of us enjoy feeling good. The relaxation after a hard day’s work, eating our favorite food, going to our favorite place are all things we enjoy doing. These things make us feel good.
In our walk with the LORD there are feelings, deep feelings, the deepest feelings we will ever experience . But our relationship is much much more than that. Our relationship with Jesus involves faith and trust and obedience. Those who put too much emphasis on feelings end up with great disappointments in their lives. Those with no or little feelings are missing some of the most wonderful things life gives. Feelings must be balanced with faith and obedience.
The first verse of chapter 2 is an arresting one. Once again as the opening of the Book it describes a relationship with the Proverbs. We are to become one with the Proverbs, with Wisdom. This is the mind of Christ. This is being conformed to the image of Christ.
Accepting my words.... storing up my commands with in you. The idea is a repeat of what the opening lines of the Proverbs say. (1.2-3) It is expressing in the strongest sense that the Proverbs are to become part of a person’s life.
Accepting my words... to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away
We are to become one with the Proverbs. We are to become intimate with them. We are to treat them as a young man with a wife. Story of older couple in the car sitting against the doors... seeing a younger couple ahead of them in the days before bucket seats. The wife was upset and said to her husband driving the car, “Look at them ” To which the husband replied, “I’m not the one who moved.”
We are to take our Bibles in our hands and study this (and its other books). We should take and carry our Bible along with us on our various trips (like the doctor’s office- waiting rooms).
The Proverbs are be caught up and carried away in our hearts. A young groom takes his bride away on a honeymoon. Blessed are those marriages where the honeymoon never stopped. They are few and far between but they are blessed. The Proverbs are to be taken like a bride where the honeymoon goes on and on. The enemy is mentioned here. She Is the adulteress. the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. (vs.16-17)
We are to take to or for the Proverbs as husband takes to his wife.
We must take possession of the Proverbs. They are to capture our affections.
We are to take them for our own. We are to leave the foolishness and even the so called wisdom of this world and cleave to God’s Word.
Storing up my commands with in you...to hide, treasure, or store up
The Proverbs are a treasure chest of wisdom. They reveal to us the Pearl of Great Price.
We are to hide God’s Word in our heart to keep us from sinning against Him. The proverbs are to be treasured as they teach us how to live. They give us wisdom. We are to treasure them up. Mary did this with the things she saw as she gave birth to the Messiah. We are to do the same with Proverbs.
Some of the Proverbs may lie hidden for a long time before in our hearts before we bring them up and out to use them. There are some which are for certain seasons of life. The idea is that before life happens we are prepared because we have been given the ultimate Inside Information on life’s situations.
They are to be stored up- too often we have to look up a verse when a situation arises. The idea here is to have one for the moment we find ourselves in by storing it up. We are to fill our hearts and minds with the words in this book. This is an act of faith. As young people read this they are reading about things that they will not be confronted with for some time. However it prepares the heart to do what is right in the future.
The Proverbs are to be kept free from discovery from most people. These are the pearls. Cast them before people who do not believe they will be trampled on. Jesus told us that they are to precious for that to happen.
Take them in your hand and put them in your heart.
1. The Proverbs are to be read.
There are 31 chapters. A chapter a day would result in reading through them each month. That is a lofty goal and some are attaining it, most are not. If you are not or if you have tired and failed then many are your companions. Keep going. At the very least make Proverbs a regular part of your Bible reading. If it is not now is the time to begin. Begin today, this week. These are God’s instructions written in the form as a father to child or young man letter.
Reading the Proverbs is not easy. They are concentrated with truth. They are written in part to be read meditatively. There is really no other way to read them. If you skim over them you will miss most of the truth God has for you in them.
They are best read systematically. As we are finding out there is an introduction in these first few chapters. It is the heart of a father (Solomon) to his beloved son. The next few chapters show us the benefits and blessings of wisdom.
The Proverbs is not a reference book to be read once in a great while. They are not to go to just at particular times. They are to be read regularly so that they will find a lodging place in our hearts.
2. The Proverbs are for all of life.
All of the various stages of life are spoken about in this book. There is instruction for the youth as well as adults. There is observation on family life and friendship.
Proverbs deal with life decisions. They give us guidance on making the right ones.
3. The Proverbs are to memorized.
I don’t know that I have sat down and memorized them as I have other passages from God’s Word. They are best memorized by reading them. Of course there are a few key verses that are good for us to memorize such as Proverbs 3.5-6. More than any other verse that one has been the life verse, the theme of so many lives. Another one is 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. My grandmother wrote both in my autograph book when I graduated from grade school back in June of 1968. I still have it on the shelf of my study in the parsonage.
The proverbs are memorized as we read them repeatedly. Keep going through this book and wisdom will enter your heart (2.10). In a very wonderful way, somewhat mystical, as you read the words of this book the promises begin to transpire in our life. As you obey the promise Jesus gave us in John 14 comes to be fulfilled.
21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him.
23Jesus replied, If anyone loves me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
As you obey the LORD you will be love by Jesus, He will show Himself to you, and God the Father and the Son will come and make their home with you.
4. The Proverbs are written to be lived out. (1.3)
From the heart where they are stored up. Out of the heart comes the issues of life.
You cannot live them out without having them in your heart. They must be taken to heart... your heart. As they are stored up and you live life and you see examples in the lives of others then you are gaining a heart of wisdom. You are numbering your days. You are realizing that life is forever in heaven, in glory, in eternity, not here on earth. As situations arise then you know what to do from the Word fo God in you and the Spirit of God bringing it to your memory.
.After they are within your heart then they come out in Life for the glory of God .
5. The Proverbs fill the heart with wisdom. (vs.3-4)
There are two activities associated with the Proverbs becoming part of one’s heart.
First Cry out to God for wisdom.
We will go to the LORD with needs of daily bread or healing. But if that is all we do then we are no better than the multitudes who forsook Him. How often have we cried out for wisdom. Too often it is only when we need it as James tells us in James 1.5. That is good but that is not the whole of it. It is a very small portion in fact. We are to be continually crying out to the LORD for wisdom. Pray for wisdom. The prayer for wisdom is one of the most important prayers you will pray If you continually cry out the times when you don’t know what to do will be fewer. The wisdom will have already entered your heart.
Second search for it like you would search for silver.
Ore must be smelted to refine silver in quantity, and this cannot have been an easy process to apply on a large scale basis when Solomon wrote these words To melt or fuse (ores) in order to separate the metallic constituents. The search for it was equally intense. Silver had to be dug out. Digging is not an easy task. There was a neighbor trying to save some money after my parents moved upstate in 1973. He had myself and another guy dig a leech field for him. It was brutal work. The hard pan as they call it, the flat rock as opposed to our sand stones here, all made for a demanding 10 days.
Dig deep into God’s Word. Meditate upon it. Saturate yourself in it. Take in the Proverbs. Live by them. Dwell in them. Think about how to apply them to your life.
Seeking for it as you would search for hidden treasure... the idea is to dig until you expose the treasure. Dig into God’s Word. Life is to be looked at on a deep level to uncover things that are not easily seen. Wisdom helps us to detect the wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Combine these tow activities together- Prayer and the Word of God- in this case the Proverbs. Pray for the LORD to reveal things to you. Open your heart to Him.
Take the Proverbs to heart. Let them become the guide rails of your life. Let them keep you on the good path.
Great promises for those who trust in the LORD and follow Him their whole life through. Many fall away but those who remain faithful- they are blessed and they are a blessing.
************************************************
The LORD’s Day
October 7, 2007
We Worship In Singing
We Worship In Receiving the LORD’s Supper
We Worship In Hearing the Word of God
Taking the Proverbs To Heart Proverbs 2
*Tithes and Offerings can be placed in the box at the rear of the sanctuary*
Please join us for coffee and bagels downstairs if you are visiting today.
Prayer Meeting - 6pm at the parsonage
V
This Week
Bible Reading Proverbs 3
Monday Men’s Prayer Meeting 6:30am in the church basement
Wednesday Bible Study- 7:30pm at the Parsonage
Thursday Bible Study 10:30am at the church
Next Lord’s Day
Morning Prayer- 10am in the church basement
Morning Worship- 10:30am(Sunday School for Children)
Spanish Service- 4pm
In Your Prayers For All of God’s People
Remember the men serving in the armed forces: Bradley, Julia Bujold’s grandson with Special Forces in Afghanistan, home on leave right now, Ken Brown, Pastor’s friend’s son on his third tour of Iraq- He will be home soon. Please pray for the whole family. Billy Knapp, Jr. in Iraq with the Marines (neighbor of the church and Pastor- Billy’s sister graduated from Good Shepherd). He is due home at Thanksgiving. Matthew Klaus, brother of Good Shepherd parent in Iraq as a firefighter for Haliburton. Pastor’s nephews’ and niece’s cousin Kim’s husband, Jay, in Iraq. Pray for them and the others away from their families. Praise God for keeping David Louis, Jake Morgan and Tom Hindelang safe during their times in Iraq. Please pray for Johnathan Kruzner (friend’s son of Rudy Migliore) who lost his arm from a roadside bomb in Iraq last month. Katharina’s Family in the death of her daughter... Remember Robert, her husband and her sons, Norman, Raymond &Jonathan anf their families. Kathy, Ziggy and Margot’s daughter-in-law, under the doctor’s care for fibromyalgia. Thank God for answers to prayer for her. Pray for Eloise Brooks’ Family during this time of loss and sorrow... Remember Jean Louis on dialysis. Grace Martin, Edie Raevis’ daughter, recovering from surgery on her back and uindergoing Physical Therapy. Edie’s daughter’s mother-in-law, Millie Espisito in grave condition. Reginald Mooney, friend of Terri and John Garry, with a tumor in his kidney. Please remember Pastor’s friend Kim Richardson’s daughter, Kelly recovering from a mastectomy. Please remember this whole family in prayer. Two lymph came back showing cancer in them. Pastor Jerry Bonfiglio’s family who has been through so much grief this summer... Leah May’s cousin, Joan, respiratory problems now home... Lucy Mancini under Orthopedic Specialist’s care and physical therapy for pain and injuries resulting from the accident. Pastor’s Dad, Larry Mancini, Sr. out of intensive care and off the ventilator. He is conscious but immobile and has a feeding tube. Stephen Huges, brother of a Good Shepherd Nursery School Mom, their parents home in Hewlett was destroyed in a fire.. Please remember Dr. And Mrs. Mucci in your prayers as well as Judy’s daughter Tatum. Alice Gordon’s brother, Everette, in Illinois, two blood infections along with another serious medical condition. Mary Von Fricken doing better and planning on being in the area this week.. Anka’s family in their time of loss and grief. Joey Reda (Charlie and Diane Davison’s Grandson) experiencing some heart arrhythmia and had been wearing an event monitor for this past week to record them. Pastor’s friend, Rudy Migliore, received a very good report from the doctors .Romans 12.15
*If you are would like to put together a shoe box for a needy child this Christmas see Margot for information.*
Notes on Our Time in God’s Word This Morning...
Taking the Proverbs To Heart
Pastor’s messages are now available online:
http://thesundaymorningmessage.blogspot.com/
Church e-mail: bayshorenaz@rock.com
Church Phone: 631-969-1730
1314 Pine Acres Boulevard, Bay Shore, Long Island, NY 11706-5436
************************************************
The LORD’s Day
October 7, 2007
We Worship In Singing
We Worship In Receiving the LORD’s Supper
We Worship In Hearing the Word of God
Taking the Proverbs To Heart Proverbs 2
*Tithes and Offerings can be placed in the box at the rear of the sanctuary*
Please join us for coffee and bagels downstairs if you are visiting today.
Prayer Meeting - 6pm at the parsonage
V
This Week
Bible Reading Proverbs 3
Monday Men’s Prayer Meeting 6:30am in the church basement
Wednesday Bible Study- 7:30pm at the Parsonage
Thursday Bible Study 10:30am at the church
Next Lord’s Day
Morning Prayer- 10am in the church basement
Morning Worship- 10:30am(Sunday School for Children)
Spanish Service- 4pm
In Your Prayers For All of God’s People
Remember the men serving in the armed forces: Bradley, Julia Bujold’s grandson with Special Forces in Afghanistan, home on leave right now, Ken Brown, Pastor’s friend’s son on his third tour of Iraq- He will be home soon. Please pray for the whole family. Billy Knapp, Jr. in Iraq with the Marines (neighbor of the church and Pastor- Billy’s sister graduated from Good Shepherd). He is due home at Thanksgiving. Matthew Klaus, brother of Good Shepherd parent in Iraq as a firefighter for Haliburton. Pastor’s nephews’ and niece’s cousin Kim’s husband, Jay, in Iraq. Pray for them and the others away from their families. Praise God for keeping David Louis, Jake Morgan and Tom Hindelang safe during their times in Iraq. Please pray for Johnathan Kruzner (friend’s son of Rudy Migliore) who lost his arm from a roadside bomb in Iraq last month. Katharina’s Family in the death of her daughter... Remember Robert, her husband and her sons, Norman, Raymond &Jonathan anf their families. Kathy, Ziggy and Margot’s daughter-in-law, under the doctor’s care for fibromyalgia. Thank God for answers to prayer for her. Pray for Eloise Brooks’ Family during this time of loss and sorrow... Remember Jean Louis on dialysis. Grace Martin, Edie Raevis’ daughter, recovering from surgery on her back and uindergoing Physical Therapy. Edie’s daughter’s mother-in-law, Millie Espisito in grave condition. Reginald Mooney, friend of Terri and John Garry, with a tumor in his kidney. Please remember Pastor’s friend Kim Richardson’s daughter, Kelly recovering from a mastectomy. Please remember this whole family in prayer. Two lymph came back showing cancer in them. Pastor Jerry Bonfiglio’s family who has been through so much grief this summer... Leah May’s cousin, Joan, respiratory problems now home... Lucy Mancini under Orthopedic Specialist’s care and physical therapy for pain and injuries resulting from the accident. Pastor’s Dad, Larry Mancini, Sr. out of intensive care and off the ventilator. He is conscious but immobile and has a feeding tube. Stephen Huges, brother of a Good Shepherd Nursery School Mom, their parents home in Hewlett was destroyed in a fire.. Please remember Dr. And Mrs. Mucci in your prayers as well as Judy’s daughter Tatum. Alice Gordon’s brother, Everette, in Illinois, two blood infections along with another serious medical condition. Mary Von Fricken doing better and planning on being in the area this week.. Anka’s family in their time of loss and grief. Joey Reda (Charlie and Diane Davison’s Grandson) experiencing some heart arrhythmia and had been wearing an event monitor for this past week to record them. Pastor’s friend, Rudy Migliore, received a very good report from the doctors .Romans 12.15
*If you are would like to put together a shoe box for a needy child this Christmas see Margot for information.*
Notes on Our Time in God’s Word This Morning...
Taking the Proverbs To Heart
Proverbs 2
Pastor’s messages are now available online:
http://thesundaymorningmessage.blogspot.com/
Church e-mail: bayshorenaz@rock.com
Church Phone: 631-969-1730
1314 Pine Acres Boulevard, Bay Shore, Long Island, NY 11706-5436
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