LIFE COACH

Proverbs 2:6-8                         Seekers Rewarded

     Jesus told His disciples that their first priority in life was to seek God and His righteousness, then all their needs would be met. (Matthew 6:33)  He also made this promise, “Seek and you will find.” (Matthew 7:7-8)  The verses we are looking at in Proverbs today, 2:6-8, describe what seekers of God and His Wisdom find.

            How are seekers described in verses 6-8?

            Who is a saint?

            What does God do for seekers in verses 6-8?

            What metaphor is used to describe God in verses 7-8?

            How does God make seekers feel secure?

            How are you seeking God’s Wisdom?

     Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6 )

 

     What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Enjoy seeking God as you glorify Him today with your life.

 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

LIFE COACH

Proverbs 2:1-22                                IF. . . THEN

     Chapter 2 is written in a format of cause and effect.  Verses 1-5 contain three ifs with connected actions.  Verse 5 begins the thens, direct effects of if.  The rest of the chapter contains effects of seeking Wisdom.

      The if statements are:

• If you receive my words and treasure up my commandments . . .

• If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding . . .

• If you seek it like silver and search for it as hidden treasures . . .

 

      The then (so) statements are:

• Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and understand the knowledge of God -

• Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path –

• So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman –

• So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of righteousness –

    

     Each of the effect statements have explanations of why they occur:

• For the Lord gives wisdom . . .

• For wisdom will come to your heart . . .

• For her house (the forbidden woman) sinks down to death . . .

• For the upright will inhabit the earth . . .

 

     What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Glorify and enjoy God today as you receive His words.

 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

LIFE COACH

Proverbs 2:1-22                       Understanding and Knowledge

     Newborn babies are clean slates for learning.  They cannot verbalize their needs but are very good at communicating through crying.  Soon they begin to understand that crying brings response from parents.  They learn to trust that their needs will be met because of this knowledge.  As life goes on they gain much more knowledge and begin to understand how their world works.

   Chapter 2 uses the words understanding and knowledge multiple times.  These words must be important.

            How many times is understand/ing used in chapter 2?

            How many times is knowledge used in chapter 2?

            What does understand mean?

            What does knowledge mean?

     Some people are very good at trivia games, showing they know a lot of facts.  However, all of the knowledge in the world does not make one wise.  It is the application of knowledge in a right way (understanding) that shows wisdom. 

    The most basic Proverbs Principle is: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. (1:7)  This principle is restated in verse 5 of chapter 2 but it refers to how one finds this knowledge.

            What do verses 1-5 say about how to find the knowledge of God?

 

     What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Glorify and enjoy our God who gives you wisdom and understanding today.

 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

LIFE COACH

Proverbs 1:1-6                    Learning cause and effect 

      Newton’s laws of thermodynamics are a pillar of scientific understanding.  The third law states that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.  The first action, cause, creates the equal and opposite reaction, effect.

            What are the action words in verses 1-5?

            What are the outcomes (effects) of these actions?  

            Who is the source of Wisdom in verse 6?

            Who is Wisdom in I Corinthians 1:23-24?

            Who is Wisdom in I Corinthians 1:30?

    This chapter begins the comparison of two distinct paths of life; the way of the  righteous who live in the light of Christ’s wisdom, and the way of the wicked who live in the darkness of sinful self.  Christ’s wisdom causes one to live in obedience to God’s law.  Self wisdom is opposed to God’s law causing one to reject Christ and live for self satisfaction.

            Whose wisdom directs your life?  

 

     What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Glorify and enjoy God as you use His wisdom to serve Him today.

 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

 

 

        

LIFE COACH

Proverbs 2:1-5                              Treasure Hunt

     How should you approach learning?  These verses focus on understanding and knowledge.  Most students do not face a day of learning with the active approach of these verses.  So, today the challenge is to participate in a learning treasure hunt.  If you are a student by occupation, all of the subjects you will participate in today – math, science, language arts – are features of God’s knowledge.

   The learning activity in this passage involves body, mind, and spirit – all of you.

            What words in verses 1-5 indicate your body?

            What words in verses 1-5 indicate your mind (intellect, judgment, memory, learning)?

            What words in verses 1-5 indicate spiritual activity?

     According to these verses learning does not occur by being a couch potato.  Learning is active.  The picture of a treasure hunt brings to mind shipwrecks that have been discovered recently, and divers who risk their lives to bring up every last piece of treasure from the bottom of the ocean.

     By the way, learning never stops.  We cannot know all there is to know about God and His creation.  So, as you sit in class and do the work required of you, know that once you are out of school you will continue to add knowledge in your life experience.

 

     What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Glorify and enjoy God who gives you His knowledge and wisdom today.

 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

LIFE COACH

Proverbs 1:33                        Wisdom’s Promise

     Promises bring hope to the hopeless.  Yet many times promises turn out to be cruel words because they are not kept.  Whenever an election is soon to occur promises deluge the airwaves.  Politicians are quick to promise all sorts of remedies to problems when, in reality, they are dependent on other forces to make their promises stick.

    The Wisdom we find in Proverbs is the picture of God’s wisdom;  God – the all knowing, the all seeing, the all powerful, Creator and Sustainer of the universe.  He can only keep His promises.  This understanding of God’s faithfulness brings life giving hope to the hopeless.  Whatever God says He will do, He will do!

            Wisdom makes promises to those who listen in verse 33.  What are they?

            Contrast the results of listening to Wisdom to the results of depending on self in previous verses.

                        Whose promises are you depending on?

 

     What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Glorify and enjoy our faithful God today.

 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

LIFE COACH

 

Proverbs 1:31-32                   Death and Destruction

Behavior has consequences.  Students learn this concept in choosing to study or not to study.  Those who prepare for tests get good grades; those who do not prepare get bad grades.  People who disobey the law demonstrate this truth when they receive for their crimes.

   The consequences of rejecting Wisdom are found in these verses.  Verse 31 uses the picture of taking in nourishment as the consequence of rejecting Wisdom.   Sadly these people are stuffing themselves with their wisdom and devices.  They do not look outside their own capabilities.

            What is the consequence of the simple rejecting Wisdom?

            What destroys fools?

   Complacency brings to mind the concept of doing nothing to change life.  Self satisfaction is deadly.  We need to look outside of ourselves to live.  This is the message that Wisdom brings but, this message is rejected by simple ones and fools.

            Who do you depend on for success?

            How can you make Wisdom a part of your life?

 

    What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Glorify and enjoy God today as you seek His wisdom for your life.

 

HAVE A  BLESSED DAY!

LIFE COACH

 Proverbs 1:24-30                         WISDOM RESPONDS

     Wisdom is active in our world.  We tend to consider wisdom as a thought process based on learning however Wisdom as presented in Proverbs, is the basis of how one lives actively in society.  Wisdom is present in all aspects of culture but, is not accepted by many people (25).  She responds to this rejection (refusal to listen to, purposely ignored).

            How does Wisdom respond in verse 26?

            What do those who ignored Wisdom do in verse 28? Why?            

            How does Wisdom respond to those who ignored Wisdom in verses 28-30?  Why?
     Verse 26 speaks of calamity coming as a whirlwind.  Weather events can create terror and calamity for many people.  Hurricanes, tornados, and blizzards are natural occurrences that leave death and destruction for those who are not prepared.  The city of New Orleans and the disaster of Hurricane Katrina come to mind when visualizing the concept of calamity, distress, and anguish.  Some people heeded the warning of a

hurricane heading for the city and left.  Others decided to wait it out and had to be rescued or died.  Those who stayed behind certainly fit the description of simple, scoffer, and fool.  They depended on themselves for safety and security.

            How do you respond to Wisdom?

 

     What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Glorify God as you enjoy His Wisdom in your life today.

 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

LIFE COACH

Proverbs 1:20-25                                 Everywhere

     Wisdom is the subject of verses 20-33.  We are going to concentrate on verses 20-25.  In the book of Proverbs, Wisdom is personified as a woman.  However, wisdom is used as a metaphor for Christ and salvation from the folly of sin.

   In these verses Wisdom is everywhere in our culture, calling to people who have hearing problems because of their sinful condition.  There are those who are blissfully naïve, contently going through life ignorant – simple ones.  Scoffers are people who proudly find ways to negate the truth of wisdom so it can be mocked.  Fools

purposefully avoid gaining true knowledge as they do whatever brings pleasure.

    Think about the following:

            What does wisdom offer these people?

            How do simple ones, scoffers, and fools respond to Wisdom’s offer?

            Do you think their response is passive or active?  Why?

            How is Wisdom treated in our culture?

          How do you treat Wisdom?

 

     What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Glorify and enjoy God who gives Wisdom to His people.

 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

LIFE COACH

Proverbs 1:11-19                                 Peer/ Culture Pressure

Dealing with temptation is the first lesson given in Proverbs.  When you are tempted, do not consent to the temptation.  Temptation is not sin.  It is a call to sin but you do not have to listen.  In verses 11-19 the call of temptation is described as a call to take delight in breaking God’s law – to murder, steal, covet.

            Sin is the transgression of God’s law and the lack of conformity to God’s law.  Transgression is willful disobedience.  Lack of conformity is rebellion.  All humans are born unable not to sin.  It is a birth defect that is part of our nature.

            The Bible gives many examples of people who chose sin and its effects.  Eve chose to disobey and eat the fruit in the garden.  Her world was forever changed.  Peter sinned when he lied and said he did not follow Jesus.  In the hours that followed he sadly watched the One he knew and loved be put to death for that sin.  Judas could not live with his sin of betraying Christ, so he committed suicide.

            The consequences of living a sinful lifestyle and drawing others into sin are found in verses 16-19.  Think about the following as you read these verses and apply them to your life.

            What are the consequences of sin? 

            Explain the metaphor in verses 17– 18

            How does culture pressure you?

            What are the sources of this pressure?

            How can you control this pressure?

     Remember – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (I Corinthians 10:13)

 

     What is God telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

 

     Glorify and enjoy God today as you live a life that overcomes temptation by His grace.

 

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!