We are so blessed to have the wisdom of Solomon and the Book of Proverbs – to help us know how to navigate and manage day to day situations with living in this world, with people, with ourselves and to see the blessings that come with wisdom and the brokenness of those who chose the path of the foolish.
Most folks don’t like to give advise and for the young (like we all were) well most of us, we didn’t much like to take advice until we realize we need it.
Last evening when I was reading Psalm 15
The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord
A Psalm of David.
1 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3 He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.He who does these things shall never be moved.
it was in this very easy to be understood version… a kind of… in your face version… it read like this…
New International Version
Psalm 15
A Psalm of David.
1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
2 The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
and after I read it I wondered which side I was on? I was concerned some of recent actions were those of an unsaved person but my heart still wanted Christ and still wanted to love and please him, many of us struggle with this and as the Apostle Paul puts it.
Romans 7:21
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;
23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature d a slave to the law of sin.
Not an excuse to sin but it is the reason for the struggle.
The key is to keep struggling and waging war against sin.
We of them talk about our three battles, the World and all of its trappings, the Devil and all his lies and deception and our flesh always warring against holiness, wisdom truth to accomplish our own will, but to we actually speak of the struggle against sin itself?
Until the Lord returns and we have our glorified bodies the battle for our soul rages on, and it behooves us in the last days to follow in the steps of Christ.
Peter Mentions it here as well – a complete play book of advice for living in a corrupt world back then and especiallyfor now.
1 Peter 2
New King James Version
Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood
1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who [b]are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”8 and
“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Living Before the World
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submission to Government
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for [d]vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Submission to Masters
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Good solid advice for living in a sin filled world…
My husband, Rev Don McQuinn also gave a young man advise as he was heading out into the world… practical solid advice to keep himself unspotted… I found it this week going through his sermon notes that he preached at his graduation… I post it here for more solid advice for us all to watch and to be overcomers in these last days which can be so dark.
Rev. Don McQuinn
Matt 6:19-34
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. KJVFinances
Give the first fruits to God
Honour the Lord with all your substance
You are a steward of God’s money
Give generously
Enjoy the fruits of your labour
Be diligent
Budget well,
Don’t be a miser
Remember the poor
Don’t love money
Invest in yourself
Economize on depreciable purchases like carsWork
Love your job
Don’t cheat your employer
Treat customers fairly
Keep a good work ethic
Serve your employer as unto the Lord
Rest 1 day in 7
Increase your value or earning potential
Work safe
Always be a Christian on the jobPhysical
Eat healthy
Stay in shape
Bodily exercise profiteth littleSpiritual
Keep a balanced diet of Bible, Worship and Prayer
Feed the spiritual man within
Study the Word
Hide the Word in your heart, not just your head
Pursue the will of God
Desire spiritual gifts
Seek to edify the church
Be the spiritual leader in your home
Be a godly man in the communityBe faithful to God, your wife, your church
Pursue GodEnjoy life