For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
Proverbs 1:32-33
Temptation is at every turn or our head… There are so many people that we encounter on a daily basis that simply do not have our best interest at heart and today we are reminded of the importance of having a sober mind and steady focus on the Lord… As I read the opening portion of this scripture which says, “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them…” I immediately begin to think about Lot (in the book of Genesis) leaving his home at the command of God and how his wife looked back and became a pillar of salt… The entrapment of Lot ’s wife was founded on the hills of her focusing on the past while God was leading them to a new home and future… The simple things in life are often the hardest things to overcome and let go of… Success (making money), an addiction or even a relationship all pose major problems in our lives; however, we are reminded today that when we fall victim to seeing someone’s success, pick up a beer based on the suggestion of someone or become envious of a relationship we have allowed these simple devices to ruin us and ultimately slay us… In understanding the word simple used in the passage taken from the book of Proverbs I come to the conclusion that the matters that will affect you the most and deter your growth in the Lord are the simple matters that are allowed to fester in your life instead of being handled in a mature manner at the time of their conception… Arguing with your spouse about matters which can be rectified can be a simple thing which grows to something larger and ends in divorce if not handled correctly… As the word of God says, you have to be faithful over a few things… Don’t allow small matters to occupy huge chunks of your time; don’t allow worldly prosperity of fools to destroy you… Turn from those fleshly and lustful desires; the more you see and feel tempted to chase after vainglory is the more that you need to run from it and hearken unto the Lord… Not every door is for you to venture through, not every path laid before you is of God and you must abide in Him so that He can write the vision and make it plain…
You have to know that the pastures you dwell in today may not be the green pastures you think exist on the other side; however, you must stand in faith knowing that God is and that God can do anything but fail… You are where you are for a reason and a seasons; don’t get caught up in what appears pleasing to the eye (it could be damaging to the soul)… We all have heard the saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover” today; let us apply this in our Christian walk… Solomon gives important advice today as to how we are to handle situations or opportunities that arise in our lives… There are so many people that we come across that are in need, they are in need of financial assistance, they are in need or prayer and they are in need of a relationship with Christ… We view this people in our lives as a situation or something that happened on one of our days journeys; however, I refer to all these examples as opportunities… When you are faced with a person in need, this is an opportunity for you to share Christ power, faithfulness and love to that person or individual… Solomon tells us that “the turning away of the simple shall slay them…” When we turn away from these opportunities we slay ourselves by denying Christ to move in our lives and impact the lives of others through us… Solomon was given the title of the wisest man to ever live... Today he gives us reasons for his wisdom when it comes to living according to the word and will of God… So many of us have turned away from God, we have set our eyes on things of this earth and have lost focus of the bigger picture at hand… Solomon reminds us today that we perish not because of mistakes, but because we have set our minds and chased after the wrong things… Every situation you face in life presents you a choice and Solomon calls for us to recognize on today that when we make choices that turn us away from God we will end up perishing… If you are motivated by earthly gains and prosperity than you are not motivated by the love of Christ and His offering on the cross; likewise, when you are motivated by God you live a Godly life that is acceptable in His sight… The way to find out what kind of life you are living is to simply look at how you conduct yourself in your everyday affairs… Hosea 4:6 records that “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Not knowing the God you server in the most adverse situation will allow the enemy to control you at your weakest and lowest point…
We are dying because we do not know God, we are not motivated by His love, and we aren’t walking according to His calling… Solomon goes on to say “the prosperity of fools shall destroy them…”It’s so easy for us to get caught up in what someone else has or a level of success that we think someone else has achieved… However, as a child of God we must know that we seek a crown that is incorruptible, a mansion that will never fade a way and a life that will never end… We must remember that we will be tempted and their will be many things that will come in to our lives which may lead us to question the path we are currently on; however, we must stay the course, deny the desire to try a (n) easier path and hold to God’s unchanging hand… Proverbs 16:25 says, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” When things seem right to you and God is not the center you need to recheck your ways… When things seem right and you know God is not pleased you need to take a step back… The bible tells us that those who walk according to their own desires will succumb to them; however, we are promised to overcome when we walk with God as our head… “But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quit from fear of evil…” God promises your protection, He promises your safety and He promises your deliverance… This is a two-way street; you must hearken unto Him… You must turn to Him, you must adhere to Him, and you must abide according to His will and plan for your life… Even the richest men shall perish; the most prosperous shall be in want if they are not under the guidance of Jesus Christ… All those of this world shall perish when the Day of Judgment comes, all those living according to this world shall be cast into the pits of hell and never know the true prosperity that comes from God… You must fight the good fight, keep the faith and finish the race… Knowing that your work is not in vain when it is in the Lord…
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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