Young’uns have to learn by experience. All you can do is try to teach ’em and hope them survive.”
–Donald L. Robertson (Five Women and the Star)
“…These men oppose the truth–men of depraved minds… But they will not get very far because…their folly will be clear to everyone.”
–2 Timothy 3:8, 9 (NIV)
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Proverbs 2:6-9
6 — For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; (NKJV)
7 — He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; (NKJV)
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, (NIV)
8 — He guards the path of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. (NKJV)
for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. (NIV)
9 — Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. (NKJV)
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair–every good path. (NIV)
“We’re lost, but we’re making good time,” so go the words of the song written by Clifton Jansky. You may be driving a Rolls Royce, going full speed, but if you’re not on the right road going in the right direction all is for naught–you’ll never reach your destination. Somewhere along the road you missed a sign and took the wrong fork in the road. Only through Christ, and follow His directions can one make it to glory, all other roads lead to perdition.
Two notes from verse 6. The term “wisdom” may be translated and mean, “abiding success,” or “victory.” To have victory or success in this life it is imperative to listen to the Word of the Lord. By success I am speaking of it in an spiritual sense, in the light of eternity. Some versions translate from His mouth come “principles of practical godliness.” We live in a day of fast food and chaotic lifestyles. Hurry, hurry, scurry and we wonder why we wear ourselves out. “It’s no wonder fewer and fewer people ‘take time to be holy” and more and more people fall prey to the enemies that lurk along the way.” (Warren Wiersbe) God will keep His promise and protect us from the enemy, but we must do our part. We must follow and obey His Word; love and obey His commandments; and make sure to take the right fork in the road.
It is up to us, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to “walk uprightly.” This may be translated as “to be walkers of innocence.” It is the Word of God that preserves the way of the saints; it helps to keep us on the right road and going in the right direction. We must discipline ourselves to look and study the Word for it is a “light unto our steps, and a lamp unto our paths”. (Psalm 119:105) Look around and you will notice that H.A. Ironside is right as he points out that, “diligent Bible study is on the wane.” Should we then be surprised at those that stumble, at those who lose their way, at those who take the wrong fork in the road?
I hate to drive in dense fog. Several years ago, Annie and I were driving to Pittsburgh and around Zanesville, Ohio we hit heavy fog. I could barely see the front of the car. I was doing my best to stay on the road and found that I could follow the red lights of a truck in front of me. I knew that if the truck pulled off and went into a garage that I would be right behind it. J. Vernon McGee says that is the plight of many today, “Many Christians are out in the fog today; they wonder where to turn.” What lights do they follow? Where will they take them? In the last days there will appear vain talkers and deceivers, people with depraved minds. The shame of it is that many of these are the lights we follow through the fog. Woe unto us, when we allow ungodly men and women to lead us. We have the truth, but the important thing is that the truth holds us. (McGee) Charles Bridges so aptly pointed out during his life and it is much more apparent today, “Never has apostasy from the faith been connected with prayerful and diligent study of the Word of God.” It is not always sunshine nor an easy road to travel.
In this day we need people who understand, who listen to wisdom, who follow the right path. “There’s a price to pay if we would gain spiritual wisdom, but there’s an even greater price to pay if we don’t gain it.” (Wiersbe) There is a right way for saints to walk in, but we must beware of the trap of antinomianism. We must develop “the habit of living in the element of Scripture.” (Charles Bridges) This is the way to live, to walk.
Are you living in the truth, practicing it to the best of your ability? Thomas Chalmers said, “The righteousness of our conduct contributes to the enlightenment of our creed.” Want to know more, study the Scriptures, then practice what you have studied. God will keep us and protect our way. He will show us the right way, the good path. Know this, that “He walks uprightly who lives with the fear of God as his principle, and the Word of God as his rule, and the glory of God as his end.” (Ralph Wardlaw)
“…These men oppose the truth–men of depraved minds… But they will not get very far because…their folly will be clear to everyone.”
–2 Timothy 3:8, 9 (NIV)
——————————
Proverbs 2:6-9
6 — For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; (NKJV)
7 — He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; (NKJV)
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, (NIV)
8 — He guards the path of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. (NKJV)
for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. (NIV)
9 — Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. (NKJV)
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair–every good path. (NIV)
“We’re lost, but we’re making good time,” so go the words of the song written by Clifton Jansky. You may be driving a Rolls Royce, going full speed, but if you’re not on the right road going in the right direction all is for naught–you’ll never reach your destination. Somewhere along the road you missed a sign and took the wrong fork in the road. Only through Christ, and follow His directions can one make it to glory, all other roads lead to perdition.
Two notes from verse 6. The term “wisdom” may be translated and mean, “abiding success,” or “victory.” To have victory or success in this life it is imperative to listen to the Word of the Lord. By success I am speaking of it in an spiritual sense, in the light of eternity. Some versions translate from His mouth come “principles of practical godliness.” We live in a day of fast food and chaotic lifestyles. Hurry, hurry, scurry and we wonder why we wear ourselves out. “It’s no wonder fewer and fewer people ‘take time to be holy” and more and more people fall prey to the enemies that lurk along the way.” (Warren Wiersbe) God will keep His promise and protect us from the enemy, but we must do our part. We must follow and obey His Word; love and obey His commandments; and make sure to take the right fork in the road.
It is up to us, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to “walk uprightly.” This may be translated as “to be walkers of innocence.” It is the Word of God that preserves the way of the saints; it helps to keep us on the right road and going in the right direction. We must discipline ourselves to look and study the Word for it is a “light unto our steps, and a lamp unto our paths”. (Psalm 119:105) Look around and you will notice that H.A. Ironside is right as he points out that, “diligent Bible study is on the wane.” Should we then be surprised at those that stumble, at those who lose their way, at those who take the wrong fork in the road?
I hate to drive in dense fog. Several years ago, Annie and I were driving to Pittsburgh and around Zanesville, Ohio we hit heavy fog. I could barely see the front of the car. I was doing my best to stay on the road and found that I could follow the red lights of a truck in front of me. I knew that if the truck pulled off and went into a garage that I would be right behind it. J. Vernon McGee says that is the plight of many today, “Many Christians are out in the fog today; they wonder where to turn.” What lights do they follow? Where will they take them? In the last days there will appear vain talkers and deceivers, people with depraved minds. The shame of it is that many of these are the lights we follow through the fog. Woe unto us, when we allow ungodly men and women to lead us. We have the truth, but the important thing is that the truth holds us. (McGee) Charles Bridges so aptly pointed out during his life and it is much more apparent today, “Never has apostasy from the faith been connected with prayerful and diligent study of the Word of God.” It is not always sunshine nor an easy road to travel.
In this day we need people who understand, who listen to wisdom, who follow the right path. “There’s a price to pay if we would gain spiritual wisdom, but there’s an even greater price to pay if we don’t gain it.” (Wiersbe) There is a right way for saints to walk in, but we must beware of the trap of antinomianism. We must develop “the habit of living in the element of Scripture.” (Charles Bridges) This is the way to live, to walk.
Are you living in the truth, practicing it to the best of your ability? Thomas Chalmers said, “The righteousness of our conduct contributes to the enlightenment of our creed.” Want to know more, study the Scriptures, then practice what you have studied. God will keep us and protect our way. He will show us the right way, the good path. Know this, that “He walks uprightly who lives with the fear of God as his principle, and the Word of God as his rule, and the glory of God as his end.” (Ralph Wardlaw)