Read it and Heed it (Proverbs 23:12)

It takes work to do well in this life. It also takes work for us to do well and finish well in our walk of faith.

"Apply your mind to instruction and correction, and your ears to the words of knowledge." Proverbs 23:12, Amplified

Instruction is good for nothing if the hearer does not apply what he has been instructed to do. It is like the instruction manual in a toy that I have bought my child. It will do me no good unless I read what the makers of the toy have written. Usually, I just throw the directions aside and do my best to get through the process. I remember, last Christmas, my wife had bought my son an Optimus Prime transformer toy. Even with the instructions it was difficult for me to navigate the process of transformation.

The Bible is never like that. Every time we read it, the instruction is clear and precise. There is no confusion as to what needs to be in our walks. But that newly found knowledge and instruction needs to be applied in our lives. As powerful a book as the Bible is, it is good for nothing if we do not read it and heed it.

He Keeps His Own Safe (Proverbs 22:12)

The Lord is righteous. He will preserve those who are righteous and overthrows those who are not.

"The eyes of the Lord keep guard over knowledge and him who has it, but He overthrows the words of the treacherous." Proverbs 22:12, Amplified

Nothing established in unrighteous will ever stand. It may seem that those who are evil prosper, but that is solely temporal. The Lord will guard anyone and everyone who practices righteousness, because we are His and He takes care of His own. Realize and understand that the prosperity of the wicked is fleeting and their end will come suddenly and without warning.

Knowledge from Above (Proverbs 20:15)

In the physical world, there are many riches. But many forget about the spiritual riches that we all have at our disposal.

"There is gold, and a multitude of pearls; but the lips of knowledge are a vase a preciousness [the most precious of all]." Proverbs 20:15, Amplified

Gold and pearls, or even rubies, can buy you whatever you want. But knowledge is so much more valuable than any bit of natural riches. Yes the Lord made the gold, pearls and rubies that we find in the earth, but He bestows upon us knowledge. These earthly minerals cannot compare with knowledge. "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. It cannot be purchased for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir in precious onyx or sapphire. Neither gold nor crystal can equal it. Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold." (Job 28:12-13, 15-19, NKJV) True knowledge and wisdom come from our heavenly Father. All the riches in the world cannot compare with the wisdom and understanding and knowledge that the Lord gives.

Truth (Proverbs 19:27)

There are plenty of warnings in the Bible as well for us to heed. This is one of those warnings.

"Cease, my son, to hear instruction only to ignore it and stray from the words of knowledge." Proverbs 19:27, Amplified

If we cease to listen to instruction, we will begin to stray from knowledge. For within the words of instruction is knowledge. An instructor instructs because he has the knowledge to do so. There are many out there, however, that have placed themselves within the seat of instruction. So how are we to discern who is the real instructor and who is not. You will know who the real instructors are when what they teach is validated by truth. Truth is the factor for all of us. The truth is Jesus Christ. The truth is real. The truth is everything and without it there is nothing.

Knowledge is Life, Therefore Choose Life (Proverbs 18:15)

A good question to ask ourselves is what are we seeking after in this life? What drives us on everyday?

"The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise is ever seeking - inquiring for and craving - knowledge." Proverbs 18:15, Amplified

To be prudent is to show care for your future. It is one thing to seek after pleasure that lasts for a few minutes or even days, but what about that substantial stuff? It is sort of like choosing between steak and sugar. One choice is very beneficial and has sustenance to it. The other choice is not detrimental, but does not have the ability to sustain like the other. So the prudent man must then seek after knowledge and the wise has a craving for knowledge.

If we are truly the Lord's, then there will be within us a desire to seek after better things. Not only are we seeking after knowledge, but there is a hunger for such things. What are you hungry for? I guarantee you are hungry for whatever you have been putting inside your body, or mind, or soul.

Remember one thing, however. Knowledge equals death; death of ignorance. The ignorant might not understand the benefits of steak when all they have had is sugar. But once we have had the steak, our eyes are enlightened to that which is good and that which is not so good. So not only is knowledge death, but it is a birthing of choice. We can choose steak. We can choose sugar. We can choose Jesus. We can choose sin. We are surrounded by choice. "I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord you God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20, NKJV)

The Sweetness of Prudence (Proverbs 16:21)

To be prudent is to show an active care or interest in the future. I know this is a subject and a definition that has already been covered in these studies, but the book of Proverbs often broaches subject matter more than once. Repetition is usually indicative of the need to hear. In other words, the more the Lord says it, the more important it must be for us to hear.

"The wise in heart shall be called prudent, understanding and knowing; and winsome speech increases learning [in both speaker and listener]." Proverbs 16:21, Amplified

Wisdom brings about a great respect from other persons. In the book of First Kings in chapter three, Solomon is visited by the Lord. The Lord offers him anything that he might request. Solomon chooses wisdom over everything including riches and fame. In his first wise act, Solomon is confronted with two women who claim that one baby is both of their own. They each claimed that the other had killed the other baby in their sleep. Solomon proposes that he cut the baby in half in order to satisfy both women. It was the compassion of one of the woman that exposed her as the real mother. After that it was said that Solomon's fame grew. Solomon wrote more than just these proverbs that we read in these thirty-one chapters.

What the Amplified Version calls "winsome speech" the New King James calls "sweetness of the lips". This is not necessarily a discrepancy in texts since both have similar meaning. To be winsome means to be attractive or appealing sweetness is mostly always attractive to audiences. When speech is sweet, more people will tend to listen. I do not agree with those who want to stand on corners with megaphones and preach hellfire and brimstone. I do believe there is a time and a place for such teaching, but this is not what draws people to Jesus. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave is only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." God was in the position to be wrathful and vengeful, but He chose love. God was in the position to punish, but He chose the sacrifice of His Son. God did not have to love, He wanted to love. Life without Christ does end in death and hellfire and brimstone, yes, but His focus on the earth was love. The world needs to understand why it does not have to go to hell. Sweetness will draw men to Jesus. Sweetness will allow for us to know and understand our God more.

Sifting Knowledge (Proverbs 15:7)

It is our job as believers to give out the knowledge that we have. To know a building is on fire an not warn any of the residents is just as bad as starting the fire yourself.

"The lips of the wise disperse knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain]; not so the mind of the self-confident and foolish." Proverbs 15:7, Amplified

The Amplified version adds the imagery of the chaff that the New King James does not posses. When reading the verse from the New King James, it seems that the Bible suggests that the wise disperse the knowledge that they have of God and the devil, heaven and hell. But the Amplified takes it a step further to suggest that the wise go as far as to separate the useless knowledge to give people the meat that they need. Chaff is a part of the grain, but it holds no value for the eater. To take that away from the recipient takes away information that need not be sifted through. Think of it like teaching someone how to bake a cake. If you add information about where all the product came from, it detracts from the original purpose of making a cake. The foolish do not do so. They love to convolute things whether they be the truth or not.

Measuring Up (Proverbs 13:15-16)

Knowledge is good. To have it is to also have understanding. Understanding brings a happier and healthier life.

"Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the transgressor is hard [like the barren, dry soil or the impassable swamp]." Proverbs 13:15, Amplified

I like how the Amplified Version delivers this verse. I calls the way of the transgressor like barren, dry soil or an impassable swamp. There is either not enough moisture, or there is too much. In other words, there is no moderation. The thing a child of God has going for him, is that the Lord guides him in his daily life. He has a governor telling him when it is too much or too little. The child of the world has no one guide him and must rely on his own instinct and understanding. The one problem is that he has nothing to measure himself up against other than the world.

"Every prudent man deals with knowledge, but a [self-confident] fool exposes and flaunts his folly." Proverbs 13:16, Amplified

This is the problem of not having anything real to measure yourself up against. For the Christian, there is God and the Bible. For the man of the world, there is only others from the world. You will never be able to draw a 12" line with a ruler that is only 10". You will fall short every time. The Bible is our measuring stick. To ignore it's contents is to ignore knowledge and expose shame.