the proverbs study group

#32Chapters
Chapter 3 - Protection Racquet Hallerin Hilton Hill

Last week...
Chapter 3 was a simple call to trust. Trust God will ALL (100%) of your heart.

This weeks main point.

Trust God will ALL (100%) of your heart. Always use protection. Chapter Outline The 27 verses of chapter three are broken into 3 sections. - A fathers advice - A choice between paths - Protecting your heart

A Fathers Wisdom
We are four chapters in now and Solomon is still pleading with us to embrace or better yet to surrender to wisdom. Solomon as he addresses us places us in the position of son. We are sons. We are family members. This is a birthright. The wisest, richest father is not leaving us gold or silver or powerhe declares wisdom to be more important. How does he get to this? Why has he now moved to making so personal a plea? Simple: his father. David did the same thing with him. David lived such a broken, human life. Adultry. Murder. Deception. War. After a life of the pain that comes from compromise David plead with his son to choose a better path. He was broken so he knew what brokenness felt like. He knew that path much to well. Its no wonder the enemy has worked so hard to destroy the image of fathers. If fathers are have no credibility, if fathers arent looked up to, if fathers dont have the ability to speak into their childrens lives then fathers cant leave wisdom as a birthright. If your father doesnt have your respect then these words, this example has no impact or relevance. Here Solomon reveals from his life and the benet of watching his fathers tortured reign that the most important acquisition is wisdom. No matter what it cost you to get it you will benet more than you ever pay. Wisdom must be THE priority.

Are you willing to do whatever it takes to nd and deploy wisdom in your life? The Path Of The Wicked Were back to those paths. Here as a wise father Solomon tells us, his long distance sons exactly what to look for in people who are detrimental to your life and survival. Lets take another look. The wicked do wickedness. They look for ways to do wickedness and violence. I dont think this is limited to physical acts of violence. Jesus clearly taught that murder is as much a state of mind as an act. How does Dad tell us to deal with this? Run, Forest run! He doesnt give instructions in confrontation. He says (a) dont go near the path (b) if you see it turn around and get the hell out of there. How many times have you been burned trying to manage your sin? How many times have you been burned thinking you could nd the good in someone who is fundamentally bad? Dont go near these kinds of people. Their path will lead you away from wisdom and away from God. The Path Of Righteousness By contrast Solomon is telling us how to identify a better path. How do you tell the better path? Light. Not just the presence of light but growing light. How often have you stumbled because you were on a dark path? What is the lighted path youve been avoiding? Darkness is the sign that the path is wrong. If you have to do it in the dark, if you have to hide youre on the wrong path. Protect Your Heart At the end of this chapter, this fatherly appeal, Solomon urges us to keep our hearts, thats where your life, your being, your essence comes from. Why so much passion in the pleading? I think its because both David and Solomon live portions of their hearts with unprotected heart and experience the devastation of living with and exposed unprotected heart. Your heart is hidden by your rib cage. When your heart is clogged and doesnt ow you die.

Solomon then goes on to tell us how to live protected. 1. Avoid perverse speech. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. You will spill what youre full of. You transform your speech by renewing your mindputting better stuff in. 2. Get clear about the right path, get on it and stay on it. Look straight ahead. Dont look back. Leave the past in the past. Fix your eyes on your new direction. 3. Dont do evil. A lot of times its easier said than done. But one way not to have your heart exposed is to keep from putting it in a position to be harmed. Evil positions your heart to be poisoned. Whatever has your heart has you. What evil in your life needs to go? What do you need to let go of so you can nd wisdom and nd your way back to God?

The Conclusion Trust God will ALL (100%) of your heart. The Challenge Try simply following the clear direction he gives you from his word. Grow. Help others grow. Be Encouraged. Wisdom House Publishing
(c) 2012 Hallerin Hilton Hill