Posted on 05/03/2020 5:54:28 AM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her” (Proverbs 3:17-18 KJV).
Wisdom will tell you to do right, “and the work of righteousness shall be peace” (Isaiah 32:17). You are not going to have any peace until you have righteousness.
“She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her,” Paul said to “lay hold on eternal life.” Lay hold on wisdom. Get in the Book! Study! Learn some things. Observe some things. Be filled with the Spirit. The Spirit will give wisdom and understanding.
“She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her,” for the Christian, we get eternal life when we fear God and turn to Him, repent and trust Christ, and then begin to live for Him and stay out of trouble. Not only will we have eternal life, but we’ll have a peaceful, abundant life—a fruitful life down here “and happy is every one that retaineth her.”
Wisdom is like true riches. Is it easy to keep money? No, it’s easy to spend it. Easy come, easy go. Wisdom is not so easy to retain either. Everything around us; in the world, the flesh and the Devil, and the way of deception and lies, is constantly bombarding us. It’s easy for wisdom to get away. Hang on to it.
For one thing, don’t let anybody take our Book from you. And don’t let anyone steal the principles of this Book from your life. You know how they do this? Jesus tells us: “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye” (Mark 7:13 KJV).
Good old church Christian tradition will destroy the Word of God and it’s work in your life. It’ll get you to doubt. We are told to receive the Bible “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13 KJV).
If somebody, whether it be a college professor or preacher standing behind a pulpit gets you to doubt that this is the Word of God—it’ll no longer work for you, and you’ll lose wisdom.
“She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her,” the world says happiness is having a lot of money. Some of the most miserable people are the ones that have a lot of money. Just knock on their doors! Some of the riches homes I’ve ever visited the husband and wife both work two or three jobs and barely have enough time to sleep in those fancy homes. They are miserable! Just note their expressions when they come to the door! They are not happy!
You take some guy that lives out in the burbs and knows that his family are all saved and on their way to heaven and working just enough to meet their needs—that man is truly happy.
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