Posted on 07/02/2022 12:34:00 AM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints” (Proverbs 2:6-8 KJV).
“He layeth up sound wisdom,” for who? “for the righteous,” who are the righteous? “he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.” He’ll protect those people—He’ll protect those young people—that will walk right in this world. He’ll protect those parents that walk with God. You can’t expect to raise your kids right, and you live like the devil. You can’t expect them to be right when you are not right.
You say, “Well, I take them to church.” It’s good that you do, but they aren’t going to turn out right for God—the way they should--unless they can see that you have a love for God and a desire to do right, and to walk upright.
“He keepeth the paths of judgment,” do you know how He does this? He “preserveth the way of his saints.” What happened to Paul when even though he didn’t want to go into Europe, but he wanted to go back to Jerusalem. What happened? He went back to Jerusalem, didn’t he? But it was God’s will that he go to Rome. What happened? He went to Rome. God preserved Paul and kept him in His will—even though Paul rebelled. Why? Because Paul walked uprightly. Paul was a man that wanted the will of God for his life, but you say, well, he disobeyed it that one time. Paul wasn’t perfect. Paul was a sinner just like us—but the reason he went back to Jerusalem was to witness to the Jews. He wanted to win his own people. His motive for going back there was right, it’s just that he wasn’t supposed to go. So, what did God do? He preserved him. He kept him right in the ministry.
Now, we’ll make a lot of mistakes as a Christian, but if you want God to work out all those mistakes out to your benefit, then you be careful to put things up there against that day when you make those mistakes. And we’ll be like Paul—even though we make a mistake, and may pay for it in this life somehow, but still and all God will preserve your way, and keep the paths of judgment, and preserve you in the way. He will keep you going in His will. All things do work together for good.
Jacob made many a mess. A great study is to consider Israel when old King Balak was trying to get Balaam to curse them. They were a mess. They were as ungodly a bunch of people as you’ve ever seen. They rebelled against Moses, they rebelled against God, and Balak said, “Balaam, why don’t you get God to curse them? They don’t obey Him.” Balaam said, “Ok, I’ll try.” And he went to God and asked him, “Can I curse that crowd down there? They aren’t obeying you.” God said, “No, you can’t curse them.” Balaam said, “I don’t understand, they aren’t doing right.” God said, “I don’t see anything wrong with them.” The prophet answered, “But, you just killed 20,000 of them?” God said, “I don’t see anything wrong with them.” They were righteous—they had come out of Egypt—they got that land—they followed that man, Moses. Yes, they made some mistakes, and they paid for it. But when it came down to somebody trying to curse them—God said, “I don’t see nothing wrong with them.”
You get to where you understand that, you begin to get to where you understand God. It is all about knowing God. Balaam didn’t know God, Balak didn’t know God. They couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t curse them. Israel was laying up some treasure in heaven along the way. They were not perfect, neither was Paul, neither was Moses, neither was Noah, neither was Samson, neither was David, neither are you and I
“He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.”
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Yes He does. And, those that refuse to listen to Him through His Word become fools.
Thank you Lord for speaking through your Holy Spirit today. This is so relevant.
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