One of the reasons for this is simply because,
Proverbs are: brief popular sayings that
give advice about how people should live their daily lives as godly
examples. They are maxims that are known
phrases that express a general truth about life and/or a rule of behavior.
As a member of clergy for many years now, I have
watched many members of the body of Christ flail their arms in an attempt to
stay alive in unpleasant conditions. Some
are extroverts with their flails and cries, so that everyone hears and often
become boat rockers, stirring up chaos in others, while others put on a mask
and decay from the inside never getting help. Neither of these should ever be
the case.
As Christians we are to live the triumphant life,
the overcoming life, the successful life of faith. This doesn’t eliminate trials or test that
every Christian will encounter. But it
does entail coming through those trials and test victorious, and to new levels.
As Christians we should be moving from faith to faith, and glory to glory.
The word speaks to us of trials of our faith
being precious. But it also shares with
us the truth of coming through all of them victorious.
There are times when Christians will be knocked
down in their stand, as Paul. He was knocked down, but he was not knocked
out. He was even left once in the street
as dead, but the church gathered around him and prayed. He recovered and continued in faith. Faith is
the overcoming life, not one free of adversity or obstacles here in planet
earth, but one with promises and good ends unto the day when there will be no
adversities in our heavenly estate.
In this Challenge to obtain and retain the
proverbs with application, my prayer is for the body of Christ to rise up to a
new standard of living. One where wisdom becomes the principle thing in their
faith lives again. And just for the record, I am not suggesting a life lived by
works along, but on lived by faith that works; Faith that has been offered us
through grace (grace that enables us to be free of sinful living and devoid of
child play and deceitful lives).
In the book of Acts there were needs within the
local church body; needs for the people to be attended to properly, and for the
ministers to have time to give themselves to the Word and prayer. So they quest
went out to locate people not just full of the Holy Ghost, but full of the Holy
Ghost and Wisdom as well as those of were of honest report.
The word honest report from this text in Acts
chapter six means:
·
Those who have been a
witness; they have seen, heard and or experienced something by divine revelation
or inspiration. It is those who live by
and give honorable testimony to the truth.
These were not just any people. They were those who had witnessed the truth
of the gospel in their own lives. And in
this filled with the Holy Spirit and Wisdom.
Wisdom from this text defines as:
·
One to be broad and filled
with intelligence, and having used knowledge in diverse matters in their
lives.
·
One commentary even says:
varied knowledge of things human and divine, acquired by acuteness and
experience, summed up in maxims and proverbs.
These were men who were given to the science of
learning; they were apt in dreams and interpretations and able to give good and
godly advice to others. They were men
skilled in management abilities, who could offer Christian truth to
those in need.
those in need.
The people that were being sought out by the
leaders were those who lived proverbial lives. The importance of this challenge
of reading the Proverbs is not for a marathon read, nor is it a competition,
but rather a personal assignment of life application unto Christian maturity.
·
As we read through the
Proverbs we will find ourselves both rejoicing and pressed to new levels of
life.
·
We will find truth that will
enable us to live happier and more successful.
·
Living the proverbial life
will aid you, but it will also aid your family, friends, community, pastor and
local church.
I pray that you will make 2014 a year of
spiritual growth unto natural victories by accepting this challenge.
One chapter per day in a 31-day month will
conclude your reading. However, to go
through these Proverbs each month will empower you even more this year.
Faith without life application is dead. As we read in the book of James, “Faith
without works is dead.” So let us live
true faith lives, free of the deception of only hearing the word and not doing
it. Instead, Let us add to our faiths
confessions this year legs, being doers of the Word … living our lives up to
the Maxims!
