PROVERBS

It's Wednesday morning and a colder, wet day is going on.  We have not had two good days of weather in a row, and yet God is blessing us.  I rejoice in the LORD my God.  By faith, I can see His goodness pouring upon us, and I have been blessed far better than I ever deserve. Today I'm in Proverbs, and what a book!  It is a blessing to read the Wisdom that God put down in Scriptures and used Solomon to write.  Remember this... it is not the wisdom of Solomon; remember, God gave him the wisdom he possessed in the first place.  Here goes: 1) VITAL ORGANS- Proverbs teaches us that if we want to live for God, we must make sure to watch some vital organs in our bodies and see that they are doing well.  For instance: EARS- Prov. 4:20 "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings."  (We should be good listeners to the Word of God and to the teaching and preaching of God's Word.) EYES- Prov. 4:21 "Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart."  Prov. 4:25 "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." (The eyes are the portal to the soul and so we must keep evil out by not looking at anything that is lustful, wrong, hateful, etc. Don't give wicked sights a second look!) HEART- Prov. 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (We must not dwell on any thing we have heard or seen that did not come in from God, and we should discipline ourselves to dwell on the things of the LORD.) MOUTH- Prov. 4:24 "Put away from thee a froward mouth, and preverse lips put far from thee." (Watch what you say..... it lets people know your heart!  Let them only hear that which is full of grace!) FEET- Prov. 4:26,27 "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy food from evil."  (We must be careful to be found only in the right places..... our feet take us to all the places of our life, so watch where you go!) *This is just one example in this chapter how God uses practical wisdom to let us examine the features God has blessed us with: Ears, Eyes, Heart, Mouth, and Feet.  Put up a barrier around these and you will avoid much evil in your life. MAKING ROOM- I have come to love this verse because it speaks so much of ministry and accomplishment in life.  We know we are nothing, and whatever good comes out of us, God should get all of the glory.  But God gifts men with abilities, and they use them for His glory, or waste them.  In Prov. 18:16, it says: "A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men."  God will use your gifts (which He gave you in the first place) to build a work (ministry, family, business, home, etc.).  If you use your gifts wisely, they will make room for you!  In other words, the proof is in the pudding!  The fact that your work is being blessed shows you are using your gifts wisely.  May God bless you this morning!  Have a great day in the LORD!  Pastor Mike Mutchler