9-23-06 Proverbs 1:22, 23

Proverbs 1:22, 23 (KJ21)
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love to be simple, and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you; I will make known my words unto you.

Proverbs 1:22, 23 (NAS)
How long, O naive ones, will you love simplicity? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge? Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

Proverbs 1:22, 23 (NIVUS)
How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.

Proverbs 1:22, 23 (NLT)
You simpletons!" she cries. "How long will you go on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools fight the facts? Come here and listen to me! I’ll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise.

If you are honest, there have probably been times when you have acted silly and foolish. However, you probably do not live a silly, foolish lifestyle, for you have chosen to put your trust in Jehovah the Lord.

There are some people who are silly and foolish by choice. They think that they have open minds, when, in fact, they are deluded and deceived. Their "so-called" open minds make them targets for any enticing or seductive scheme or thought that comes along. They are easily persuaded by flattery and can just as easily be led astray. These people are simple-minded and not open-minded.

There are other people who are scornful and critical of everything and everyone. They only use their mouths to scoff and mock. Derision and ridicule are their trademarks.

Both the fools and the scorners hate wisdom, knowledge and understanding. They think they are smart when they rely on their own wits, but they are really arrogant, dull, and stupid. They are enemies of God. As they grow old, their lack of godly wisdom and perception will wear them out; they will be completely used up.

The Lord pleads with the simple, the fools, and the scorners to return back to Him. He desires their repentance, for He wants to restore, refresh, and repair their lives. If they will listen to Adonai's correction, reproof, and chastisement, the Lord will pour out His Spirit on them. He will give them knowledge, understanding, and perception into His Word. Then the wisdom that they lacked will come to them in abundance.

9-22-06 Proverbs 1: 20, 21

Proverbs 1: 20, 21 (KJ21)
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets. She crieth in the chief places of concourse, in the openings of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

Proverbs 1: 20, 21 (NAS)
Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city, she utters her sayings:

Proverbs 1: 20, 21 (NIVUS)
Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

Proverbs 1: 20, 21 (NLT)
Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. She calls out to the crowds along the main street, and to those in front of city hall.

God's word personifies wisdom as female, perhaps because wisdom is a teacher. One of the primary roles of a woman, particularly a mother, is to teach her children different skills and arts. She shows her children how to be wise in mind, word, and action.

Wisdom is continually crying out to you when she is outside your gates. You can hear her joyful shout, for she does not want to be separated from you. Since she wants to lift you up, recompense, and restore you, she utters her voice in song and proclamation in the streets and broad places. Wisdom will try to reach you wherever or however possible. It may seem that you are being accosted on every side by her insistent pleas, invitations, and preaching. At the beginning of the day you will hear wisdom's voice.

Whenever you are in a place of rage or tumult, if your quiet yourself and listen, you will hear wisdom speaking. When you do this, you will find peace instead of trouble and uproar, for she longs to be at the forefront of your thoughts.

Perhaps you are facing a new door; you will find wisdom there as the gatekeeper. She will either let you pass through or send you back another way. Wisdom watches over you; she guards you in the city or wherever you set up camp. Through the words of wisdom, you will find answers, challenges, and charges.

9-21-06 Isaiah 33:13, 17

Isaiah 33:13, 17 (KJ21)
Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done, and ye that are near, acknowledge My might....Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Isaiah 33:13, 17 (NAS)
You who are far away, hear what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might...Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will behold a far-distant land.

Isaiah 33:13, 17 (NIVUS)
You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power!...Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar.

Isaiah 33:13, 17 (NLT)
Listen to what I have done, you nations far away! And you that are near, acknowledge my might!...Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance.

There are some people who choose to be close to God. Some people keep their distance and are remote from Him. However, the Almighty requires both to listen to Him.

You have chosen to draw near, which is the best choice that anyone can make. You have trained your ear to listen for and to hear the Lord's voice. Once you understand what the Lord Jehovah is asking of you, you also choose to obey. When you agree with what Adonai wants, He grants the requests that you make of Him. As you yield to God, you find that you must proclaim His name to others. You have no other choice than to sound aloud His greatness, for He has done wonderful things for you. Because the Lord celebrates your life, He fashions special blessings just for you. Through your personal relationship with God, you learn to acknowledge every good thing that He is. You constantly speak of His strength, might, and power that He has demonstrated on your behalf. You know that God always prevails.

Now your eyes behold the King, who is beautiful, bright, and fair. Soon you will see His kingdom and His land. What is now a distant vision for you will become near. You will present yourself before the throne, where you will be face to face with the Most High. You will finally see the One who has always provided anything that you have ever needed. In His presence you will rejoice forever more.

9-20-06 Isaiah 33:6

Isaiah 33:6 (KJ21)
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of salvation; the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

Isaiah 33:6 (NAS)
And He shall be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is his treasure.

Isaiah 33:6 (NIVUS)
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

Isaiah 33:6 (NLT)
In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

In today's world, things do not seem very stable or secure. There are threats of destruction coming from the east and from the west. It seems as if the fate of the world is dependent on the whim of evil despots, who are just itching to pull the trigger.

What should your response be to such troubling circumstances? First, you should seek wisdom both for yourself and also for those in leadership over you. You should ask the Lord to give your authorities skill in administration and that they will be both shrewd and prudent. Pray that they will gain knowledge, discernment, and understanding for every situation that confronts them. They should consider every option and act accordingly.


As you gain wisdom and knowledge, you will find that you also gain more steadiness and firmness in your emotions and thoughts. By putting your trust in the faithful God, you will experience more security; you know that He will always support and uphold you in spite of any adverse circumstances surrounding you. He will cause you to stand firm, when others are falling and failing. No matter what time and fortune brings, you will last and endure.

Unlike those who trust themselves, you have access to riches, treasure and wealth that is unknown to the world at large. Jehovah the Lord has laid up and hoarded many things for you. What He has stored will see you through anything and everything. In Him you always have salvation, deliverance, and victory. Your welfare is His main concern. Because you have chosen the fear of the Lord, instead of the fear of man, you have the liberty to come and go in peace. Respect and reverence for Adonai brings you prosperity and you always do well.

9-19-06 Proverbs 1:17:19

Proverbs 1: 17-19 (KJ21)
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird! And they lie in wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy for gain, which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

Proverbs 1: 17-19 (NAS)
Indeed, it is useless to spread the net in the eyes of any bird; but they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors.

Proverbs 1: 17-19 (NIVUS)
How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

Proverbs 1: 17-19 (NLT)
When a bird sees a trap being set, it stays away. But not these people! They set an ambush for themselves; they booby-trap their own lives! Such is the fate of all who are greedy for gain. It ends up robbing them of life.

Anyone who traps animals knows that he must lay his traps in secret. The element of surprise is essential to a well-laid trap, for then the animal will be caught unawares. Your enemies try the same tactics with you; however, their best laid snares are never laid in secret, for the Lord your God sees and is aware of their schemes.

When your adversaries throw out a net to seize and destroy you, they are doing so in vain. They have no advantage over you, for they have spread it in the sight of your Master. Even though they lurk in ambush, they will not be able to shed your blood. The death that they have planned for you will come back on them. They will be astonished when they see you go free, while they are perishing. Even though they stay in hiding to protect their own lives, they will not find the quiet rest that you have as you rely on Adonai. They will be cut down and brought to silence.

Those, who take the well-trodden path of greed and plunder, will not find the gain that they seek. Their covetousness and dishonesty will not fulfill their desires, but will ultimately finish them off. The lucre that they get will be taken away from them again and their lives will not profit. They will receive only wounding and destruction.

You, however, will continue to prosper as you extend love and mercy to those around you. As the Almighty see the traps that evil men lay, He also beholds the goodness and righteousness of your life. And He will punish or reward each of you accordingly.

9-18-06 Isaiah 33:15, 16

Isaiah 33:15, 16 (KJ21)
He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil— he shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the fortifications of rocks; bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

Isaiah 33:15, 16 9 (NAS)
He who walks righteously, and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain, And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; He will dwell on the heights; His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given him; His water will be sure.

Isaiah 33:15, 16 (NIVUS)
He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil—this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him.

Isaiah 33:15, 16 (NLT)
The ones who can live here are those who are honest and fair, who reject making a profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong. These are the ones who will dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress of safety. Food will be supplied to them, and they will have water in abundance.

If a baby is normal and healthy, he will learn to walk anytime between 6 months to 13 or 14 months. Much of this is determined by genes, the baby's personality, his sense of adventure, and lack of fear. A baby will fall many times before he learns to balance and to develop the strength to stand and walk uprightly. Soon, however, to the dismay of his mother, he will be toddling or running around and getting into things that he should not. As the act of walking is a learning process, so is learning what is right and wrong. The child will be disciplined many times during this process.

As child of God you are no different, as you learn to walk according to Adonai's will. You may stumble and fall a few times and your Father may discipline you, but you will soon learn to walk in righteousness. Your manner of life, conduct, and character should begin to reflect what is ethically and morally right. As you come and go, your life should mirror the truth of God's word. Even your speech should be pleasing and agreeable. You should always be straight forward and honest. The commands and promises of the Lord should continually be in your mouth.

As a man of God, you should despise and reject certain actions. You should refuse to profit from unjust gain. Anything obtained with violence is off limits to you. Covetousness and greed should not be characteristics found in you. You should not be familiar with extortion, fraud, deception, or oppression. Your hands should not grasp for bribes, but you should shake them loose. Do not give heed to those voices who want to shed blood; your ears should be shut against such evil deeds. You should not look on anything that is wicked and wrong. Close your eyes so that you are not tempted to partake of these things. In fact, you should flee from them.

When you are diligent in all of these things, Jehovah the Lord will cause you to dwell in high and elevated places. Your feet will be established and fixed as you grow in the wisdom and knowledge of God. You will be safe and secure as you abide in the refuge and stronghold of the Most High. You will be hidden behind mountains, cliffs, and rocks and no enemy will be able to reach you. The Lord your God will provide all of the food and sustenance that you need. Water will always be available. On this you can rely, for the Lord God is a faithful God.

9-17-06 Proverbs 1:13-16

Proverbs 1:13-16 (KJ21)
We shall find much precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil; cast in thy lot among us, let us all have one purse-- my son, walk not thou in the way with them; restrain thy foot from their path; for their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood.

Proverbs 1:13-16 (NAS)
We shall find all kinds of precious wealth, we shall fill our houses with spoil; Throw in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse, My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, For their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed blood.

Proverbs 1:13-16 (NIVUS)
We will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse—They rush to commit crimes. They hurry to commit murder. My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths.

Proverbs 1:13-16 (NLT)
And the loot we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all kinds of things! Come on, throw in your lot with us; we’ll split our loot with you. Don’t go along with them, my child! Stay far away from their paths, for their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed blood.

Ahh...the American Dream... Is it to acquire and secure more, to gain possessions, to have sufficient resources and more than enough to get along? Our philosophy is to have the freedom to get valuable, prized, precious, and costly wealth and riches. We want to fill our houses with an abundance of things. Although most of us stay within the law to do so, we want to get plunder and spoil like any common criminal who is greedy for more. We spend our vigor and strength in this pursuit.

The Lord Jehovah warns you about casting your lot in with those greedy criminals. If you do, you will fall and be overthrown. Though they promise you recompense, you will receive retribution. These wicked ones may promise to share their common purse with you, but you cannot trust their words.

You are a son of the Most High God and should not walk the way they are going. Your manner of life is different than theirs and you should refrain from treading the same path that they are on. Their feet always run towards what is evil and malicious. Their dispositions are vicious and they do unkind and hurtful things to others. They enjoy causing misery and injury. They hasten to shed innocent blood. The anger in their hearts pours out on those they meet.

You, however, are like your Heavenly Father. He is kind and merciful. He extends grace and forgiveness to all who will receive them. When you trust Him, you will always have more than enough. What you spent your strength and time to greedily obtain before will now come to you freely and lavishly through the Lord.