Proverbs 21
There is a plethora of gems in this chapter. I love verses 22 and 31 when taken together.
Verse 22 says, one who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty and pull down the stronghold in which they trust. Verse 31 reads, The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.
Taking these two verses together gives us great insight into how wisdom is better than even strength. It is the wisdom of God that helps us scale the walls of a city. The walls of a city are difficult obstacles, especially the city of the mighty. Yet with wisdom one can overcome such obstacles. The wise can accomplish things impossible for others, because true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. Victory rests with the Lord.
Sounds good pastor…Yet What does this mean?? I would suggest to you that a person’s mind is like a city. Do you ever find yourself in a battle with your thoughts? I do! I can be so easy to fall into patterns of faulty thinking; faulty thinking about my identity, my relationships, my finances, my health, my situation. I wrestle with who God says I am. I wrestle with what God says I have. I wrestle with what God says I can do and become. My mind wants to look at the present circumstances, and think, 'this' is reality. So, in light of situations, hurts, lies and circumstances, we build walls around our hurts, our past history and around certain relationship. These become strongholds to our thoughts. They become fortified cities that even with our best intentions (horses made ready) we may not attain victory.
It is only when we let God in, with His Truth, filled with wisdom, that the victory over those strongholds is ours! 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Remember, the victory rests with the Lord! Let Him in and allow the wisdom of God to attack the strongholds of the mind and be set free of the strongholds (lies, situations, faulty thinking) that are holding you back!
Blessings,
Pastor Adrian
Verse 22 says, one who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty and pull down the stronghold in which they trust. Verse 31 reads, The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.
Taking these two verses together gives us great insight into how wisdom is better than even strength. It is the wisdom of God that helps us scale the walls of a city. The walls of a city are difficult obstacles, especially the city of the mighty. Yet with wisdom one can overcome such obstacles. The wise can accomplish things impossible for others, because true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. Victory rests with the Lord.
Sounds good pastor…Yet What does this mean?? I would suggest to you that a person’s mind is like a city. Do you ever find yourself in a battle with your thoughts? I do! I can be so easy to fall into patterns of faulty thinking; faulty thinking about my identity, my relationships, my finances, my health, my situation. I wrestle with who God says I am. I wrestle with what God says I have. I wrestle with what God says I can do and become. My mind wants to look at the present circumstances, and think, 'this' is reality. So, in light of situations, hurts, lies and circumstances, we build walls around our hurts, our past history and around certain relationship. These become strongholds to our thoughts. They become fortified cities that even with our best intentions (horses made ready) we may not attain victory.
It is only when we let God in, with His Truth, filled with wisdom, that the victory over those strongholds is ours! 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Remember, the victory rests with the Lord! Let Him in and allow the wisdom of God to attack the strongholds of the mind and be set free of the strongholds (lies, situations, faulty thinking) that are holding you back!
Blessings,
Pastor Adrian
Posted in Proverbs Challenge
6 Comments
PA..how apropos! When we think of all hat is currently happening concerning the dreams, the visions...the life of Journey. It is our journey as well...how we are stretched and grown when we walk in step with the Spirit!
I claim 21:1 as my verse of the day. If the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, then where is mine?? Followed by verse 2...He is weighing my every thought, motif...He knows my heart's whereabouts and wanderings. I find it a delight and a reassurance to know that my heart is just as important to HIM as the Kings..and I rest in the fact that HE will direct my heart as He does; "streams of living water". My prayer; Lord let the waters flow...from my heart to those around me!
So good, Cheryl; helps to feel this great love and divine guidance in our lives
So much wisdom!
V29 stuck out to me: The wicked put up a bold front, but the upright give thought to their ways.
I flashed on last Sunday's service. There is an order to wisdom also. It's order comes in thought. It's hard to have clear thoughts when your emotions are elevated.
This is more of a question than a comment....and maybe too late in the day to get much of a response, but two verses mention "quarrelsome wife". I imagine that had a different meaning then from what it might have now? But I'm curious why that was worthy of such prominent mention in the Bible.
v.23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. Oh boy this one rings true. A few hard lessons have been learned over the years.
Verse 2: I'm doing the right thing. I'm not hurting anything. Lord says, (my words) "I don't care. What is your motive behind your actions??"
Verse 29: wise people know they are right. They don't need to explain or defend. However, wicked have to pretend they're right.
Funny (not so funny story). I was in the middle of painting walls on a ladder. I looked over and saw my middle son next to me. My youngest threw himself down the stairs, looks at his brother, and says his older brother pushed him. This mama was not happy. My middle son didn't break out in defense mode or arguing with his brother. He knew he wasn't doing anything wrong but my youngest son had just done an entire act and scene at the age of 5. After a good timeout and some apologizing to God and his brother, he was able to return to reality. This kid absolutely understood and said, "Mommy. I want to be like Jesus. I don't want to act evil". He realized lying and trying to get someone else in trouble was absolutely evil and not okay. Even our children are tempted with their flesh whether it was vengeance from earlier or he was influenced by his brothers previous behavior, he let the flesh win at the moment in time.