Proverbs 29:1-8

jump on proverbs chapter 29 verses 1 through 8. uh there we go wonderful yeah so we're at proverbs chapter 29 verses 1 through 8 good evening good evening welcome to coffee and devotions is where every day we get together we get into god's word and we grow in our love for the lord together and this year 2021 we will make it through all the wisdom literature well tonight we're at proverbs chapter 29 verses 1 through 8 just up late getting a head start on cooking things for tomorrow's thanksgiving feast gonna have some friends over for that why don't we have some coffee pray and we'll get into god's word together before we go to bed tonight let's pray well father we thank you so much for your word and we pray now that your spirit would teach us please lord watch over us and guide us lead us in your path in jesus name amen here we go proverbs chapter 29 verses 1 through 8 he who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy listen to a rebuke someone brings something to you that they think you need needs to be addressed listen to it the lord calls his people time and time and time again in the old testament stiff-necked people because he would try to turn them towards his way and they no you know they're stiff-necked they won't move they won't turn uh if someone rebukes you turn because eventually correction is going to come verse two when the righteous are in authority the people rejoice but when a wicked man rules the people groan the righteous rule there's rejoicing the wicked rule there's groaning interestingly enough i find this in our own society sometimes and as i study world culture and things this isn't necessarily always a absolute truism in our experience because it seems like the wickeds sure do rejoice when the wicked are ruling but they only rejoice for a time and eventually they groan under the authoritarian weight of their own despots or corrupt leaders verse 3 whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice but a companion of harlots hates wealth if you love god if you want to make your father happy stay away from the immoral woman right then preserve your wealth preserve your family verse 4 the king establishes the land by justice but he who receives bribes overthrows it if you're going to want a nation that is established in righteousness then we get land by righteous ways but when the nation seeks to prosper by immorality only wickedness comes from it only heartache only destruction it's no good verse 5 a man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet don't flatter people i'm not saying that you need to be a jerk and and not care about people's feelings but the reality is if you're just saying things that aren't true because you want to somehow make yourself better you're setting a net for your own feet eventually you're gonna you're gonna stumble eventually you're gonna fall and people are gonna figure out you're a fraud and it's only going to come and bite you in the butt verse 6 by transgression an evil man is snared but the righteous sings and rejoices we sing and we rejoice when we do righteousness the reality is though that i know that i fall short of the righteousness of god and yet the lord gives us a spirit to rejoice in him to rejoice that we have a righteousness not our own but a righteousness that comes from god alone what a great thing to be thankful for to sing about to rejoice and rejoice in the lord always and again i say rejoice verse 7 the righteous considers the cause of the poor but the wicked does not understand such knowledge it reminds me of the book of james when he says about the man who comes and he's he's telling his brother about all the needs he has how he doesn't have any clothes and he's poor and he's cold and the man just says i'm going to pray for you go and be in peace no no that's hold on right jesus came and he showed mercy we should likewise show kindness and mercy we should love our neighbor we should act like the good samaritan verse eight scoffers a city aflame but the wise men turn away wrath it's really easy to pick a fight it's really easy to tear down a house it's really easy to make people fight against one another it's a lot harder it takes a lot more wisdom to know how to turn away someone's wrath it takes a lot of wisdom to know how to work through and be a peacemaker it's really easy to be a bully it's really easy to push people's big red buttons it's a lot harder to bring peace blessed are the peacemakers for theirs is the kingdom of heaven let's pray father we thank you so much for giving us our king our peacemaker our one to rejoice in jesus christ we pray that you would fill our hearts with thanksgiving tonight and that we might know how gracious you have been to us in jesus name amen well may the lord bless you tonight may you have a great night's sleep may you rest in jesus christ and i'll see you tomorrow bye