Imagine you are a father teaching your son to be a man, or a monarch teaching your prince to be wise, or an old man teaching a young man to be godly. What would be the most important truth for you to teach? Proverbs 4:20-27 is a profound but practical answer to that question. King Solomon wrote this proverb. Verse 20 addresses it to his son. It is the third fatherly discourse in this chapter.  Verses 1-9 teach what not to do.  Verses 10-19 teach what to do.  Verses 20-27 teach how to do it.  The proverb teaches us that wisdom is not intellectual. It is not about what you know. Melvin Wade says, “Wisdom teaches knowledge how...

Mark Twain said, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” No one exemplifies this reality more than the woman of Proverbs 31. The Proverbs 31 Woman is idolized by many Christians. She is notorious to just as many. Her good example is an annoyance that is hard for many to put up with. But the tension of the text is eased by knowing that Proverbs 31 is one long discourse.  King Lemuel wrote this chapter. Proverbs 31:1 is the only place where the name occurs. Lemuel may be a pseudonym for Solomon or Hezekiah. All we know for sure is that Lemuel was a wise king whose mother taught him the ways of wisdom. Proverbs 31:1 calls this chapter “an...

A family went out to dinner. The waitress greeted them and offered them something to drink to start. The couple’s son blurted out, “I’ll have a cheeseburger and French fries!” His mother leaned over and unsuccessfully whispered that she would order for him and he would not be having a hamburger. When she finished her lecture, the waitress asked him, “Would you like anything else with your hamburger?” “Extra ketchup, please!” he answered. The mother looked at her son and saw his wide eyes and big smile. Then she looked at the waitress and nodded her approval.  Let me qualify. This...

Godly Wisdom For Money Management (Proverbs 3: 9-10)