King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Wednesday, June 04, 2025
Chapters: Proverbs 4-6
Message: Proverbs: Ponder The Path of Life
Hello My Friend,
[Ponder; To weigh in the mind; to consider and compare the circumstances or consequences of an event, or the importance of the reasons for or against a decision. Sluggard; A person habitually lazy, sluggish, idle, and inactive; a drone; slothful.] As we continue in the reading of Proverbs we learn that pondering is a way of leading us in the right direction in not only our walk with God, but in all that we do. However, we must not ponder too long, otherwise, we become sluggards and risk falling into the snares of Satan, [Hebrews 6:10-12 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.]
As I was reading the chapters for today tears came to my eyes as I began thinking of the things that weigh on my mind and how I get complacent when life’s struggles get the best of me. We are not perfect by a long shot, we sin every day, we do not always walk by faith, we have doubts or fears, we get tired and worn out, and we are not always in His will. Trails of faith, though they be tried with fire, are what conform us into an image resembling Christ. Without trials of faith we do not grow in the knowledge, wisdom, and strength of Christ. While we do not need God’s Word to teach us that some things are just wrong, we do need it to help us understand the way that He wants us to take.
[Proverbs 4:1-9 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. 3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. 5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.]
Life does have the tendency to put living life on the back-burner as we get caught up in sudden expenses, illnesses, and losses that steal our joy. When life starts to steal our joy that is when we need to remind ourselves that we belong to Christ and that my friend is something worth living life for, [John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.]
You do know that the thief that comes to steal our joy is Satan, right? Well, we need to stop letting him have control over us and start living our lives though Christ. In fact, it is that wisdom of grace that reminds us that Christ will see us through our darkest hour. The grace that Christ gives is very ornamental to His people, especially when He sees fit to show Himself mighty though our pain, [2 Corinthians 12:8-10 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.]
I certainly do not want to know where I would be had it not been for not only Christ’s grace upon my life, but His strength as well. It is Christ’s strength that sustains us, it is Christ’s strength that perfects us, it is Christ’s strength that picks us back up when we fall. However, that cannot be said for the wicked or those who are saved and live the lives of the wicked. And let me tell you, it does not matter how strong your faith, anytime a faithful Christian walks down the path of the wicked they will fall into their trap.
[Proverbs 4:11-18 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.]
There is a reason why steps go up and down, they take us to places that we cannot get to on our own. We may be able to walk straight on our own pretty well without knowing God, but there are some things that can only be taken care of through the power of God. Jesus is our steps, He takes us up higher than we will ever climb, yet brings us down low to make sure that when He takes us even higher that we keep ourselves humble. Without God’s Word we will not be able to handle those tried by fire trials, we literally need to hide His Word in our heart to keep it right.
[Proverbs 4:20-27 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.]
Every step we take needs to be thought out, and by far, taken with the Word of God upon our heart, especially when we are facing trials. Otherwise, we will end up making rash decisions that could lead to dire consequences. Trials of faith tend to bring a lot of temptation, and all Satan needs is a little inch of pride, envy, lust, anger, or whatever it is that weighs on our heart for him to introduce temptation. God, will never allow Satan to tempt us above what we are able, and will always give us a way out, [1 Corinthians 10:12-13 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.]
Most Christians are ignorant to God’s ways because they do not read His Word and are only relying on what they believe to be the right or wrong way to live. These are what God calls, those who do right in His eyes, but not with a perfect heart, [2 Chronicles 25:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.] However, there are some who take advantage of God’s good graces and do nothing more than connive wicked schemes to deceive not only God’s faithful, but those who are ignorant. These are the very people who zap life out of you and we need remove them from our lives and or avoid them all together.
[Proverbs 5:1-9 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: 2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. 3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: 4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. 6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. 7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. 8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: 9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:]
Jesus knows our true faith, and we are going to trip more times than we care to admit. However, this is where the trial of our faith reveals whether or not we are true in our faith to those who are true. Those who are not true in their faith will stumble mostly due to the fact that they are full of pride and envy.
[Proverbs 5:15-23 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. 16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. 17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee. 18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. 20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. 22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. 23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.]
There is not one person, especially when things are not going well, who does not ponder their lives and whether or not they are doing something right or wrong or where they think they should be. However, there is a danger in that, especially when we are not living life as we ought to be. This is how faithful Christians get into trouble, I have been there and thankfully God saw me though it and pulled me out.
[Proverbs 6:1-5 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, 2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.]
Jesus said this, [Matthew 5:22-24 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.]
If there are things we want we need to press forward, seek the will of God, and make that happen. Those who are not grounded in the Word of God will take not only their feet, but their entire lives into places that bring dire consequences. In fact, it will lead them down a steep and dark path bringing them a hatred toward Christ and will destroy themselves.
[Proverbs 6:6-14 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. 12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. 13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; 14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.]
We all have disagreements at times, but sometimes it is best to agree to disagree and reconcile with our friends and loved ones. In fact, we have enough enemies, we do not need to make our friends enemies. Those who are of the world never see the hand of God in anything, especially Him trying to get them to repent of the way they are living and return to Him. There are six things that God hates whether we are saved or not, in fact, seven are an abomination to Him.
[Proverbs 6:16-23 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. 20 My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:]
Do you ever wonder why the world, and sadly, this includes many Christians as well, goes to such great lengths to exposes Christians who got caught up in sin? The gossip, the false accuser, the kill joy, the pessimist, these are forms of people filled with so much envy of their faith that they resort to attacking those who are being blessed through their obedience to God, but just tripped. Faithful Christians may fall into temptation sometimes, but they bounce back. And we cannot avoid all those fiery trials of faith, but we can endure them through Christ, [1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.]
Today’s Prayer: God, You tell us time and time again that if we want a blessed and prosperous life then we need to follow Your commands. While we are saved by grace, You still want us to follow Your commands and live in a way that pleases You and not our flesh. And it is really the only way that we can truly enjoy the gifts that You give us. Lord, lead me and guide me on the strait path that You have for me, search my heart, try me, and see if there be any wicked way in me. Let me ponder all the paths I take and if they are not led by You, turn me around and get back in the right direction. Fill me with Your wisdom, understanding, mercy, grace, and let me never become forward in my actions. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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