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 18, 2025
Chapters: Proverbs Chapters 27-29
Message: Proverbs: Gratitude
Hello My Friend,
Gratitude, is something that I do not believe that we are born into, although some of us are born with a more nurturing spirit than others, gratitude is something that comes with up ones bringing, experience, and how we deal with the trials of life, [Gratitude; An emotion of the heart, excited by a favor or benefit received; a sentiment of kindness or good will towards a benefactor; thankfulness.] Which is why as I was reading the chapters for today this passage came to mind.
[Romans 1:21-25 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.]
As we continue in the reading of Proverbs we learn that gratitude goes a long way with not only God, but those we deal with. There is an interesting observation to learn once you start studying the Scriptures, all throughout the Old Testament you will find that the sayings of Jesus and the Apostles are is almost identical to the New. There are two reason as to why it is the same; One; the author is the same person. And two; God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, [Hebrews 13:8-9 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.]
Wow! Think about it, grace, which is the food for our faith in Christ, does not leave us with uncertainties about things pertaining to life once we leave this earth, but it establishes our heart in respect to the love and favor of God. It also builds souls upon the foundation, Christ, who will never mince words.
[Proverbs 27:1-7 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. 2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. 3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both. 4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? 5 Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.]
Jesus said it this way, [Matthew 6:33-34 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.] We have enough to be concerned about right now so rather than be concerned about something that God is actually preparing us for in the future, we just need to be concerned about today. By the way, when we give those concerns over to God that allows Him to direct our path so that we can handle the next battle that comes.
[Proverbs 27:9-12 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel. 10 Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off. 11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me. 12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.]
Calamities, are what is known as great misfortunes, generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive natural evils such has tornadoes. I think about my own family, while my brother is only ninety minutes away, it is not always feasible for me to come to him with all of my problems because he has his own family. However, there is a friend that we have who sticks closer than a brother, and He will always be there in our time of need, [John 15:13-15 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.]
While God does not mess with freewill, that does not mean He will not nudge or influence us to make the wiser choices that He wants us to make. We really are like sheep, and when we belong to Jesus, and walk with Him, He will know us, He will speak to us, and we will hear Him calling us. However, to those who are not His, they will continue to fall into their own snare, and the one thing that is never full is hell.
[Proverbs 27:14-18,20-21 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him. 15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. 16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself. 17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. 18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. 20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. 21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.]
How often have you craved something and as soon as you got it you craved something else because it was not what you really needed? Those who accept Christ as their Saviour will learn that He satisfies that hunger, but those who reject Christ will always be hungry, [John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.]
We do not like waiting for the things we have need of, but sometimes we do need to wait. Think about it, while man has made it possible that we can get fruit and vegetables at will through the grocery stores, God, did not design fruit and vegetables to be readily available on any given day. He designed them so that first, they be planted, then we wait from them to grow, bud and produce. God, knows what we need, when we need it, and what effort we need to make to get it. Never underestimate what patience can do, [Hebrews 10:35-36 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.]
We all need to let go a little bit of ourselves so that we can receive the fullness that Christ brings and if we are honest, quite a bit. A soul that is full does not leave itself open for spiritual growth and it really does come to despise the simple things in life. And let me tell you, we have a serious problem when are no longer thankful for the little things we receive.
[Proverbs 27:23-27 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. 24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? 25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. 26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. 27 And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.]
In other words, take care of the things that you have already, and stop being so wasteful. If there is one thing that I need to work on it is buying fresh fruit and vegetables and using them up before they expire. Of course, this needs to be a joint effort because it is bought for the whole household. It is time for me to start valuing what I have and using it before they will not be usable, but at the same time I do need to let go of things that just sit there collecting dust with no intention of using them. Jesus, said it this way.
[Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.]
While we all have a little bit of laziness once in a while, it is actually in our human nature to work, when we put that labor to good use, we will prosper by the blessing of God upon our honest work, and we may expect to enjoy as much of the earthly blessings that He gives us as is good for us.
[Proverbs 28:1-6 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. 2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged. 3 A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food. 4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. 5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. 6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.]
Is that not the truth? The wicked do not want to get caught, and even if they are not found out yet they a long gone before they are found out. Another thing, I am so tired of hearing terms like white privilege, pro-choice, narcissist, homophobic, racist, nazi, the list goes on and on, these are all derogative terms set to bring hatred. Look at all these fools who fight over things like immigration rights, transgender rights, women’s rights, black rights, they are some of the most mean spirited people on the earth, full of so much pride and sin, yet they praise each other all the more for it.
[Proverbs 28:9-14 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. 10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession. 11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. 12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden. 13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. 14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.]
Many Christians fight with each other, and that is why the devil messes with them so much, if he can get them fighting, then he can keep lost souls from finding Jesus. Eventually they will come around, but the wicked will never understand that what they are doing is wrong and will eventually fall completely.
[Proverbs 28:17-21 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. 18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. 19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. 20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. 21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.]
Did you ever notice that people who envy us are bullies? They think that they can push us around and abuse us into get the things that we have. While some of them do get away with it for a while, in the end they will suffer greatly for what they have done, and we would not want to envy them for anything.
[Proverbs 28:24-28 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer. 25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. 26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. 27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. 28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.]
Jesus, said it this way, [Mark 7:10-13 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.]
It really is in God’s will to give us the things we need and even our desires, but two things must happen. One; we must do it His way, and two; we must be willing to fight with faith for them. No one truly understands the mercy of God until you are at a point in your life that you have no other option, but to repent and turn to Jesus for help. While none of us are without sin, so we need to be careful not to act like we have no sin at all because that will bring a snare.
[Proverbs 29:1-6 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. 2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. 3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance. 4 The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. 5 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet. 6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.]
While God’s faithful will have some lapses of judgment from time to time and get caught up in their own devices, we will come out of it even more blessed than the suffering we faced because we turned to Jesus.
[Proverbs 29:9-16 If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest. 10 The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul. 11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. 12 If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked. 13 The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both their eyes. 14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever. 15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. 16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.]
The envious appear to be rich and successful, but have much less than we do. They are usually critical and judgmental about our accomplishments, but do not have much to show for themselves. The only reason they want us around is because we are the source of what they actually do have. Let me tell you, successes and accomplishments in this life happen because we had a vision that was the same as God’s, we reached for it, and we obtained it by faith, prayer, and supplication.
[Proverbs 29:18-21,24-26 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. 19 A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer. 20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him. 21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length. 24 Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not. 25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. 26 Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the LORD.]
When we have no vision we really do perish, life has no meaning, we lose the passion and strive we once had to keep going. Not one person, not even God, can change a persons situation until they have a little faith and do the work God wants us to do so that He can take care of the rest, [James 2:17-20 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?]
Today’s Prayer: God, You knew me before I was even thought of, You knew the things that I would be exposed to, the failures, the shortcomings, and yet, You love me still the same. Thank You, For loving me and not giving up on me, and for Your promise to never leave nor forsake me through my faith in Your Son. You want us to trust You to provide us with everything we need and desire, and with that trust You give us much more than we can ever dream of. Part of giving us what we need and desire is having some faith, prayer, and applying what we learn from Your Word. Lord, I need You, I know I am nothing without You, and that everything I have comes from You. Forgive me where I failed You. Lead me and guide me, and give me Your power, wisdom, mercy, and grace to see it through. Let me be bold, truthful, faithful, always confessing any sin, and be grateful for everything You have given me. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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