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: Thursday, June 04, 2026
Chapters: Proverbs 4-6
Message: Proverbs: Ponder Your Path
Hello My Friend,
My husband and I are temporarily living in a loft located in the church that we both attending and will be assisting as missionary helpers until we get settled here in Tennessee. The pastor so kindly placed a message on the marquee that says, “Welcome Ray and Christina”. So, it has been quite an experience, to say the least. We find ourselves more accountable than ever, because unless you are truly sick, there is absolutely no reason to miss a church service when you are living in the building. So, naturally, we attended our first service yesterday, and it felt so good to be sitting in a pew again. This verse came to mind as I was siting there, [Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.]
Do not get me wrong, I love my time with Jesus, and I love to listen to the preaching from my favorite pastors over the years, but there is nothing like being in church, singing the hymns, listening to sermons, and the fellowship. As we continue in the reading of Proverbs we learn the importance of pondering the path that we take.
[Proverbs 5:15-17,21-23 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. 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.]
Ponder — To weigh something in the mind; to consider carefully and compare the circumstances or consequences of an event, or to reflect on the reasons for or against a decision. Sluggard — A person who is habitually lazy, sluggish, idle, and inactive; one who moves through life without diligence, purpose, or effort; a slothful individual.
Pondering is one of the ways in which God leads us in the right direction. Since God Himself ponders our path, we ought to be mindful of both His way and our own. Yet we must be careful not to linger too long in our pondering. When reflection turns into complacency, we become slothful and open ourselves to 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.]
We are not perfect by a long shot. We sin daily. We do not always walk by faith. We wrestle with doubts and fears. We grow tired and worn, and we are not always found in the center of His will. Yet the trials of our faith, though they are tried with fire, are the very things that conform us into an image that resembles Christ. Without these trials, we would never grow in the knowledge, wisdom, or strength of Christ. While we do not need God’s Word to tell us that certain things are plainly wrong, we do need His Word to show us the way He desires.
[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 has a way of pushing true living to the back burner. Sudden expenses, illnesses, and unexpected losses creep in and quietly steal our joy. Yet when life begins to drain that joy from us, that is precisely when we must remind ourselves that we belong to Christ, and that is something worth living for, [Philippians 1:21-24 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.]
We know full well that the thief who comes to steal our joy is Satan. That is why we must stop giving him room to influence our hearts and begin living our lives through Christ. It is the wisdom of grace that reminds us that Christ will carry us through our darkest hour. The grace He gives is beautifully ornamental to His people, especially when He sees fit to show Himself mighty through our pain, [II 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 imagine where I would be had it not been for Christ’s grace upon my life, and His strength as well. It is Christ’s strength that sustains us and lifts us back up when we do fall. But this cannot be said of the wicked, nor of those who are saved yet choose to live as the wicked. And let me tell you, it does not matter how strong your faith may be, anyone can fall into the path of the wicked. No one is strong enough to walk in darkness and remain untouched by it. That is why we are to ponder the paths others take while holding on strong to Christ. As we are reading these verses, think of them as our Father God, speaking directly to us.
[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.]
Speaking of steps, there is a winding staircase leading up to our loft. And let me tell you, trying to carry a heavy load up those stairs is no small task. Think about it, there is a reason why steps go up and down: they take us to places we cannot reach on our own. Now, we may be able to walk straight on level ground without much help, even without knowing God, but there are heights and depths in life that only the power of God can carry us through. Jesus is our steps. He lifts us higher than we could ever climb in our own strength, yet He also brings us low so that when He raises us again, we remain humble before Him. His Word keeps our hearts right, steady, and anchored when life becomes too heavy to carry.
[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.]
We must ponder every step we take, it must be thought out, and by far, taken with the Word of God upon our heart, especially when we are facing trials. Otherwise, we will make rash decisions that can lead to serious consequences. Trials of faith often bring a flood of temptation, and all Satan needs is the smallest inch of pride, envy, lust, anger, or whatever burden weighs on our heart in order to slip in and entice us. Yet God will never allow Satan to tempt us beyond what we are able to bear, and He will always provide a way of escape.
[I 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 remain ignorant of God’s ways simply because they do not read His Word. Instead, they rely on their own sense of what seems right or wrong. These are the ones that the Bible describes as doing what is right in God’s eyes, but not with a perfect heart. Yet there are others who go even further, those who take advantage of God’s good graces and spend their time crafting wicked schemes to deceive not only the faithful, but also the spiritually ignorant. These are the very people who drain the life out of you, and we must remove them from our lives or avoid them altogether.
[Proverbs 5:1-9,12 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: 12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;]
Jesus knows the true measure of our faith, and He knows that we are going to trip more times than we care to admit. Yet it is in those very moments that the trial of our faith reveals whether we are genuine. Those who are not true in their faith stumble easily, largely because their hearts are filled with pride, envy, and self‑reliance. There is not a single person who, especially when life is not going well, does not stop to ponder whether they are doing something right or wrong, or whether they are where they ought to be. Yet there is a danger in that kind of pondering when we are not living as we ought to live. This is often how faithful Christians slip into trouble.
[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 desire in life, we must press forward, seek the will of God, and pursue them with His guidance. Those who are not grounded in the Word of God will not only take their feet, but their entire lives into places that bring dire consequences. In fact, such wandering leads them down a steep and dark path, one that breeds a growing hatred toward Christ and ultimately destroys them.
[Proverbs 6:6-11 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.]
This is a reminder that as Christians, we are not to become crutches on not only society, but the church as well. How can we expect God to take care of our needs if we are not willing to get our hands dirty once in a while. And this is not about physical labor, it is about making ourselves useful with the talents that God has given us, [I Corinthians 12:28-31 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.]
By the way, many search for miracles as a sign that God is with them, but fail to realize that the miracle often lies within them. Now, we all have disagreements at times, but often it is best to agree to disagree rather than make enemies with our friends and loved ones. We already have enough enemies in this world; we do not need to turn our friends into more of them. Those who are of the world never recognize the hand of God in anything, especially when He is trying to call them to repentance and draw them back to Him. There are six things the LORD hates, and indeed seven that are an abomination to Him, whether a person is saved or not.
[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, many Christians as well, goes to such great lengths to expose believers who have stumbled into sin? The gossip, the false accuser, the killjoy, the pessimist, these are people so consumed with bitterness or envy that they resort to attacking those who were walking faithfully but simply tripped. Instead of restoring the fallen, they tear them down, not realizing that their behavior reveals far more about their own hearts than about the one who fell. This is why Jesus said, [Matthew 7:2-4 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?]
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. And instead of tearing each other apart, how about we handle things like Jesus did when He was here.
[Proverbs 6:30-35 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; 31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. 32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. 33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.]
In other words, our choices matter. Yes, the thief who stole suffers from the consequence of their crime, an adulterer brings much more suffering as it destroys their soul. The paths we ponder and the roads we walk will either lead us into the safety of God’s wisdom or into wounds that need never have been suffered. But for the one who walks with Christ, who guards their steps with diligence, there is strength, protection, and grace enough to keep them from falling into the snares that destroy the soul. We may lose every earthly thing we posses in this walk, but what is more important than stuff is our souls as none of what we have in our possession is coming with us.
[I Corinthians 3:13-15 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.]
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 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 complacent 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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