Worshiping the Father With Wise Choices

The book of Proverbs is a companion to the book of Psalms. It is a collection of wise statements for practical and godly choices in life. Your will is central in the direction of your life. As you make a decision, a choice, your body carries it out and immediately learns from that choice. The body is a quick learner with a tremendous memory. Once you learn to ride a bicycle, you never forget it. The same is true of learning to drive. Your body can carry out the choices you learned long ago without even thinking about it. But it all begins with the will.

         Your will is a trinity of mind, will, and emotion. Your thoughts inform your will while your emotions move it into action through your body. Those who study the soul (psychologists; from the Greek word psooche, which means the essence of life in terms of thinking, willing, and feeling, and the Greek word logos, which means a collection of words with a single meaning; hence, the study of the mind, will, and emotions) focus on the thoughts, the choices, the feelings of individuals who are seeking to change behavior. You cannot separate these three; the mind, the will, the emotions. They are a trinity.

         God’s word informs with spiritual truth for the purpose of transformation. From the new heart of a believer, the Holy Spirit speaks in perfect communion with you, the new you in Christ. The truth from that communion is then given to your intuition, which informs your conscience with a word of knowledge, which bears witness of the truth to your mind.

This is the process of God working in you, with you, through you, as you, before the Father and the watching world around you. In Philippians 2:12 – 13, the apostle Paul said, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” God’s will and activity originates in your heart and moves through you, redeeming you from the inside out. Hallelujah!!!

         The book of Proverbs majors on truth for your will; wise choices, which are the will of God for you. One of the choices addressed in Proverbs has to do with choosing the influences in your life. You are surrounded by invitations everyday. These advertisements all have this in common; they invite you to the offer of a lifetime. They appeal to an appetite of some kind in your life with the promise to satisfy. How can you know which one to pursue? God’s word, especially in Proverbs, answers that question. This is why it is important for you to read a portion of Proverbs everyday along with your Psalm for the day.

Proverbs is the Father speaking to you, His child, of wise choices to make each day by the wisdom He imparts from His word. Listen to your heavenly Father as He says, “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding…then you will understand the fear of the LORD…for the LORD gives wisdom…” Proverbs 2:1 – 6. In this chapter, the writer of Proverbs goes on to say that wisdom from God’s word will deliver you from two very strong, deceptive and destructive influences in life; anger and lust.

Anger is described as a man of perverted speech, 2:12 – 15, whose way is evil, which leads to dark and devious paths. The Hebrew word used in verse twelve for “evil” is the word rah, which is violent wickedness, “…delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech…who rejoice in doing evil…who are devious in their ways.” The word “devious” is the Hebrew word looz, which means to turn away. It describes someone who has turned away from God’s word and the direction He leads.

But notice, it all begins with perverted speech, with a word. The word “perverted” is the Hebrew word tahpookah, which has the meaning of a violent upheaval, as in a volcanic eruption. The picture is of a man who has lost his temper and feels a rush of power as a result. Beware of the intoxication and addiction of anger. Jesus said it is inseparably connected to murder (Matthew 5:21 – 26). Tomorrow, the second powerful influence of lust.

But today, know that God’s word provides a choice and direction vastly different than the perverted speech of anger; the wisdom of God from the word of God. His word will draw you away from and heal you from the destructive curses of angry people who spew hatred from a wounded soul. His word will become in you a fountain of living water, springing up to eternal life. AMEN!