Turn to Proverbs chapter 3. Proverbs chapter 3, title of the message, Words of
Wisdom for God's Children. Words of Wisdom for God's Children. I reckon that when we give instructions, we try to give the best instructions,
the wisest instructions to our children. You know, I've thought in the
past when I've tried to think of which way to go, what to do,
Sometimes I think, well, what would I tell my two sons to do? Because we give them the best
instructions. Do what you would give your children. And that's probably what y'all
do. Because we give them the best
instructions we can give. And here in God's Word, God gives
us the best wisdom that can be given. It is infallible
wisdom. I don't give infallible wisdom
or instructions to my sons. But God does. God gives infallible wisdom and instructions to His
children. and let every child of God hear. Take heed to what he's saying. There used to be a commercial
that said, when E.F. Putnam speaks, people listen. How much more, infinitely how
much more, when God speaks, are we to listen? when we open the
book, when His Word is read, even with no comments, God is
speaking. Look over in Mark chapter 4. In Mark chapter 4, look in verse
24. And he said unto them, Take heed
what you hear, with what measure you meet it shall be measured
to you, and unto you that hear shall more be given. You're not going to give something
to a fool who does nothing with it, are you? You're going to
give it to those who hear, those who do something with it. He
says to you who hear, you take heed now, be careful, give great
attention to what you hear. And with what measure you meet
it with, it will be measured to you again. Now he says here in verse one,
I'm really going to get to verse five, but he says, my son, he's
speaking to his son. God is speaking to his sons and
daughters here this morning. And he's telling us to forget
not my law, my word, as we learned in Bible school, my doctrine.
Look over in chapter four. Chapter 4 of Proverbs, "'Hear,
ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to no
understanding, for I give you good doctrine.'" What I've given
you, he says, and listen, when the Word of God uses the word
good, it means good. You know, when we use it, it
just depends on what standard of good we measure it with. But
when God says it's good, it's perfect. There is none better. There is no better instruction
than what we are given here. I give you good doctrine, forsake
not my law, my teaching, my word. And he's speaking here to his
sons and daughters this morning. He says, for the length of days
and long life. What's that long life? That's
eternal life. And that's eternal life. It says
years of life. But I tell you what, when God
speaks to His children about long life, He's not talking about
living to be 90 or 100. Is that? Do you want to do that? Do you really want to live to
be 100? What are you going to do? What are you going to do
when you get there? Are you going to ride a bike?
Drive a car? No, you're going to be, more
than likely you'll be in a nursing home if you live to be 100 or
something. I mean, really. Statistically, that's it. But when God speaks of long life,
He's talking about the life of God. That's long life. That's life that never ends.
That's eternal life. And peace? He's talking about peace with
God. Shall they? Have to be. Now,
let not mercy and truth forsake thee. If you let mercy and truth
forsake thee, you've left the gospel. Mercy and truth have
met together. Righteousness and peace kissed
each other. Where? In Christ. In the gospel. Now don't leave that. Don't leave
it. You young people, you grow up.
You're going off to college. You're going out into the world.
Don't forsake this gospel. Don't just throw up the trash
can and tell them you don't do it. Bind them about thy neck. I like the word necklaces. Here's one. Bind this about your
neck. Wear this around your neck. And write them upon the table
of thine heart. Right here. Let this wisdom,
let this instruction sink down into your heart. For out of the
heart, the scripture says, are the issues of life. It says over
in chapter 4, verse 23, keep thy heart with all diligence,
for out of it are the issues of life. Then he says here, so shalt thou
find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Then in verse 5, trust in the Lord. Our Lord said
this to His disciples when He was going away in John 14. You
believe in God, you trust in God, believe also in, trust in
me also. Trust me. I'm going away to prepare
a place for you. If I go prepare a place for you,
I'm coming again to receive you to myself, that where I am, there
you may be also. Trust me. Trust me. Trust in the Lord with
all thine heart. That's the only way to trust
him. I tell you, the Lord, we are never taught out of the Word
of God to do anything half-heartedly. Solomon says, whatever your hands
find to do, do it with all your might. And here he says, trust
the Lord and do it with all thine heart. Trust Him. And you notice here
that word Lord, it's capital L-O-R-D. That means Jehovah. That means trust. He's saying
this, trust Me, the All-Sufficient One. The self-existing one, you
trust me. Trust. That has to do with faith. That's just another word for
faith. Believe me. Have confidence. Have confidence
in me. I'll do just what I say. Paul
said in Acts, Brethren, I believe God. And it'll be just as he
told me. Stay on this ship. Don't judge
him. He said, stay with me. I believe
it'll be just as God said it would be. What is it to trust the Lord?
What is it? It is to forsake all hope in
anything or anyone else. It is to forsake all confidence
in all others, especially myself. Look over in Luke 14. Luke chapter 14. He says here in verse 33. So
likewise, whosoever he be of you, that forsaketh not all that
he hath. And that's not just talking about
material things, that's talking about all hope. Anything we take
security in, hope in. Whosoever he be of you that forsakes
not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. It's to forsake all hope, all
others, and absolutely trust and depend upon the Lord. I mean, in spite of what everything
looks like, in spite of no matter how dark the cloud, you trust
Him. You trust Him. It's to cling
to the Lord at all times. David said in Psalm 56, what
times I am afraid. I will trust Thee. I will trust
Thee. What times I'm afraid. Do we have a lot of that? A lot
of those times. I will trust Thee. It's to look
to Christ for all our needs. You know, we do right now live
in a land of plenty. We live in a land of plenty.
God bless this country. He blessed us, His church in
this country so much. We rarely, rarely, rarely, rarely
pray, give us Lord our daily bread. But we need to recognize
and trust Him for our daily bread. And not take that for granted
ever. Because He is the one who gives us our daily bread. And
then we trust Him for protection. God told Abraham, I am thy shield
and thy exceeding great reward. I am thy shield, I am thy protection. I'm thy protection. Don't you
depend, now listen to me, don't you ever depend on anything else
or anyone else to protect you apart from God. Look over in
Psalm chapter 4. In verse 8, I will both lay me
down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only, get that? Thou, Lord, only, makest me dwell
in safety. He's the only one who can enable
us to dwell safely. He's the only one that can keep
the thief away. He's the only one that can keep
us out of danger. He's the only one that can do
it. And then we look to Him for direction.
Brethren, I've lived long enough to know that we really don't
know which way to go. Which way do I go? Which way do I go? Look at Psalm 31. Psalm 31, verse 3. For thou art my rock and my fortress. There's our protection. Therefore,
for thy name's sake, lead me and guide me. Lord, you do it. Lead me. Lead
me in the paths of righteousness. Turn over to Psalm 61. Psalm
61. Psalm 61, and I like to turn
to these scriptures because I want you to read them out of the Word
of God. I want you to sometimes, there'll be a time that'll come
in every believer's life when you'll need certain promises,
certain scripture. And it's, like Solomon said,
put it like a necklace on your neck, write it in the table of
your heart. Well, you can't write it there if you don't read it.
If you don't know it, you can't use it. He said here in Psalm
61, 2. For thou hast been a shelter
for me and a strong tower from the enemy. Well, I wrote the
wrong one down. No, here it is. Yeah. Sorry.
I read verse 3. From the end of the earth, in
verse 2, from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when
my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me. Add me to the rock that
is higher than I. And I'll tell you what, I looked
this up. And there was scripture after scripture after scripture
of God leading His children. Lead me. Direct my steps. The steps of a good man is ordered
by the Lord. Trust in the Lord and He shall
direct thy steps. Then we look to Him for instructions. You
know, we are here this morning to worship God in spirit and
in truth, but we're also here to be instructed.
To be instructed. Are you here to be instructed?
You know, when I went to school, I wasn't always there to be instructed.
I was there because I had to be there. Sometimes I paid attention and
sometimes I didn't. My football coach let me sleep
in his class. That's sad, isn't it? But he did. Social studies. Don't sleep in this one. Don't
sleep in this one. I did. A few times I slept in
that class and he left me alone. And I'm alright. I'm alright. But I tell you what, you sleep
in this and it's not alright. It won't be alright. Not if you
sleep through this. Look over at Psalm 25. Psalm
25. Lead me in thy truth. In verse 5. Psalm 25, 5. Lead me in thy truth. And teach me, Lord, teach me,
for Thou art the God of my salvation, on Thee do I wait all the day." We look to Him for protection,
direction, instruction. We trust His wisdom, His power,
and His providence. He said, trust me, trust me. But I tell you what, we're not
only trusting for these things, but one day, one day, you and
I have to die. Everyone in here has to, because
a quarter of the men wants to die after this objection. What
about that? I tell you what, I trust Him
for everything I need to stand before God. I trust him for righteousness,
you trust him for righteousness, sanctification, redemption, cleansing,
cleansing. Acceptance says in Ephesians
1 that he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Forgiveness of
sins, everything that a sinner needs. to stand in God's presence
except to hear Him say, enter in and not say, depart, is provided in Christ. And we ought to trust Him for
it. Trust Him for it. Just absolutely,
100 percent trust Him for it and lean not You start saying,
but, well that's lean into your own understanding, but. When
you start saying, but, well you've already, you've missed it. You've
missed it. Lean not into thine own understanding. What does that mean? It means
this, take all human reasoning, take all my human reasoning,
take all your human reasoning and throw it in the trash. Put
it in the dumpster. Because everything that you and
I naturally think is opposite of God and what he thinks. And I'll show you that in Isaiah
55. Isaiah 55. Isaiah chapter 55, verse 8. For my thoughts are not your
thoughts. We don't think alike. Neither are your ways my ways,
saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, you know, we're not just off a little bit here.
Our thoughts and God's thoughts are not just a little different.
He says, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
So you and I take our thoughts and can them. Put them in the
trash. Lean not to your own understanding. He's talking about your natural
understanding. Because if you do, you're going
to miss it. You'll miss it. It means to submit. Your will
and your way to Him, even if it seems contrary to the way
you think it ought to be. And it will be, I promise you.
It will be contrary to the way you and I think it ought to be,
naturally. Submit your will and way to Him. Besides, what can you and I really
bring to pass? What can we really do? In all thy ways, acknowledge
him." Now, in order to do that, you have to be conscious of God. You have to live in a consciousness
and awareness of God, who He is. In all thy ways, Acknowledge
Him, give unto Him the glory, do unto His name in all thy ways
and in all places." In all places, at all times. It's not that we come here and
we acknowledge Him, give unto Him the glory, do unto His name,
then we go home, we go to work. No, we do it there too, just
as much as we do it here. If you believe God, you do. Let us also hear, it says, in
all thy ways acknowledge him. Let us always seek him in prayer
in all things. We are taught in the word of
God, cast all your cares upon him, for he careth for you. Don't
hold back anything. Don't think something is just
too minute, I mean, too little, too unimportant. If it concerns you and me, It
concerns Him. If it concerns His children,
if it concerns those who believe, it concerns Him. I don't care
how unimportant we might think of it. In all thy ways, in all
thy prayers, call upon Him. In all things, call upon Him.
Call upon Him. Look over in Isaiah chapter 26. In verse 3, thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace. And it says, peace, peace. Whose
mind, whose thought, whose imagination is stayed on thee. That's why I said, if you're
going to acknowledge him in all your ways, you've got to be conscious
of him. And he says here, That God will keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on Him. Because He what? Trusts us. He trusts us in Him. And here's a promise. Here's
a promise. He gave us some instruction here. He gave us a precept here. Now
He's going to attach a promise to it. And He shall direct thy
path. You want to know which way to
go? You want to know what to do? Take it before the Lord and
leave it there and trust Him to direct your path. He'll do
it. He said He'd do it. He said He'd do it. And if God
says He'll do it, He'll do it. We sing a song, Take your burden
to the Lord and leave it there. Well, do it. Do what we say. Take your burden to the Lord
and leave it there. And He will direct your path.
He promises to do it. He's promised to direct our path
and He'll do it by His Spirit, by His Word, by His Providence. He'll do it. He promised to do
it. And then here's another wise
instruction from our Father. Be not wise in thine own eyes.
Our own conceit is our worst enemy. It's our worst enemy to
faith. It's our worst enemy to worship.
Being wise in our own eyes. We are to live in a humble subjection
to Him who is wisdom, who is the embodiment of wisdom. We
are to look to Christ where the Scripture says He's made unto
us wisdom. He's made unto us wisdom. And
the first sign of wisdom is this, Be not wise in thine own eyes,
fear the Lord. Have a right, reverent respect
in all of him. Fear the Lord and depart from
evil. My soul, if you want to stay
out of trouble, don't go there. Don't go to where you're tempted. Forsake. Flee. You know, Paul tells them
to flee youthful lust. Flee it. Run from it. Don't ever think you're strong
enough to deal with it. You're not. You're not. You and I are not strong enough
to deal with these things. He says, depart from evil, whatever
form it comes in. It doesn't always come so easily
to detect. When you do detect it, leave
it. Leave it. Let us be so careful Not to offend
God or grieve the Holy Spirit by our conduct, but to have a
right fear of God and depart from every appearance of evil. Don't even go there. And it'll be healthy. It'll be
healthy for you. Turn back over here to Proverbs
chapter 3, verse 8. to thy navel and marrow to thy
bones." The whole man, your whole person
will be blessed by this. Fear the Lord. Depart from evil.
And he said, It shall be health to thy navel and marrow to thy
bones. Not only will your spirit Profit
from it, but your bodies will too. Look over in 1 Timothy chapter
4. He says, Paul says to Timothy
in verse 7, but refuse profaning old wives' fables and exercise
thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profits little. And he's not talking about this
physical body exercise. That has nothing to do with it.
That's helpful for the body, physical body. He's talking about
here the bodily exercise of religion. That's what he's talking about.
The bodily exercise of religion profits little, but godliness,
godliness, I tell you what, which is departing from evil. You depart
from evil, that's an act of godliness, isn't it? It's an act of godliness. But godliness is profitable unto
all things, having promise of the life that now is. You profit
from it now, the life that now is, and of that which is to come. The whole man profits from fearing
the Lord and departing from evil. He gives us another wise instruction,
verse 9, and I'll start winding this down. Honor the Lord with thy substance,
and with the firstfruits of thine increase." First of all, He deserves
it. He deserves it. He deserves to
be honored with all that we have. And then secondly, what do you
have that you didn't receive anyway? What I have, you have. God gave it. All things belong
to Him. All things come from Him. There's
nothing worse, I don't know of anything more ugly than ingratitude. Ingratitude. He says, honor the
Lord with your substance and with the firstfruits, the best,
the best of all thine increments. And here's a promise attached
to it. Here's a promise. So shall thy barns be filled
with plenty and presence shall burst out with new wine." Now,
I know, I know that false religion uses this to get money out of
people. I know they take the Word of
God and they twist it and they use it for filthy lucre's sake,
to get money. But listen, that doesn't change
the truth. That doesn't change the promise.
It still is what it is. This is to God's children. This
is a promise to God's children, no matter what false religion
does with it. He says, you honor the Lord. He said, my son, my son, my sons
and daughters, listen to me, honor the Lord with your substance
and with the firstfruits of all your increase. And he says, your
barns will be filled with plenty and your presses will burst out
with new wine. God will bless you. I've heard
Henry say this time and time again, you cannot out-give God. You can't do it. We do not give
in order to get. We give in order to honor. In order to honor Him who's given
us all things. And He's promised a person who's
able to do that. He enables us to do that from
our heart. Glad to give it. Over in the
Old Testament, when they were bringing stuff to David, people
brought it and said, willingly. They brought it willingly. They
gave willingly. And if we are able to do that,
here's a promise. He said, your barns will be filled
with plenty. And your presses will burst out
with new wine. Now let me read this again in
closing. And just listen. Listen to your father. Do you
hear him? This is the father speaking to the children. If
my earthly father walked in here right now, and I had my back
turned to him, and I heard him speak, I would know that was
my father. I would recognize the voice of
my father. Listen. Do you hear the voice
of your father? My son, forget not my law, But let thine heart
keep my commandments, for length of days and long life and peace
shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake
thee, bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of
thine heart, so shalt thou find favor and good understanding
in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not
wise in thine own eyes. Fear the Lord, and depart from
evil. He shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all
thine increase. So shall thy barn be filled with plenty, and
thy presence shall burst out with new wine." Wise instructions,
wise instructions, words of wisdom for God's children.