King Solomon provides us with some miscellaneous proverbs today before telling us how to get to heaven. He will tell us we don't have to spend our lives on earth in useless pursuits and we don't have to spend a useless eternity separated from God.
"A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel." (Proverbs 15:18) The Lord Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Mathew 5:9) There's something not quite right spiritually with a person who enjoys stirring up conflicts. The child of God wants peace. The child of God likes to see people love and care about each other.
"The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway." (Proverbs 15:19) A lazy person achieves his goals as slowly as if he were chopping through a jungle trail. He isn't getting anywhere fast. But the person who seeks God's will in his life will have a way made for him. When God places a goal in our hearts, He gives us the ability to meet it.
"A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother." (Proverbs 15:20) I want to take a moment to give dating advice to ladies who are single or divorced or widowed. If you are dating a man who doesn't show love for his mother, you better run for the hills. Solomon says a man like that is a fool. If he doesn't respect his mother, he won't respect you. Likewise, if a young lady doesn't respect the position her father holds in the household, single men ought to beware of her. She might have trouble respecting the position her husband will hold in the household.
"Folly brings joy to one who has no sense, but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course." (Proverbs 15:21) When he speaks of the person who has no sense or who is a fool, he is speaking of the person who is spiritually and morally corrupt. He says, "Foolish people enjoy doing stupid things. They take pleasure in things that are wrong. The person with godly wisdom won't be able to take pleasure in sin, not for long. The person with godly wisdom rarely gets sidetracked."
"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." (Proverbs 15:22) In 1 Kings 12 we find Solomon's son and successor, Rehoboam, rejecting the good advice given to him by the men who were advisers to his father. Instead he takes the advice of young men, men who lack the experience and wisdom that comes with age. This proves to be disastrous. It loses Rehoboam ten tribes of the kingdom. If only he had heeded his father's advice and had accepted the wise counsel of Solomon's many experienced advisers.
"A person finds joy in giving an apt reply---and how good is a timely word!" (Proverbs 15:23) Doesn't it bless our souls when we are able to give someone a word of encouragement? We find joy in knowing we have helped someone. And how wonderful it is when someone speaks a timely word to us! When we're down and out, depressed and discouraged, it's a beautiful thing when a godly person comes alongside us and encourages us in our faith. I don't know where I'd be today if no one had ever spoken timely words to me. The Lord has so often used others in my time of need to say the words I needed to hear.
"The path of life leads upward for the prudent to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead." (Proverbs 15:24) Solomon believes in life after death. He also believes in separate destinations for the righteous and the wicked. There is no Scriptural basis for believing that the existence of the wicked is snuffed out at death. God created each person with an eternal soul that lives on after the death of the body. That soul must go somewhere when the body dies. Solomon says, "You can either be right with the Lord and go to be with Him, or you can reject Him and spend eternity separated from Him. Eternity with the Lord is real living. It's light and love and joy and peace. Separation from Him is not real living. Life on earth is unfulfilling and disappointing without the Lord. Just imagine how unfulfilling and disappointing eternity would be without Him."
Solomon ought to know about unfulfilling and disappointing living. He spent many years of his life chasing after the wrong things and drifting from the Lord. He wants us to know we don't have to live like that. We don't have to spend our lives on earth like that, and we don't have to spend eternity like that. The Lord invites us to the abundant life. Life on earth is exciting and rewarding when we follow Christ. Eternal life with Him will be so awesome that the prophet Isaiah and the Apostle Paul could only say that no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no mind has even imagined all the wonderful things God has prepared for those who love Him. (Isaiah 64:4, 1 Corinthians 2:9) We don't want to miss that! Nothing is worth missing that!
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