Month: May 2022

True Wisdom For All I

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/31/2022 8:00am

Lady Wisdom Gives a Dinner Party

9 1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;

    it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.

The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,

    wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.

Having dismissed her serving maids,

    Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,

    and invites everyone within sound of her voice:

“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?

    Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!

I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,

    roast lamb, carefully selected wines.

Leave your impoverished confusion and live!

    Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”

-Proverbs 9:1-6 The Message

The Way of Wisdom

9 Verse 1 Wisdom has built her house;

    she has hewn her seven pillars.

2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;

    she has also set her table.

3 She has sent out her young women to call

    from the highest places in the town,

4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

    To him who lacks sense, she says,

5 “Come, eat of my bread

    and drink of the wine I have mixed.

6 Leave your simple ways, and live,

    and walk in the way of insight.”

Verse 1 study: The seven pillars are figurative as they do not represent the seven wisdom principles. In the Bible, the number seven is completeness and perfection. So this verse is saying poetically that wisdom lacks nothing and is complete and perfect.

The rival women in this verse are up against wisdom, preparing for a feast and inviting people to it. Wisdom is a responsible woman of character, while foolishness is a prostitute serving stolen food. Wisdom goes first to the mind and folly to the senses. It’s easier to excite senses, but remember that folly is temporary. By contrast, looking at both, the satisfaction that wisdom brings lasts forever.

Verses 1-5 studies: If you go to Luke 14:15-24 (see below), the banquet that is described parallels the banquet Jesus tells in one of his parables. Many had intentions to go, but they didn’t make it because of other activities that sidetracked them and seemed more important. When you are searching for God’s wisdom, do not let obstacles come in the way.

15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

-Luke 14:15-24 ESV

Brief Summary of Proverbs

Monday, May 30, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/30/2022 8:00am

“So, my dear friends, listen carefully;

    those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.

Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;

    don’t squander your precious life.

Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,

    awake and ready for me each morning,

    alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.

When you find me, you find life, real life,

    to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.

But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;

    when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”

Proverbs 8:32-36 The Message

32 “And now, O sons, listen to me:

    blessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Hear instruction and be wise,

    and do not neglect it.

34 Blessed is the one who listens to me,

    watching daily at my gates,

    waiting beside my doors.

35 For whoever finds me finds life

    and obtains favor from the Lord,

36 but he who fails to find me injures himself;

    all who hate me love death.”

In Proverbs chapters 3-4, we read about a father’s instructions. What is wisdom in these two chapters?

  • Loving
  • Faithful
  • Puts Trust in the Lord
  • Puts God first
  • Turns away from evil
  • Knows what’s right
  • Listens and learns
  • Does what is right

Did you happen to notice the benefits of wisdom the father was displaying?

  • A long prosperous life
  • Favored by God and people
  • Reputation for good judgment
  • Success
  • Health
  • Vulnerability
  • Riches
  • Honor
  • Pleasure
  • Peace and protection.

Coming from chapter 8 and going into chapter 9, we are reading how wisdom speaks. This person who possesses knowledge and discretion hates pride, arrogance, and evil behavior. This person respects and fears God, gives good advice has common sense, loves correction, is teachable, and knows God. The benefits of wisdom in these two chapters are riches, honor, justice, righteousness, life, God’s favor, constant learning, and understanding.

The Blessing of a Lady’s Wisdom III

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/29/2022 8:00am

22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—

    before he did anything else.

I was brought into being a long time ago,

    well before Earth got its start.

I arrived on the scene before Ocean,

    yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.

Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,

    I was already there, newborn;

Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons,

    and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,

And set Sky firmly in place,

    I was there.

When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,

    built the vast vault of Heaven,

    and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,

When he drew a boundary for Sea,

    posted a sign that said no trespassing,

And then staked out Earth’s Foundations,

    I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.

Day after day, I was there, with my joyful applause,

    always enjoying his company,

Delighted with the world of things and creatures,

    happily celebrating the human family.

-Proverbs 8:22-31 The Message

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work,

    the first of his acts of old.

23 Ages ago, I was set up,

    at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth,

    when there were no springs abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains had been shaped,

    before the hills, I was brought forth,

26 before he had made the earth with its fields,

    or the first of the dust of the world.

27 When he established the heavens, I was there;

    when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 when he made firm the skies above,

    when he established the fountains of the deep,

29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,

    so that the waters might not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 then I was beside him, like a master workman,

and I was daily his delight,

    rejoicing before him always,

31 rejoicing in his inhabited world

    and delighting in the children of man.

Verses 22-31 studies: God says wisdom is primary and fundamental, the foundation on which all life is built. Paul and John may have alluded to some of Solomon’s statements about wisdom to describe Christ’s presence in the world’s creation.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

-Colossians 1:15-17 ESV


2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

-Colossians 2:2-3 ESV

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

-Revelations 3:14 ESV

The Blessing of a Lady’s Wisdom II

Saturday, May 28, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/28/2022 8:00am

12-21 “I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity;

    Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.

The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,

    whose ways I hate with a passion—

    pride and arrogance and crooked talk.

Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;

    I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.

With my help, leaders rule,

    and lawmakers legislate fairly;

With my help, governors govern,

    along with all in legitimate authority.

I love those who love me;

    those who look for me find me.

Wealth and Glory accompany me—

    also substantial Honor and a Good Name.

My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary;

    the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus.

You can find me on Righteous Road—that’s where I walk—

    at the intersection of Justice Avenue,

Handing out life to those who love me,

    filling their arms with life—armloads of life!

-Proverbs 8:12-21 The Message

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

    and I find knowledge and discretion.

13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.

Pride and arrogance and the way of evil

    and perverted speech I hate.

14 I have counsel and sound wisdom;

    I have insight; I have strength.

15 By me, kings reign,

    and rulers decree what is just;

16 by me princes rule,

    and nobles, all who govern justly.

17 I love those who love me,

    and those who seek me diligently find me.

18 Riches and honor are with me,

    enduring wealth and righteousness.

19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,

    and my yield than choice silver.

20 I walk in the way of righteousness,

    in the paths of justice,

21 granting an inheritance to those who love me,

    and filling their treasuries.

Verse 13 study: The more you fear God and give him respect, the more you will hate evil. Love for God and love of sin don’t mix. Keeping secret sins means you tolerate evil within yourself. Make a clean getaway and commit yourself to God.

The Blessing of a Lady’s Wisdom I

Friday, May 27, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/27/2022 8:00am

Lady Wisdom Calls Out

8 1-11 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?

    Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?

She’s taken her stand at First and Main,

    at the busiest intersection.

Right in the city square

    where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,

“You—I’m talking to all of you,

    everyone out here on the streets!

Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!

    You blockheads—shape up!

Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well,

    I’m telling you how to live at your best.

My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—

    I can’t stand the taste of evil!

You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth;

    not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.

You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds;

    truth-ready minds will see it at once.

Prefer my life disciplines over chasing after money,

    and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.

For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;

    nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.

-Proverbs 8:1-11 The Message

The Blessings of Wisdom

8 Does not wisdom call?

    Does not understanding raise her voice?

2 On the heights beside the way,

    at the crossroads, she takes her stand;

3 beside the gates in front of the town,

    at the entrance of the portals, she cries aloud:

4 “To you, O men, I call,

    and my cry is to the children of man.

5 O simple ones, learn prudence;

    O fools, learn sense.

6 Hear, for I will speak noble things,

    and from my lips will come what is right,

7 for my mouth will utter truth;

    wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;

    there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

9 They are all straight to him, who understands,

    and right to those who find knowledge.

10 Take my instruction instead of silver,

    and knowledge rather than choice gold,

11 for wisdom is better than jewels,

    and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Verse 1 study: Wisdom’s call contrasted with the adultress’s call in chapter 7. Wisdom comes from a woman’s viewpoint that guides us (8:1-13) and will make us succeed (8:14-21). Wisdom was presented at creation and works with the Creator (8:22-31). God approves of those who listen to wisdom’s counsel (8:32-35). On the other hand, people who love death hate wisdom (8:36). From beginning to end, wisdom should be a part of every aspect of our lives. Open all corners of your life to God’s direction and guidance.

Guide to Avoid Sexual Sin

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/26/2022 8:00am

24-27 So, friends, listen to me,

    take these words of mine most seriously.

Don’t fool around with a woman like that;

    don’t even stroll through her neighborhood.

Countless victims come under her spell;

    she’s the death of many a poor man.

She runs a halfway house to hell,

    fits you out with a shroud and a coffin.

-Proverbs 7:24-27 The Message

24 And now, O sons, listen to me,

    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;

    do not stray into her paths,

26 for many a victim has she laid low,

    and all her slain are a mighty throng.

27 Her house is the way to Sheol,

    going down to the chambers of death.

Verses 25-27 studies: There are steps to avoid sexual sin. First, guard your mind; don’t read books, watch movies, or look at pictures that encourage these fantasies. Second, keep away from people or settings that will tempt you. And third, think and focus on the future, not the moment. Today’s thrill may lead to tomorrow’s ruin.

Wisdom for Men

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/25/2022 8:00am

6-12 As I stood at the window of my house

    looking out through the shutters,

Watching the mindless crowd stroll by,

    I spotted a young man without any sense

Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived,

    then turning up the path to her house.

It was dusk, the evening coming on,

    the darkness thickening into night.

Just then, a woman met him—

    she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him.

Brazen and brash she was,

    restless and roaming, never at home,

Walking the streets, loitering in the mall,

    hanging out at every corner in town.

13-20 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,

    boldly took his arm and said,

“I’ve got all the makings for a feast—

    today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid,

So now I’ve come to find you,

    hoping to catch sight of your face—and here you are!

I’ve spread fresh, clean sheets on my bed,

    colorful imported linens.

My bed is aromatic with spices

    and exotic fragrances.

Come, let’s make love all night,

    spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking!

My husband’s not home; he’s away on business,

    and he won’t be back for a month.”

21-23 Soon, she has him eating out of her hand,

    bewitched by her honeyed speech.

Before you know it, he’s trotting behind her,

    like a calf led to the butcher shop,

Like a stag lured into ambush

    and then shot with an arrow,

Like a bird flying into a net

    not knowing that its flying life is over.

-Proverbs 7:6-23 The Message

6 For at the window of my house

    I have looked out through my lattice,

7 and I have seen among the simple,

    I have perceived among the youths,

    a young man lacking sense,

8 passing along the street near her corner,

    taking the road to her house

9 in the twilight, in the evening,

    at the time of night and darkness.

10 And behold, the woman meets him,

    dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.

11 She is loud and wayward;

    her feet do not stay at home;

12 now in the street, now in the market,

    and at every corner, she lies in wait.

13 She seizes him and kisses him,

    and with boldface, she says to him,

14 “I had to offer sacrifices,

    and today I have paid my vows;

15 so now I have come out to meet you,

    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.

16 I have spread my couch with coverings,

    colored linens from Egyptian linen;

17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,

    aloes, and cinnamon.

18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;

    let us delight ourselves with love.

19 For my husband is not at home;

    he has gone on a long journey;

20 he took a bag of money with him;

    at full moon, he will come home.”

21 With much seductive speech, she persuades him;

    with her smooth talk, she compels him.

22 All at once, he follows her,

    as an ox goes to the slaughter,

or as a stag is caught fast

23 till an arrow pierces its liver;

as a bird rushes into a snare;

    he does not know that it will cost him his life.

Verses 6-23 studies: Even though this is for men, women can take this advice. The person with no sense lacks purpose (7:7). Without focus, the empty life is unstable and vulnerable to temptations; this young man in the passage doesn’t know where he is, whereas the adultress knows where she wants him. Take a look at her strategy: She allures him (7:10); her approach is bold (7:13); she invites him to her place (7:16-18); she answers every objection (7:19-20); she persuades with smooth talk (7:21); she traps him (7:23). So the young man and us should make sure that our lives are full of God’s wisdom and his Word (7:4). Understand the strategy of temptation and get away fast!

Understand Reading Proverbs

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/24/2022 8:00am

Dressed to Seduce

7 1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you;

    treasure my careful instructions.

Do what I say, and you’ll live well.

    My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!

Write it out on the back of your hands;

    etch it on the chambers of your heart.

Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.

    Treat Insight as your companion.

They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—

    that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.

-Proverbs 7:1-5 The Message

Warning Against the Adulteress

7 My son, keep my words

    and treasure up my commandments with you;

2 keep my commandments and live;

    keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

3 bind them on your fingers;

    write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”

    and call insight your intimate friend,

5 to keep you from the forbidden woman,

    from the adulteress with her smooth words.

The way Proverbs was written is in the form of couplets. There are three ways it is constructed.

  1. Contrasting
  2. Comparing
  3. Complementing

The keyword in contrasting is “but.” The meaning comes from differences or contrasts between a statement. Comparing keywords are “like/so” and “better/than.” The purpose comes from similarities or a comparison between two words. Complementing keyword is “and.’ The meaning comes from the way the second statement complements the first.

When You Mistrust Wisdom

Monday, May 23, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/23/2022 8:00am

24-35 They’ll protect you from promiscuous women,

    from the seductive talk of some temptress.

Don’t lustfully fantasize on her beauty,

    nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes.

You can buy an hour with a prostitute for a loaf of bread,

    but a promiscuous woman may well eat you alive.

Can you build a fire in your lap

    and not burn your pants?

Can you walk barefoot on hot coals

    and not get blisters?

It’s the same when you have sex with your neighbor’s wife:

    Touch her, and you’ll pay for it. No excuses.

Hunger is no excuse

    for a thief to steal;

When he’s caught, he has to pay it back,

    even if he has to put his whole house in hock.

Adultery is a brainless act,

    soul-destroying, self-destructive;

Expect a bloody nose, a black eye,

    and a reputation ruined for good.

For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband;

    wild for revenge, he won’t make allowances.

Nothing you say or pay will make it all right;

    neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him.

-Proverbs 6:24-35 The Message

24 to preserve you from the evil woman,

    from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,

    and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;

26 for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,

    but a married woman hunts down a precious life.

27 Can a man carry fire next to his chest

    and his clothes not be burned?

28 Or can one walk on hot coals

    and his feet not be scorched?

29 So is he who goes into his neighbor’s wife;

    none who touches her will go unpunished.

30 People do not despise a thief if he steals

    to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,

31 but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;

    he will give all the goods of his house.

32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;

    he who does it destroys himself.

33 He will get wounds and dishonor,

    and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

34 For jealousy makes a man furious,

    and he will not spare when he takes revenge.

35 He will accept no compensation;

    he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

Verse 25 study: Lust is a warning of danger ahead. When you see you are attracted to the opposite sex or have thoughts with them, this is possible it can lead to sin. Ask God to change your desires before you are in sin.

Verses 25-35 studies: Some people will argue that it is okay to break God’s law against sexual sin if no one gets hurt. The fact is that spouses do get hurt. Children are scarred. Even if a partner did escape unwanted pregnancy or disease, they lose their ability to fulfill a commitment, feel sexual desires and trust, and be entirely open with another person. God’s laws are not unplanned. They allow good, clean fun, but the law warns us against destroying ourselves through unwise actions or running ahead of God’s timetable.

A Little Wisdom Here, A Little Wisdom There

Sunday, May 22, 2022

Sincerity Having Peace Instagram Post. 05/22/2022 5:30pm

Always Cooking Up Something Nasty

12-15 Swindlers and scoundrels

    talk out of both sides of their mouths.

They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet,

    they cross their fingers behind their backs.

Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty,

    always stirring up trouble.

Catastrophe is just around the corner for them,

    a total wreck, their lives ruined beyond repair.

Seven Things God Hates

16-19 Here are six things God hates,

    and one more that he loathes with a passion:

        eyes that are arrogant,

        a tongue that lies,

        hands that murder the innocent,

        a heart that hatches evil plots,

        feet that race down a wicked track,

        a mouth that lies under oath,

        a troublemaker in the family.

Warning on Adultery

20-23 Good friend, follow your father’s good advice;

    don’t wander off from your mother’s teachings.

Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;

    wear them like a scarf around your neck.

Wherever you walk, they’ll guide you;

    whenever you rest, they’ll guard you;

    when you wake up, they’ll tell you what’s next.

For sound advice is a beacon,

    good teaching is a light,

    moral discipline is a life path.

-Proverbs 6:12-23 The Message

12 A worthless person, a wicked man,

    goes about with crooked speech,

13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,

    points with his finger,

14 with perverted heart devises evil,

    continually sowing discord;

15, therefore, calamity will come upon him suddenly;

    in a moment, he will be broken beyond healing.

16 There are six things that the Lord hates,

    seven that are an abomination to him:

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,

    and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked plans,

    feet that make haste to run to evil,

19 a false witness who breathes out lies,

    and one who sows discord among brothers.

Warnings Against Adultery

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,

    and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

21 Bind them on your heart always;

    tie them around your neck.

22 When you walk, they will lead you;

    when you lie down, they will watch over you;

    and when you awake, they will talk with you.

23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,

    and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.

Verses 20-23 studies: It’s good for children to become independent of their parents as they grow up. But as young adults, they shouldn’t be deaf to their parents’ advice or anything. If a young adult struggles with a decision or needs insight, check with your parents or other trusted adults. The extra years of experience may hold the key to the wisdom you are seeking.