September 17, 2018
Proverbs 22:1-21 New Living Translation (NLT)
The Book of Proverbs shares practical snippets of wisdom for living; that wisdom is usually contrasted with a foolish way to live. We can choose to live wisely or foolishly. For those who desire to serve God and live in fellowship with him, we seek to follow the righteous path vs. the foolish path. Yet, we cannot do that in our own strength or righteousness. Good behavior alone does not bring salvation; belief in Christ brings salvation and a desire to please God.
God desires for us to have a pure heart before him and Jesus brings deliverance and forgiveness; we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s pure requirements. Our sin has caused us to be separated from God. Jesus is the Savior who died for humanity and paid the price for our sin-filled lives, so we could re-connect with the Father. The blood of Jesus makes spiritual purity possible and obedience to God’s Word keeps our hearts tender and ready for the change new life in Christ requires. To stay on the righteous path, we must be willing to allow the work of the Spirit to bring transformation to how we think, how we speak, and how we act. Because of Jesus, we can enjoy life with God; the way we were originally created to live before human sin. So, practice wisdom and follow the Lord with your life.