Memory Verses

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: Proverbs 24:3 KJV

For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. Proverbs 24:16 KJV

³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: ³⁴ So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man. Proverbs 24:23-24 KJV

Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. Proverbs 25:16 KJV

²¹ If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: ²² For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee. Proverbs 25:21-22 KJV

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Proverbs 25:28 KJV

Key people

Here is a list of key people found in today’s reading (in order of appearance) with bios from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Solomon. Also called Jedidiah. Was, according to the Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, Quran, and Hadiths, a fabulously wealthy and wise king of the United Kingdom of Israel who succeeded his father, King David.

Today’s Devotional Reading: Proverbs 23 – 26

Proverbs 23 Amplified Version (AMP)
Proverbs 24 Amplified Version (AMP)
Proverbs 25 Amplified Version (AMP)
Proverbs 26 Amplified Version (AMP)

This reading is full of warnings against various temptations. Proverbs 24:23-24 warns against laziness. We are taught to “…work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work” John 9:4. Proverbs 26:16 also speaks of overeating. Proverbs 25:28 calls us to action to have “rule over” the spirit, which is an action phrase. It must be done continually and does not happen on its own.

From Matthew Henry’s Commentary

The sin we are here warned against is luxury and sensuality, and the indulgence of the appetite in eating and drinking, a sin that most easily besets us… (Proverbs 23:1)

Here, 1. The caution given is much the same with that which we had before (Prov. 23:17), not to envy sinners, not to think them happy, nor to wish ourselves in their condition, though they prosper ever so much in this world, and are ever so marry and ever so secure… (Proverbs 24:1)

Matthew Henry, in his commentary on Proverbs 23:1, writes about the temptations of coveting a rich man’s lifestyle and overeating at his finely decked table. He writes in verse 24:1 that we are not to envy sinners, which is easily done when you see them prospering despite a lack of reverence for their Creator.

Reflection

What does the Bible say about temptation?

• 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
• Matthew 26:41 – “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
• James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
• James 1:12-16 – “12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.”
• Hebrews 2:18 – “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”
• Mark 4:1-11 – ” 1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:”
• Mark 14:38 – “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”

Want to know more? you can find a hundred verses about temptation (or most any other subject by searching at https://www.openbible.info/topics/. From the site:

“This Bible is a mashup of the Yahoo! and ESV Bible web services. It searches the Internet for the topics that interest people, many of which you’d never find in a traditional topical Bible. Then it shows relevant verses.”

Proverbs 23:1 and 25:16 really hit home for me as I struggle with my weight and overeating. It is hard to comprehend since before having postpartum depression, I was an anorexic teenager.

1 Corinthians 10:13 tells me that even though I feel like I am the only one who has ever faced the temptations that I am staring at (which to me feel infinitely unique), no, I am not alone in my struggle. What is more, there is another option not to give in to temptation because God has already provided a means of avoiding sin in this situation.

Matthew 26:41 warns me that my flesh is not fully crucified – it still wants the things and feelings that I can intake with my five natural senses. I have to pray to suppress my carnality and lift up my spirituality.

James 4:7 shows me how I can make the devil flee from me. I do not have to run from him. When I resist him, he will flee. At the same time, while making a negative influence decrease in my life, I have to make a positive influence increase – that is, I must submit myself to God.

James 1:12-16 not only tells me that temptation itself is not sin (the conception or birth of the seed of temptation is sin (like an initial thought (not sin) versus a concentration (meditation) or action taken upon a thought)), it also says that because I love God, if I resist temptation I shall receive a crown of life. It lets me know that temptation can be the result of lusts that draw my heart and mind away from purity.

Hebrews 2:18 – Christ overcame all temptations. With my trust in Him, I can overcome temptations in my own life, for He will help me when I am tried. For example, the Holy Spirit will bring to my remembrance, scriptures that I can quote to refocus my heart and mind. This is exactly what Jesus did when he was tempted of Satan in the wilderness.

Mark 14:38 exhorts me to watch and pray to avoid temptation, even though my intentions are good, because although my Spirit is willing to avoid falling to temptation, I have to crucify my earthly flesh, which wants what it wants regardless of my faithful convictions.

What we must know is that even if and when we do fall to temptation in our attempt to mount up to the expectations of this our so great a salvation, God is still willing to “clean this house” and restore us to His blessed side. He wants us to know that He thinks we are worth saving, worth keeping, and worth dying for.

References

« The Amplified Bible
« The King James Bible
« Matthew Henry’s Commentary

« Songs of Praise
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Image Source: 365 Seeds of Promise by Shenica Graham.

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