God Wrote Proverbs for You

Youth Meeting – August 31, 2016

Introduction:

God’s divine library – the Bible – has all kinds of genres or matter – history, law, debate, biographies, poetry, ethics, philosophy, romance, prophecy, polemics, warnings, instructional, apocalyptic, etc.
General topics include business, food and drink, marriage, money, politics, relationships, sex, speech, success, vices, wisdom, and women here, and then near 300 very specific topical categories here.
God and Solomon want you to prosper and succeed … so do your parents … and so do I. Be excited!
You could never afford a top-level advisor or consultant, but you have God and His handpicked king!
A 10,000-hour rule has been suggested as the time for dedicated practice needed to be an expert.
Most very successful men take an hour or so every day or week to read or practice their expertise.
They do it for very earthly, carnal, and temporal goals, learning and studying nonsense in many cases.
What is the trajectory of your learning curve? And where are you on that learning curve for your age?
Are you doing the basic exercise of seeking God daily through His word and prayer to be a success?
You have source material for truth and wisdom that far exceeds anything the best of them ever read.
Tomorrow is the first day of September … and the rest of your life … you could start in Proverbs 1.
There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs; many read the chapter matching the day of the month.

“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.” Proverbs 1:1-6

“Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding” Proverbs 4:1

“Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth” Proverbs 5:7

“Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth” Proverbs 7:24

“Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways” Proverbs 8:32

All scripture is given by inspiration of God to provide perfect knowledge for life (II Tim 3:16-17).
Are you searching the scriptures as you should, in order to learn and be perfect (Pr 2:1-9; 18:1)?
The book of Proverbs has David and Solomon as your personal, inspired counselors (1:1; 4:3-4)!
The book of Proverbs is written for young men and women, even children (1:4; 4:1; Eccl 12:9-10).
Did you read the proverbs and the commentaries for the three days this week (30:1; 30:23; 30:29)?
If you neglect the daily proverb and commentary, what does Lady Wisdom say to you (1:24-31)?
What is necessary to have many good friends, who love you (18:24; 17:17; 22:11; 16:13; 27:9)?
If your friends are foolish, even within our church, what will surely happen to you (13:20; 9:6)?
What is the best requirement for the perfect wife … and the way to find and marry a prince (31:30)?
If a guy or a girl likes to spend money for stuff, what will eventually happen to them (21:17,20)?
If the Bible does not answer your question, what is the next best source of safety (11:14; 24:6)?
What will happen to you for disrespect to your parents by words or body language (20:20; 30:17)?
What is the first thing you need to even get started being a wise person (1:7; 9:10)?
How can you know that you actually and truly fear the Lord, and are not deceiving yourself (8:13)?
What is the simplest way to build a reputation of wisdom in the eyes of others around you (17:28)?
If you are doing poor financially, what is the first thing to do with your money (3:9-10; 11:24-25)?
If your parents are angry at you for something, what is the way to calm them down (15:1; 25:15)?
Why do some men learn hobbies and stay away from home (12:4; 19:13; 21:9,19; 27:15-16; 25:24)?
What is the easiest way to have a better life than others at no cost to you (15:16; 16:8; 19:1; 28:6)?
How much value should you put in a girl’s conduct in public and on dates (30:21-23; 31:30)?
If a man has a very angry personality, when will he outgrow it and become peaceful (19:19; 29:22)?
What causes all fights, which makes it easy to avoid them and those causing them (13:10; 21:24)?
Who is the one person you should tell about a difference you have with someone (25:9-10; 11:13)?
What is the part of you that you should give the most effort and exercise to keep in shape (4:23)?
How can you marry a guy that will not care about the fact your body is less than perfect (5:19)?
Is it possible for God to hate you, and what conduct by you would cause Him to do so (6:16-19)?
How intelligent and wise are those young men who go to nightclubs (7:7-9)?
When you meet a fool or a scorner, how long should you talk to him (9:7-8; 23:9; 26:4-5)?
How important are your feelings and your heart in deciding what to do (12:15; 28:26)?
What is the simplest way to reduce the sins and offences of your speech (10:19; 17:27)?
When someone tries to tell you an easy way to get rich, what should you do (14:23; 28:19)?
What is the surest way to ruin your future and take a fall that will destroy you (16:18; 18:12; 29:23)?
If you do not take care of your things, then you are related to what kind of a fool (18:9)?
How can you lend to the Lord, so that He will repay the debt with good interest (19:17; 28:8,27)?
What sneaks into your heart and mind and will mock you and make you foolishly angry (20:1)?
Is trying to pay less than something is worth a smart way to get ahead financially (20:14)?
What is far more important than a great body, a great car, and a great job (22:1)?
What are the two things that will cause very important people love you (22:11)?
What causes children to be brats, and what is the best cure for the cause (22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15)?
What causes a good man to gawk at other women and say foolish things (23:33; 31:4-5)?
Many college students are political activists, but what special treat does God give them (24:21-22)?
Instead of talking about yourself and praising yourself, what should you let happen (27:2)?
What will get you ahead with wise men much faster than flattery (28:23; 27:9; 9:8)?
How hard is it to be worse than a fool, and what two things can get you there easily (26:12; 29:20)?
What is the best level of income and assets … the best financial situation to be in (30:8)?
A shining and smiling face is attractive and pleasant, so what can you do to get one (15:13,15)?
What is your life goal, and is it wise in light of David and Solomon’s lives (3:13-18; 4:7; 16:16)?
What makes crackers or a salad for supper better than a prime filet mignon (15:17; 17:1)?
How should you respond to another person doing something to offend you (19:11; 10:12; 17:9)?

Attention:

The examples above are only a very small sample of the wisdom contained in the book of Proverbs.
God’s divine library for you – the Bible – has all kinds of matter, but Proverbs is for personal success.
General topics include business, food and drink, marriage, money, politics, relationships, sex, speech, success, vices, wisdom, and women here, and then near 300 very specific topical categories here.
If wisdom is the principal thing, then reading Proverbs for wisdom is a no-brainer for noble youth.
If Proverbs was written by a rich, wise, and inspired King for youth, then what hinders your interest?
If Donald Trump wanted to make you successful, would you accept his invitation? What of Solomon?
Are you reading a chapter of Proverbs every day? It can be easily picked by the day of the month.
Do you read the daily email and commentary on a verse? There are over 58,000 subscribers right now.
Are you able to give answers to contemporary issues and give counsel for dilemmas from this book?
This is one of the easiest and least offensive ways to introduce friends or contacts to God and truth.