365 Devotions from the book of Proverbs (English Standard Version)
These devotions began with a group of guys who continue to meet weekly early in the mornings before work for accountability where we ask one another hard questions about life the previous week. Things about relationships, family, work etc... Questions about lust, anger, patience, time in God's word, Prayer, Were we forgiving to others?... Were we generous to others?... And did we brag on Jesus to others?... After we discuss this we share the devotion we have worked on the previous week. From this we are bringing them together to form 365 devotions from the book of Proverbs... one for each day of the year. 

If you find any that seem to be out of context or not scriptural please send me an email to 2ndcorinthians318@gmail.com. Please don't take our word for it but search the Scriptures for yourself. We hope these might bless someones life as they have blessed us in writing them all for Gods glory. Thanks for reading and listening!

Proverbs in 365 Devotions

Proverbs In 365 Devotions
For more go to braggingonjesus.com

Proverbs 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 

Pondering King Solomon
R Aylor

As I consider the life of Solomon, David's son and third king of Israel, I am reminded of many things. Firstly of the sin of his father David’s sexual impurity with Bathsheba; then David’s repentance and God’s merciful forgiveness. It is also amazing to me to think of how God still ordained the Messiah be born in the lineage of David and then Solomon through Bathsheba. (Solomon was also called Jedidiah, which means beloved of The Lord; see 2nd Samuel 12:24-25.)

Next, my mind goes to Solomon’s prayer as a young man, asking God for an understanding heart to judge the Lord’s people; and to discern between good and bad.

1st Kings 3:11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

I am reminded that as believers we should all have the same mindset for others... the same worldview that God has. We see this character in Solomon and David and Paul who's hearts desire for Israel was that they might be saved.

In Psalm Psalm 119:136 the Psalmist has this heart for others that I want to have. It says: My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

I think of Gods faithfulness to Solomon throughout his life. Solomon surly was blessed beyond measure!

Finally I am greatly cautioned by Solomon's disobedience to God in his latter years. Fear snaps at my heart and red flags fly at high mast. For the man who wrote so much to his son's about the trap set by the adulteress and wicked woman... and then for him to fail himself over and over it breaks my heart and causes me to check myself often. I do not know if Solomon repented at the end... I hope so. But if the wisest of men was lured away from his Lord to walk in disobedience then what of me?


1st Kings 11:4 says: For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

The Apostle Paul shows us that any wisdom, knowledge or understanding not quickened by the Love from God are not enough. We need the love of God abiding in our hearts which only comes through receiving Jesus who died for us and rose again.


1st Corinthians 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.


Solomon’s accepted writings include Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, part of Psalms and much of the book of Proverbs.)



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Proverbs 1:1 RA Pondering Solomon

Proverbs In 365 Devotions
For more go to braggingonjesus.com

​Proverbs 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, 3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—

Teachable Me
R Aylor

In these modern times we desperately need the wisdom and instruction these verses speak about. However, as it goes there seems to be only a limited number of teachable moments in any given day. We rush to and fro, here and there only to pull out our smart phones (me included) at the first sign of a pause instead of looking to God and thinking about him. He wants our acknowledgment. He wants more. He wants our worship.

Looking back in my life, I think some of my best testimonies for Christ came as others watched me desperately seeking Gods will for my own life just as I was beginning to unpack and take him in. It’s easy to lose that earnestness we once had. It's got to be a daily thing. Every hour Jesus must be our great treasure that is worth leaving all to pursue. And we must be joy for us to leave it all. And then as we begin growing in him, we can only be a true witness of our treasure to the extent that we know him ourselves. 

Once we see Jesus as the beautiful good news that he is, once we have eyes to see Gods glory in him, once he grabs our gaze so that we cannot look away and go back to the promised treasures of the world; may we straightway take in his instruction of wisdom… may we seek and continue seeking, finding and unpacking all the jewels and riches in him as our bountiful treasure and persevere (not pausing like Solomon did later in life), but rather finishing strong.

Lord, that is my prayer... illuminate your word to us. May we then discern truth from deception in relationships, business practices, politics, pulpits, and mostly our own heart. May we seek wisdom, knowledge and understanding in your word every single day and see Jesus there. As Moses said in Exodus 33:18 “Please show me your glory”.  Make application to our heart; internalize your truths by your Spirit, keep us teachable, humble and yet confident in you. Please give us boldness to walk in and share your love through Christ. Thank you our Father, in Jesus name, Amen.

Proverbs 1:2-4 RA Teachable Me

Proverbs in 365 Devotions

​Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

Hear, Learn, Understand

Robin Aylor

We hear lots of things everywhere we go; at the market, work, school, on television, the internet, music, in nature, among our families, our church and Gods Holy Word. But truth is not relative. The laws of right and wrong are not a thousands shades of grey. Yes, seeing truth can take honesty and discernment. I want to discern truth and then let it be applied in my life.


If I am arrogant and foolish I won't listen to advice. I would only hear noises agreeing with myself saying I should be the teacher instead. I’ve done that very thing. Solomon wanted his son's to listen to true counsel and not advice from their worldly friends or the politically correct voices of the day.

All real rock bottom, in context truth whether in the world...  in nature or on tv or wherever is anchored in or tethered to the word of God whether they know it or not. And the source is even more defined than that.

Solomon wanted his sons to know truth and not be blindsided by the many self centered world views they would encounter in life. As Believers we have a helper to Guide us. We no longer have ears that only hear the politics of a broken world.  But we have someone who stands for us and guides us… even God himself, the Holy Spirit. 

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will beg in you.

And so as we live in a broken world, may we humble ourselves, listen, pay attention, ponder, consider, read, study, ask and reflect until the treasures of Gods word sparkle like diamonds to the transforming of our life for the glory of God.

Pray

Proverbs 1:5-6 RA Hear, Learn, Understand

Proverbs in 365 Devotions

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Godly Fear Is A Blessing

Robin Aylor

The word oxymoron comes to mind when I think about how overly wise a fool may think themselves to be. It’s clear they despise even the seeking of wisdom aside from their own musings because they refuse advice and instruction from others even if it is given from personal experience. 
They say: I need no correction, rebuke or guidance; I need no mercy; I got this.

Little do they know… no matter how hard they try and no matter how fast they run and no matter what they do… even with all their efforts… they will never see the most important knowledge of the ages from within themselves. They may smell it in the aroma of a flower… Their mouth may water when they see a beautiful sunset… But the taste of wisdom stays hidden from them and they do not savor it’s taste or delights. 
They do not fear their Creator so they refuse to take his advice. They do not listen to his words of truth and so… wisdom and knowledge and understanding have been hidden from the foolish from throughout the ages.

A young boy might fear his father who loves him enough to teach him right from wrong. The son knows a belt or paddle or switch is waiting for him if he bullies someone at school or steals from the grocery store. He knows his father disciplines him because he loves him. This same father also worked hard to provide a roof over his son’s head and food for his belly and a good education for him. Now he fears he might bring his father sorrow by living a life of disobedience which would also bring more pain to his own soul than the worst spanking.

We too may fear our Father in heaven when we rebel because he loves us and so disciplines us. But we also fear him in the sense that we are desperate not to betray his love. He has shown us love and we fear lest we take his love for granted. We fear we might be like Solomon and in our old age forsake our fathers teachings as Solomon did his father David when his heart was turned to other gods.


The last verse of 2nd Corinthians 6 says: and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Then chapter 7 verse one continues: Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Thank You Lord for the wonderful way we are to fear you… A fear that purifies us and works to transform our character and attributes to conform to your holiness.

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Proverbs 1:7 RA Godly Fear Is A Blessing

Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

Lady Wisdom Cries Out
R Aylor
In an earlier devotion we have already confirmed there are lots of voices calling out in the world, most of which promise satisfaction while leading us to destruction. As we go through Proverbs Solomon will focus on a few women allegorically… but basically two who are calling out, one of which is Wisdom. 
 
And so Wisdom is out there calling; somewhere close by in your neighborhood… Can you hear her call among all the other voices. She is always close by and ready for those who long for her; but for those who think themselves wise, it is the other women of the night who get their attention. For those who think themselves not needing wisdom… they will have no meetings… no dates… no get together's with the lady Wisdom. 
 
I believe the lady Wisdom in Proverbs allegorically directs us to the wisdom of God through Jesus. 1st Corinthians 2:7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
 
Like the lady Wisdom the wisdom from God which comes only through Jesus is also very near. Romans 10:8 and 9 says this: But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 
 
When we are granted to hear Gods voice above all the other noises we can receive his wisdom through faith and it doesn't depend whatsoever on mans strength or even will; (Romans 9:16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.). 
 
The wisdom of God is not granted for good deeds; (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.)  
But salvation and righteousness and fellowship and good standing with God… This wisdom of God comes when we are gifted faith with ears to hear and eyes to see Jesus as good news for us. Let us thank God for this gift of grace.

Proverbs 1:20-21 RA Lady Wisdom Crys Out

Proverbs in 365 Devotions
For more go to braggingonjesus.com

Proverbs 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. 
 
In todays verse I think we see another truth Solomon has witnessed in his… well, study of human behavior… and likely experienced in his own life. As usual, the obvious truth he sees carries underlying principals that can be used for application in other areas of life. 

First, he mentions the personal bitterness unique to each persons heart. 

Of course physical trials can be bitter in the way a cold wind is bitter upon the face. An accident that one never fully recovers from is a difficult ordeal. A long bout with cancer that ends in death can be a strenuous hardship on the one who is sick as well as many family members. Each one of us has their own unique experience of bitter troubles in the body that can be as distinct as a fingerprint. 

However; I really don’t think Solomon is referring to these kinds of physical things... at least not detached from another kind… And the reason I say that is because he says how its a bitterness in heart… and he contrasts it to joy in the heart. These resonate with the spirit of man and are spiritual in nature… still they are connected with the brokenness of the physical world we live in.

So then… a dissatisfied heart could be aggravated into bitterness by bad life choices… right? It could be associated with the accident or cancer we spoke of. It might be awakened when one becomes a victim of domestic violence or racial injustice… or maybe you’re one who has been making yourself out as a victim… Someone looked at you wrong or maybe didn’t look at you at all. The mind has a way of conjuring imaginary assailants which can cause our hearts to go sour. But still, sometimes the mind gets it right… 

Either way… what Solomon says is true… it’s a personal pain… because our sin is personal and it’s the culprit. Our heart is broken and open to bitterness from the start… you see, no one can know it like we do because sin is so connected to who we are at the core of our being. 

However, at the opposite extreme of the spectrum is joy, and its different than happiness that comes from the hap-pen-ings which touch us in the physical world. Actually “happenings” are the same things that cause bitter things in our body… they stir up the bitterness in our soul which we have been talking about.

But joy comes to us when… not sin but righteousness comes in our heart. Speaking of the heart, Solomon ends todays verse with: “and no stranger shares its joy.“ If today your faith in in Jesus, then you know joy came to you when Jesus gave you his righteousness. He was the only one who ever lived a righteous life. He willingly took the payment for what was due you for your sin with his death on the Cross. (The wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23) He imputes his righteousness to all who believe him and look to him in faith. Three days afterJesus died he defeated death and God gives that same power to all who believe that we might live victorious lives over sin as we walk with him… And one day he will raise us up incorruptible, no more subject to the entropy and death associated with sin. 

Father God thank you for your word and these obvious truths which are so profound when you open our eyes to them. How the heart knows its own bitterness and spiritual bitterness of heart is from our sin… and how no stranger shares its joy… Lord as believers in your family and not strangers we do share joy that comes from you because of the righteousness of Jesus upon our life… and still it is a personal relationship. Thank you for sending your Son who lived a perfect life, took the wages of our sin, and defeated death on the third day and all that means… Please continue to show us more of your glory, in Jesus name amen.

Proverbs 14:10 RA Brokenness & Joy Unique As A Fingerprint

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