Two Minutes in the Bible Through Proverbs

Boyd Bailey

Description

To find practical answers for everyday challenges, you can't go wrong with the book of Proverbs. And to help you apply its timeless truth to every area of your own life, popular devotional writer Boyd Bailey offers these concise and down-to-earth daily readings.Building strong relationships, achieving financial stability, speaking words that help and heal...you'll find God's plan for your success in all these areas and many more. Each brief devotion includes a verse or two from Proverbs, a short reflection, a question to help you remember the message and take appropriate action, and a short list of related Scripture references for further study.Start each day with just two minutes in the Bible. You'll soon be enjoying the benefits of a storehouse of wisdom in your heart.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
• Date de parution: 01 août 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 10
• EAN13: 9780736965316
• Langue: English

Extrait

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible , 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version . Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Verses marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Verses marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover by Left Coast Design, Portland, Oregon
Cover photo boscorelli / Shutterstock
TWO MINUTES IN THE BIBLE is a trademark of Boyd Bailey. Harvest House Publishers, Inc., is the exclusive licensee of the trademark TWO MINUTES IN THE BIBLE.
TWO MINUTES IN THE BIBLE THROUGH PROVERBS
Copyright 2015 Boyd Bailey
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bailey, Boyd, 1960-
Two minutes in the Bible through Proverbs / Boyd Bailey.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-7369-6530-9 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-6531-6 (eBook)
1. Bible. Proverbs-Meditations. I. Title.
BS1465.54.B35 2015
242 .5-dc23
2014049503
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
To Andy Stanley
My friend, my pastor, and the wisest person I know
Walk with the wise and become wise.
P ROVERBS 13:20
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Keep Learning
2. Listen to Your Parents
3. Stand Alone
4. The Knowledge of God
5. The Marriage Covenant
6. Walking Wisely
7. Humble Wisdom
8. Honorable Wealth
9. Sweet Sleep
10. Wise Guides
11. Prayerful Perseverance
12. Guard Your Heart
13. Pay Attention
14. Deadly Adultery
15. Midlife Crisis
16. Financial Humility
17. Plan Ahead
18. Lustful Longings
19. Leaders Learn
20. False Spirituality
21. Travel Temptations
22. Hate Evil
23. Political Wisdom
24. God s Favor
25. Choose Your Battles
26. Invite Instruction
27. The Beginning of Wisdom
28. Love Forgives
29. Tempered Talk
30. Economic Storms
31. A Faithful Guide
32. Influencing Our Cities for Christ
33. Refreshers Are Refreshed
34. A Noble Wife
35. Unpretentious Living
36. Routine Work
37. Righteous Light
38. Dollar Cost Averaging
39. Love Disciplines
40. The Empty Nest
41. Self-Deception
42. A Nation Exalted
43. A Measured Response
44. Pursue Righteousness
45. A Happy Heart
46. Holy Spirit Motivated
47. Moral Authority
48. Pride Before Destruction
49. The Test of Trust
50. The Gift of Grandchildren
51. Foolish Children
52. Strong and Secure
53. Overcoming an Offense
54. A Wife s Blessing
55. Wisdom Yields Patience
56. Be Kind to the Poor
57. Avoid Enablement
58. On Purpose
59. Marvelously Made
60. Words of Worth
61. Divinely Directed
62. A Season of Separation
63. The Pursuit of Pleasure
64. A Good Name
65. Remove Troublemakers
66. Easily Angered
67. Responsible Eating
68. A Waste of Time
69. The Right Path
70. Advisers and Guidance
71. Lifeguard
72. Keep Showing Up
73. The Refining Process
74. A Cooldown Period
75. Refreshing Relationships
76. Diligence, Not Excuses
77. Discretion, Not Gossip
78. Deception Self-Destructs
79. Focus on Today
80. Faithful Friendship
81. The Test of Praise
82. Stand Your Ground
83. Discerning People Obey God
84. An Opportunity to Change
85. Compelling Vision
86. Daily Bread
87. The Question of Affluence
88. Sober Leadership
89. Speak Up
90. The Virtuous Woman
How to Become a Disciple of Jesus Christ
About the Author
Wisdom Hunters Resources by Boyd Bailey
About the Publisher
Acknowledgments
Thank you, Rita, for asking me, Is this the wise thing to do?
Thank you, Rebekah, Rachel, Bethany, and Anna Grace, for being daughters who seek to make wise choices.
Thank you, JT, Tripp, and Todd, for being sons-in-law who walk with the wise!
Thank you, George Morgan, for a life that modeled daily meditation on the Proverbs.
Thank you, Donna Reed, Susan Fox, and Lee McCutchan, for your expert editing.
Thank you, Charlie and Patty Renfroe, for being mentors who exemplify wise decision making.
Thank you, Steve Reed, for instructing me in wisdom, especially the seven years we traveled together.
Thank you, Lanny Donoho, Mike Kendrick, Woody Faulk, and Joel Manby, for ten years of accountability in wise decision making.
Introduction

W isdom is what every God-fearing person wants. The Lord has put in the heart of His disciples a desire to live with His perspective. Indeed, a heart of wisdom continues to grow as a follower of Jesus seeks to know Him and understand His Word. Hunting for wisdom is a process of humble learning that lasts a lifetime. The wise never arrive in their acquisition of God s knowledge, wisdom, and principles for living. Students continue seeking wisdom.
When I was 31 years old, a friend described to me his wisdom journey. I listened intently because his life was worth emulating. He was the spiritual leader of his family, a respected businessman, and a student of the Scriptures. Astonishingly, for ten years he daily read a chapter in Proverbs based on the day of the month. For example, on May 3 he read Proverbs 3 and meditated on its meaning for his life.
I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to accept that same challenge, so from age 31 to age 41, each day I read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponded with the day of the month. The lessons I learned mirrored my life experiences so often, it was uncanny. Everything I gleaned, from the wise management of money to avoiding sexual temptation, transformed my behavior. Ideas about parenting, marriage, and relationships motivated me to serve others selflessly.
When we apply the principles of Proverbs to our lives, we are changed. If we humbly and consistently follow these extremely practical teachings, we grow in Christ s character. Once the Holy Spirit illumines our mind to understand the enormous benefit of living out the Lord s principles, we become responsible to embed them in our behavior. Knowledge without application results in lifeless pseudo spirituality.
So we struggle together to be consistent with honest speech, kind attitudes, humble service, and sharing the truth in love. Like an athlete in training, we work hard at developing godly habits. The process is painful and frustrating at times, but we stay the course of character development for Christ s sake. Proverbs applied produce the fruit of faith.
I am grateful that Solomon, the instrument God s Spirit used to pen these inspired and inerrant words, was a work in progress himself. He did not always practice what he preached, and he suffered because of his foolish decisions. But he was wise to come back to the baseline of belief in the ways of the Lord as the best course for living. You and I will stumble along the way, and our actions will be inconsistent, but we are wise to regularly recalibrate for Christ.
Are you looking to love the Lord and people with authenticity? Do you want to be a leader worth following, a father who is admired, a mother who is appreciated, a child who is pleasant, a disciple of Jesus who is growing in grace? If so, then seek to know God s heart on how to live life, which He beautifully lays out in the principles of Proverbs.
The book of Proverbs is not like a magic wand that we use to make every difficult situation simply disappear, but it is a guide that shapes our thoughts, prayers, and experiences. Follow Jesus as He reveals His ways in these wise and ancient words that have proven true for more than 3000 years. Wisdom has a track record of bolstering our trust in God, love for God, and fear of God. Be wise!
1
Keep Learning

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.
Proverbs 1:5
W ise men and women are lifelong learners. The knowledge and understanding that served us well last year will not be sufficient for following years. The lessons we are learning today are preparing us for tomorrow. Wise and discerning people listen and learn. They listen to people around them and learn what to do and what not to do.
Another person s tragedy can warn us of decisions to avoid. When you see a family destroyed by debt, you learn