3 Jan 2016; Proverbs

3 Jan 2016; Proverbs

The greatest danger in life is that we do not know that we are in danger.

2 dangers that the soul faces:
The inner life faces the danger of the compulsion that corrupts us.
Prov 1:32 The naive and the complacency.

For the simple are killed by their turning away,

and the complacency of fools destroys them;

The compulsion of greed and pride.

Greed:
v10

My son, if sinners entice you,

do not consent.

Greed robs us of something inside us, though the intend is to get gain.

The antidote to greed is to GIVE.
Even though you can afford, there is still no need to buy - de clutter.

Enjoy the beauty of simplicity


Pride:
v22

“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

3 groups of
The simple or the naive, the scoffers or those who sneer at the knowledge of God. The proud those whose confident is in themselves.

Proud people cannot see. As such we need a community. People to check on us. Like minded person walking together. We are called together to walk in community committed in the pilgrimage of wisdom.

Pro 27:2

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;

a stranger, and not your own lips.

The proud sing their own praises, but let praises comes from others.

The addiction of the souls (the compulsions that corrupts the soul due to addiction)
The things that satisfy us and anything that grips us in our compulsion to greed and pride.
That addiction will robs us the joy in God and that addiction to our souls will make us lose our bearing in God. We are in a wrong illusion. We think that it is the most desired, most beautiful.
Corrupts us from within.

The complacency that destroy ( the compulsions that leads to complacency)
Pro 1:32

For the simple are killed by their turning away,

and the complacency of fools destroys them;

Complacency blinds our ability to see and our capacity to act.

3 phases of complacency:
Not listening, selective listening, lips service (un-centered life, off centered life, mis-centered life)

Pro 1: 27-28

when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

Because
v29

Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

If you do not fear the Lord, then troubles will come to you.

What captures your heart will either corrupts it or consecrate it.
What is at the thrones of your heart? Jesus?

The journey is not going to be smooth, fear the Lord and you will have wisdom that enable you to walk away from your compulsion. Draw me to God and captured by Him.

Do what we know and we will know what to do. We do not do the things we know - the things of God.

Again what captures your heart?
Decline of soul - the decline is slowly, it is regular, nothing can deliver us away from the decline.

To stop the decline.
To humble ourselves.
I see as you see, the fear of the Lord comes in our lives
I will denounce the illusion of my life
Capture my heart.