“Honer the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” (Prov. 3:9-10 NIV)

God disciplines those he loves 

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” (Prov. 3:11-12 NIV)

You are blessed when you find wisdom and gain understanding 

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.” (Prov. 3:13-15 NIV)

 Hold her fast and be blessed

“Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.” (Prov. 3:16-18 NIV)

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.” (Prov. 3:1-2 NIV)

Find favor and high esteem 

“Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.” (Prov. 3:3-4 NKJV)

God shall direct your paths

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct[a] your paths.” (Prov 3:5-6 NKJV)

 This will bring health to your body 

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Prov. 3:7-8 NIV)

“Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.” (Prov. 2:12-15 NKJV)

 Wisdom will save you from the paths of death 

“Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a] Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.” (Prov. 2:16-19 NKJV)

 You will keep to righteous paths 

“Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;” (Prov. 2:20-21 NKJV)

The wicked and the unfaithful will be cut off

“but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.” (Prov. 2:22 NKJV)

“My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.” (Prov. 2:1-5 NKJV)

The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding 

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6 NKJV)

Success is in store for the upright 

“He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.” (Prov. 2:7-8 NKJV)

Understanding will guard you 

“Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” (Prov. 2:9-11 NKJV)

“But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.” (Prov. 1:33 NKJV) 

 Warning! Don’t refuse God’s call

“Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord, They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.” (Prov. 1:24-32 NKJV)

 In other words, you reap what you sow 

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” (Gal. 6:7 NASB)

“Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.” (Prov. 1:20 NKJV)

 Wisdom cries aloud 

“She cries out in the chief concourses,[ At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?” (Prov. 1:21-22a NKJV)

 Fools hate knowledge 

“For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.” (Prov.1:22b NKJV)

Turn to God, surely He will make His Words known to you

“Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” (Prov. 1:23 NKJV)

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Prov. 1:7 NKJV)

Obey your mother and father

“My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.” (Prov. 1:8-9 NKJV)

Shun evil counsel

“My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. (Prov. 1:10 NKJV)

Keep away from evil people

“My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.” (Prov. 1:15-16 NKJV)

 Don’t be greedy for gain

“So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.” (Prov. 1:19 NKJV)

“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, judgment, and equity;” (Prov. 1:1-3 NKJV)

Read Proverbs every day!

The book of Proverbs is a wonderful and profitable book of the Bible to be read every day. There are 31 proverbs, one for each day of the month. I like to read it in many different translations. A year in KJV. Another year in NKJV, then NIV, NASB, NLT, and others. Even though I have read it over and over for many years, I continue to receive new and fresh insights from it. 

Proverbs will give prudence to the simple and help the young

“To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion…”  (Prov. 1:4 NKJV)

 Proverbs will increase the wise

“A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,” (Prov. 1:5 NKJV)

 Proverbs will increase your understanding of things

“To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.” (Prov. 1:6 NKJV)

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1 Cor. 4:2 NIV)

You have been given a trust 

In the above passage the word trust is used. Trust is defined by Webster’s dictionary as, “(1) a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship. (2) something committed or entrusted to one to be used or cared for in the interest of another. 

You are entrusted with God’s mysteries 

“This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.” (1 Cor. 4:1 NIV)

You must be a faithful steward above reproach

“For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.” (Titus 1:7 ESV)

You must work heartily for the Lord

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Col. 3:23-24 ESV)