The Family Bible Journey Podcast

Old King Solomon had everything, yet ended up depressed and reflective. In this chapter, we are encouraged to find the blessing in our place in life, wherever we are and whatever we may be doing. There is great blessing in honest labor, and much vexation if we seek satisfaction in the passing things of this life.

Ephesians is a bright light of Paul's epistles because it emphasizes the communion we have with God through Jesus Christ. Many passages of promise and confident assurance are found in these pages. As we explore the blessings of communion with God, we will be challenged to expand our understanding of the importance of our relationships with others in Christ Jesus. Our communion with God leads to a...

"A strand of three cords cannot be broken!" The old saying goes, "if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, bring others along." In this chapter, we hear of the benefits of togetherness, and going through life with God and those you love.

We hear the wisdom of embracing life in its seasons. For everything, there is a season, and there is beauty and wisdom to behold everywhere. We pray that God will show us this beauty wherever we find ourselves and whatever this life brings.

There are those who are going to insist on outside markers of spiritual purity, trying to delineate between true and false believers. We resist such temptation, knowing that we are not the judge. Only God gets to judge. Instead of judging others, we do better to judge ourselves in Christ, knowing that when He returns, He will welcome us into His presence not because of what we have done for Him, b...

Solomon sought fulfillment in entertainment, wealth, building great monuments and sex. In the end, everything he did for himself was a disappointment. We will fare no better if we think the things of this world will satisfy our craving desires.

Even though Solomon had everything the world could offer, when he sought lasting joy and peace in his earthly wealth, he felt empty. This king who once prayed for wisdom proved to be the fool. Let us learn from his mistakes not to try to find fulfillment in the fleeting things of this world, but in God alone.

For freedom Christ has set us free! Paul gets a little testy with his children in the faith who were testing him and took to task those who were leading them astray from Christ. We will learn how to use our freedom to honor God in Christ Jesus without forfeiting the blessings of His love.

We return to Proverbs 8:35-36, where we hear the Second Person of the Trinity tell us, from before the beginning of time, the blessings of Wisdom. May we seek to live in a way that brings God's life and love to bear on those around us, and by so doing, enrich and enliven them as He has us.

A most blessed spouse is described for us in this passage. The greatest earthly blessing we can attain in this life, besides the gift of salvation itself, is a godly spouse. Here, she is described in beautiful poetry, as a blessed gift from the Most High.

We grow in our understanding of God as Father when we consider the significance of God's invitation to pray to Him as, "Abba," "Father." This old Aramaic word is rich with meaning, all of it pertinent to a mature understanding of our relationship with God.

This prophet's identity, place and time have been lost to history. Yet, the wisdom of his words endure! He challenges the godly with "number" proverbs. These riddles give us much to ponder as we persist in patient faithfulness.

Worldly "wisdom" teaches that might makes right. In this final chapter of Solomon's proverbs, we are reminded that only the righteous will endure forever. God's promised justice brings His children comfort, even, maybe most especially, when they suffer for righteousness, as Jesus did.

What are the benefits of being God's child? Here, Paul begins a chapters-long discussion of our relationship with God as His children. It begins in this chapter by reminding us of God's faithfulness to all generations. The same loving care of the Heavenly Father that God's people have always known is ours in Christ Jesus.

When nations, businesses and even the Church are governed by those who are primarily concerned with power, or selfish aims, the whole organization suffers. The anitdote to human pride and selfishness is the wisdom of God, putting the other first, to serve the common good. May God grant us so to do!

We hear an encouragement to walk in the Lord's wisdom and to surround ourselves with good and faithful friends. When we do, we need not praise ourselves, because good and faithful people are praised as a blessing by others. How much more satisfying this is, to be praised by others, than to fall into the trap of self-promotion that is all too common in the world today.

In the middle of a heated debate, Paul proclaims one of his most confident assertions of faith. "I am crucified with Christ! It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me!" The faith that we have is the gift of Christ's righteousness as our own. This great exchange-God's righteousness for human sinfulness, is the basis of our salvation.

Many of the proverbs in this section are repeats or tweaks of earlier proverbs. Often times in ancient and Biblical literature, important parts are repeated towards the end of books, psalms and songs, so that we don't miss the most important parts.

Jesus uses one of the proverbs in this chapter a number of times in His earthly ministry. St. Paul also quotes another in Romans. The fact that both Jesus and St. Paul revered these words as God's unchanging truth, gives us great confidence as we seek and follow the Lord in faith.

Paul's spiritual children in the faith were being attacked by a group who were teaching that the work of salvation wasn't completed by Jesus. Paul takes to task those who were teaching that Christians had to accept portions of the Old Testament law to be "true" Christians. He begins his epistle on the offensive by correcting the false assertions of these false teachers. 

We live in a world full of people intent on blaming everyone else for what's wrong in the world, and even what they don't like about themselves. As God's chosen and redeemed people, we pay attention first and foremost to ourselves. We will seek the Lord and His way, even when our way is dark and dreary.

We live in a world without discipline. Everyone is engouraged to indulge every desire and seek happiness as the goal of life. Proverbs teaches that a little discipline goes a long way if we want to live a truly successful life.

We dare not judge others, knowing that there is only one Judge Who will matter in the end. How does the coming judgment affect our understanding of and relationships with others?

We are warned about the dangers of poverty, both financial and spiritual, in this chapter. It is the spiritual poverty of greed that leads many to financial ruin, as our financial system is designed to reward the rich and further impoverish the poor. But worse than suffering the effects of financial poverty is the corrosive effect of spiritual poverty, which allows one to justify impoverishing ano...

When we walk in the Lord's way, there is confidence that comes from following a true path. Even if we get distracted, or sidetracked, or stumble along the way, so long as we seek the Lord's way, we are heading in the right direction.