PRUDENT OR SIMPLE?

MEMORY VERSE: A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished. Proverbs 27:12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Daniel 1-6

READ: Judges 16: 6-21

Proverbs 27:12 says, “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.” The first thing you need to know about the prudent is that he is not blind. He has a pair of eyes and he sees with them. There was a nurse, some years back, whose daughter was 5 months pregnant and she didn’t know. The shocking thing was this girl lived with her. It was a man of God who brought her attention to the girl's protruding tummy and the change in her complexion. How can a nurse live with a 5 months pregnant girl and not know except that she has eyes but can’t see with them? Friend, can you see?

The prudent has foresight. He foresees things especially evil things. The moment something happens, he knows where it will end because he is alert. Samson had no foresight. Delilah made her evil intentions known from the first day she met him. She literally told him "Samson, i want to finish you". Judges 16:6 says, “And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.” Why did she want to know the secret of his great strength if not she intended on weakening him? On hearing this, i thought Samson would end the relationship but he didn't. He was so blinded by love, i guess, that he moved in with her. Delilah asked the secret of his great strength; at first he told her a lie, she tried it and failed. The same thing happened the second time and Samson still continued in the relationship. After two attempts on his life , a prudent man will run for his deal life but Samson remained. My beloved sister, can you foresee evil? A man once asked a lady (he was in a relationship with), “where are the weak points in your body”? Why will a man ask such a question if not that he intends on doing something with the information? Can you read between the lines? That single lady who is always asking you to come and pray with her when no one is around.... That single man who is always asking you to come and pass the night at his place.... I pray God will open your eyes in Jesus name.

The moment a prudent man foresees evil, he will hide himself from it. The moment a prudent sister hears a brother say he doesn't believe in sexual abstinence before marriage, she will withdraw from the brother. Such a sister knows that the ‘brother’ is yet to be saved even though he maybe a choir master. There are a lot of choir masters and head ushers who are not saved. All these are titles; they don’t represent a man’s heart. The moment a prudent brother hears a sister complaining of ‘mother –in-laws’ , he will retire back to the prayer room to make sure he has really heard from God. The moment a prudent man notices that he is often excited around a particular sister that is not his wife, he will run from her. The moment a prudent sister observes that any time she chats with a particular sister, she feels low in the spirit to the point of not being able to pray, she will withdraw from that sister or avoid long conversation with her.

PRAYER: Father, please open my eyes to see.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE PRUDENT DEALETH WITH KNOWLEDGE

MEMORY VERSE: Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly. Proverbs 13:16

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 119:33- 48, Proverbs 31:6, 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

To be prudent means to be careful, aware, cautious, mindful, observant, watchful, etc. Anywhere you find the word ‘prudent’ in the bible, you can substitute it with any of the words above. As a child of God, the Lord expects you to be prudent. The word of God says this: “see then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15).  You are expected to be prudent in how you spend the resources – time, energy, money, gifts, talents ,ideas – the Lord has put into your hands. Why do you need to be prudent in spending? Every one of us shall one day give accounts to God (Romans 4:12). If you have ever been a party to aborting a baby - either you were the doctor who performed the abortion or you had an abortion yourself or you encouraged your wife or girlfriend to have an abortion or you encouraged a friend  to have one or worse still, you forced someone to have an abortion – you will one day give account to God. Not only that, if you have ever accepted bribes to pervert the course of justice, and I hope you have not done any of these terrible things, you will one day give account before the Almighty God! This is why if you are still living in sin, you need to repent now! 2 Corinthians 6:2b says this: “behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.” Do it now because tomorrow might be too late.

Prudent people act with knowledge. Proverbs 13:16 says this: “Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.”  A prudent man will never invest into a business until he has made inquiries about the business. He will never go into a business because everyone in the neighbourhood is into that business. A prudent parent will first of all, make inquiries about a university before sending his children there. A prudent man does not do things just because everyone is doing it.  He has a reason for doing whatever he does. Many parents, especially Christians, do not mind their children participating in ‘Trick or Treat’ during Halloween. (Trick or Treat is a request by children as they pass from door to door asking for treats – threatening to play tricks on those who refuse to give). Many celebrate Halloween without knowing what it stands for. The Celtics, who started the Halloween celebration, believed that souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify evil and ensure that next year crops would be plentiful. This is what evolved into trick –or –treating. A prudent leader does not just promote people into position without first knowing them.  In addition, a prudent minister does not just ordain people as deacons because they speak in tongues. No! We want to know what they do or what kind business they are in to. A prudent man does not give contract to people or employ people because they go to the same church. There is nothing wrong in employing people from your church or giving out contracts to them but we want to know them before we employ them. We want to speak to their former employees or those who have given them contracts in the past.  A prudent sister does not just enter into a relationship with a man because her senior sister recommended him or because the brother attends the same church with her aunt. No Way! We need to ask the One who knows that brother inside out. The same applies to brothers too.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY:  Some mistakes are irrevocable, some are costly and some marks the end of a man.  Before taking any decision, pray and ask questions from people who know.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me never to hit the self-destruct button.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

A TIME TO FLEE

MEMORY VERSE: a prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished, Proverbs 22:3

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 8, Ps 139, Jer 2, Matt 16

The bible teaches that there is a time to flee if you are to achieve your purpose on earth. In Genesis 27:41-45 after Isaac had blessed Jacob, Esau arose and said he was going to kill him; Jacob fled. If he had not fled, Esau would have killed him and all the blessings would have been lost. Immediately after the 3 wise men departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he told him to take the baby and the mother and run to Egypt because there is a wicked king who wants the baby dead, Matthew 2:12-15. A time to flee is when the Almighty tells you to flee. There is also a time to run to battle. The bible records in 1 Samuel 17:14-51 that David charged at Goliath. In Exodus 5:1 we see Moses who had been running from Pharaoh for 40 years standing before him and demanding that he should let the children of Israel go. 

When you are dealing with external forces it is time to run to battle. Isaiah 54:17 says no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you in judgment shall be condemned. James 4:7 says resist the devil and he will flee from you. When you are dealing with demons, it is time to run to battle but when you are dealing with false brethren it is a time to flee. The question is this, how do I know when to flee? Proverbs 22:3 says a prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished.

What I am supposed to flee from? Anything that will annoy God. One of the things we need to run from is poison. Tithes are poison and should not be eaten, Malachi 3:8-11. Tithes belong to God so flee from nonpayment of tithes! We need to also flee from anything that dishonors God. When you do things that cause people to say ‘and you call yourself a Christian’ you are dishonoring your God. Proverbs 3:9-10 says honor God with your substances and the first fruit of your increase. If you do not honor God with these you are dishonoring Him. 2 Timothy 2:22 says flee from youthful lusts. What are youthful lusts? Fornication and adultery.1 Corinthians 6:18 says flee fornication. The bible says rebuke the devil but when it comes to fornication you have to flee. If someone is trying to suggest sex with you and you are not married to them, you are to flee from such not rebuke them! Another thing to flee from is inordinate ambition, 1 Timothy 6:9-11. Flee from get rich quick schemes like stealing and fraud. Get rich quick schemes kills and it gives first class ticket to hell.

QUESTION: What is it that you are doing that is causing people to say and you call yourself a Christian? Repent of such immediately.

Share this: