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A Journey Through Proverbs: Chapter 2
Foundational Texts
Proverbs 2:1-8 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. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.”
Matthew 6:25-34 NLT
““That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Proverbs 2:9-22 NKJV
“Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things, From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, And who are devious in their paths; To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words, Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God. For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead; None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life— So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness. For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it; But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.”
Key Takeaways
* We should be earnestly seeking the kingdom of God. Some of those things include wisdom, discernment, knowledge, and understanding. This requires consistent time dwelling in the presence of God. When you follow this blueprint, God will provide for you everything that you need — even things you don’t realize you need. Place Him first and foremost as the priority in your life and watch how everything around you not only transforms, but elevates.
* The principles of praying without ceasing. Spend time with God in your secret place, but then take Him with you out of this space. Invite God into the mundane, routine tasks of your day, and you will increase your awareness of His presence and ability to discern and sense Him around you at all times. Praying without ceasing leads to protection. Literally, abide in God’s presence at all times. Start off with small, simple things — God can do a lot with your little.
* When you build up your faith and trust in God through the small things, it makes it that much easier to trust in Him for the big thing(s) because you have this long and solid precedence of how He has showed up for you previously [See David & Goliath | 1 Samuel 17]. Where you are now is training ground for the future, even when it looks nothing like the promise, vision, and/or anointing that God has revealed to you about your life. One of the greatest and most transformative experiences of your life will be when you come to the realization for yourself that there is absolutely no aspect of your life that God does not care about and that He doesn’t want to be a part of.
* Even with words that are familiar, look up the definition — this will unlock key understanding and revelation in the text. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in this endeavor, otherwise it can become counterproductive. If there’s a particular word that stands out to you, a word that is repeated multiple times within the passage you’re studying, and/or you have this urge that you just can’t get past, that is The Holy Spirit urging you to go deeper. Reading the AMP version can help with this as well, which leads me to my next point:
* Read God’s word in multiple translations. Reading the same text in multiple translations can help to reveal key context, insight, and understanding. A slight difference in phrasing and/or word usage can be just the thing you need to ignite that lightbulb in a text that had you stumped. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask God, ask your community, but don’t stay stuck on an island by yourself.
* God created us to be in community, but make sure you allow Him to provide said community. Also, seek God FIRST before you talk to others. He will help you stop the outside noise from coming in the first place so you don’t have to worry about trying to turn it down. When you allow God to guide you on who to talk to about what, you will receive answers to things that you haven’t even voiced out loud to that person yet — that is a sign that they are being led by the Spirit to be a messenger on God’s behalf. I feel like this is a great space and opportunity to suggest Priscilla Shirer’s Book Discerning the Voice of God. It was a great aid for me early in my journey and I have reread it twice since then to refresh and see how my communication with God has evolved.
* Let God be your blueprint, not people. If you rely on your own understanding, it will be too late by the time you recognize that they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing. God’s wisdom and discernment will help you to identify when you are in the presence of people who are willfully choosing to disobey and walk in opposition of Him.
* Consistent heart checks will keep you in alignment. I sometimes ask God to do a “root-cause-analysis” on me or to give me a “full body tune-up” just to check-in and make sure there’s nothing lurking that I’ve missed, check for any wounds that need tending to, ensure that my heart is still postured towards Him, and that I am in alignment with His will. I ask Him to completely dispel my taste/appetite for any desires that did not come from Him. I ask God to reroute me if I’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere and I’m no longer on the path that He paved. Don’t assume that no opposition means alignment and don’t think that obstacles mean you heard God wrong. To be fair, it’s usually the opposite. Satan doesn’t oppose what he has no reason to feel threatened by. But it’s always good to check-in with God and be sure because the opposition you’re facing could also be Him getting your attention so you can pivot and reroute — hence the root-cause-analysis.
* Don’t put a comma where God put a period. When God is done speaking, don’t continue the conversation to yourself unilaterally. He does not need you to add on to His plan, problem solve, or work things out. All God asks for is your obedience and your faith in Him to do exactly what He said He would do.
As the text begins to ramp up and we grow deeper into biblical wisdom and the practicality of applying it to everyday life, we will slow down a bit and I will break the chapters down into more than one session as led by The Holy Spirit. Once again, the main objective of this journey is true transformation and renewal, not just reaching the finish line.
If you have any questions, insights, or personal accounts that you want to add, do not hesitate to join the discussion. I look forward to continued communion with y’all as we grow together, while growing deeper.
I love you, I pray that you love you, & just know that God loves you right up to the moon and back ✨🤎
To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. I do not put any of my writings or videos behind a paywall, so becoming a paid subscriber is simply a means of supporting my ministry that is always accessible to all.
Get full access to The Village with B. DeShae at thevillagebdeshae.substack.com/subscribe
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By B.DeShae✨🤎Foundational Texts
Proverbs 2:1-8 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. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.”
Matthew 6:25-34 NLT
““That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Proverbs 2:9-22 NKJV
“Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things, From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, And who are devious in their paths; To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words, Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God. For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead; None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life— So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness. For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it; But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.”
Key Takeaways
* We should be earnestly seeking the kingdom of God. Some of those things include wisdom, discernment, knowledge, and understanding. This requires consistent time dwelling in the presence of God. When you follow this blueprint, God will provide for you everything that you need — even things you don’t realize you need. Place Him first and foremost as the priority in your life and watch how everything around you not only transforms, but elevates.
* The principles of praying without ceasing. Spend time with God in your secret place, but then take Him with you out of this space. Invite God into the mundane, routine tasks of your day, and you will increase your awareness of His presence and ability to discern and sense Him around you at all times. Praying without ceasing leads to protection. Literally, abide in God’s presence at all times. Start off with small, simple things — God can do a lot with your little.
* When you build up your faith and trust in God through the small things, it makes it that much easier to trust in Him for the big thing(s) because you have this long and solid precedence of how He has showed up for you previously [See David & Goliath | 1 Samuel 17]. Where you are now is training ground for the future, even when it looks nothing like the promise, vision, and/or anointing that God has revealed to you about your life. One of the greatest and most transformative experiences of your life will be when you come to the realization for yourself that there is absolutely no aspect of your life that God does not care about and that He doesn’t want to be a part of.
* Even with words that are familiar, look up the definition — this will unlock key understanding and revelation in the text. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in this endeavor, otherwise it can become counterproductive. If there’s a particular word that stands out to you, a word that is repeated multiple times within the passage you’re studying, and/or you have this urge that you just can’t get past, that is The Holy Spirit urging you to go deeper. Reading the AMP version can help with this as well, which leads me to my next point:
* Read God’s word in multiple translations. Reading the same text in multiple translations can help to reveal key context, insight, and understanding. A slight difference in phrasing and/or word usage can be just the thing you need to ignite that lightbulb in a text that had you stumped. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask God, ask your community, but don’t stay stuck on an island by yourself.
* God created us to be in community, but make sure you allow Him to provide said community. Also, seek God FIRST before you talk to others. He will help you stop the outside noise from coming in the first place so you don’t have to worry about trying to turn it down. When you allow God to guide you on who to talk to about what, you will receive answers to things that you haven’t even voiced out loud to that person yet — that is a sign that they are being led by the Spirit to be a messenger on God’s behalf. I feel like this is a great space and opportunity to suggest Priscilla Shirer’s Book Discerning the Voice of God. It was a great aid for me early in my journey and I have reread it twice since then to refresh and see how my communication with God has evolved.
* Let God be your blueprint, not people. If you rely on your own understanding, it will be too late by the time you recognize that they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing. God’s wisdom and discernment will help you to identify when you are in the presence of people who are willfully choosing to disobey and walk in opposition of Him.
* Consistent heart checks will keep you in alignment. I sometimes ask God to do a “root-cause-analysis” on me or to give me a “full body tune-up” just to check-in and make sure there’s nothing lurking that I’ve missed, check for any wounds that need tending to, ensure that my heart is still postured towards Him, and that I am in alignment with His will. I ask Him to completely dispel my taste/appetite for any desires that did not come from Him. I ask God to reroute me if I’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere and I’m no longer on the path that He paved. Don’t assume that no opposition means alignment and don’t think that obstacles mean you heard God wrong. To be fair, it’s usually the opposite. Satan doesn’t oppose what he has no reason to feel threatened by. But it’s always good to check-in with God and be sure because the opposition you’re facing could also be Him getting your attention so you can pivot and reroute — hence the root-cause-analysis.
* Don’t put a comma where God put a period. When God is done speaking, don’t continue the conversation to yourself unilaterally. He does not need you to add on to His plan, problem solve, or work things out. All God asks for is your obedience and your faith in Him to do exactly what He said He would do.
As the text begins to ramp up and we grow deeper into biblical wisdom and the practicality of applying it to everyday life, we will slow down a bit and I will break the chapters down into more than one session as led by The Holy Spirit. Once again, the main objective of this journey is true transformation and renewal, not just reaching the finish line.
If you have any questions, insights, or personal accounts that you want to add, do not hesitate to join the discussion. I look forward to continued communion with y’all as we grow together, while growing deeper.
I love you, I pray that you love you, & just know that God loves you right up to the moon and back ✨🤎
To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. I do not put any of my writings or videos behind a paywall, so becoming a paid subscriber is simply a means of supporting my ministry that is always accessible to all.
Get full access to The Village with B. DeShae at thevillagebdeshae.substack.com/subscribe