Apply Wisdom to Life's Circumstances: The Wisdom of Solomon

By Pastor Bobby Keating

'Apply Wisdom to Life's Circumstances: The Wisdom of Solomon' is a guide to applying the wisdom found in King Solomon's Proverbs to situations and circumstances that we all face today. Some of the topics covered are: Relationships with your spouse, your children, your friends, your co-workers or employees. Creating a plan of action for a new or existing business and your finances. This book will help you become successful in every area of your life.

During the Golden Age in Israel, the nobility used King Solomon's Proverbs to teach their children how to be successful in government, commerce and every other leadership role. This was called the College of Wisdom and the 'Living Laws' found in Proverbs was taught.

This book is a companion to the book 'Wisdom: A Commentary on King Solomon's Proverbs.' Both books were written to bring life to the Proverbs and to teach this wisdom in an easy to read and understand format. The information in the Proverbs is as relevant today as it was in the days of Solomon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pastor Bobby Keating
• Release date: Apr 2, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458187154

Pastor Bobby Keating

Pastor Bobby is an Evangelist, prison minister, addiction counselor, published author, diligent student of God's Holy Word and a speaker. He is the developer/Director of The Christian Success Institute at http://christian-success-institute.com

Book preview

BECOME A DILIGENT STUDENT!

It is my sincere belief that God not only wants each believer to succeed but He has also given us the instruction on how we can be successful. The Holy Bible (God’s Holy Word) is filled with exhortations and positive directions for our success. If you study the Holy Bible with an open mind, an open heart and a desire to understand, you can easily see that throughout the history of God’s relationship with man His desire for His believers is that they live life with abundance, that they succeed in their endeavors and that they draw closer to Him.

Some people believe that the study of biblical prosperity principles is a shameful study. Others have based their entire ministry on the pursuit of prosperity. Some promote the idea that teaching the Bible, the Holy Scripture, as a guide to earthly prosperity, is wrong. People with this point of view are, in my humble opinion, not well informed and have missed the point. The study of biblical prosperity principles (biblical success) is necessary because a balanced view is essential.

These biblical principles are indeed a major point in Christian living. First, let’s not confuse material wealth with prosperity. There is no shame in being wealthy (it is a pretty nice predicament.) Biblical prosperity principles teach us to be healthy, wealthy and wise. They teach us that success is not measured by material wealth but by a balance between the physical being and the spiritual being.

The Greek word used for prosperity in the Bible (New Testament) is εύοδοος (ev-o-tho-os), which means to succeed in reaching a destination or on a long journey. ευ means good or well done and οδος means journey or road or way. I do not want to get too scholarly but to show that the Bible not only mentions prosperity but also instructs us in how to have a successful journey.

The objective is not to completely immerse ourselves in these prosperity principles to the point that they might obscure our view of who we are but to learn to use these principles as we seek the Kingdom of God. We do not have to be poor, to lack the things we need and want, to be good Christians. We must not let the pursuit of good things (wealth) lead us down the wrong path. We must learn responsibility in order to be good stewards of the wealth that God has and will put in our hands. The objective should not be the wealth but the opportunity to prove ourselves to be faithful stewards.

The following pages will give you specific Bible references to help you develop a biblical perspective of prosperity. These principles need to become an integral part of every Christian’s life. In the secular world men are judged by the amount of success they enjoy. We, as Christians, need to show the world that we can be wealthy and be good stewards of God’s property.

It would be a good idea to use this guide in conjunction with Wisdom – A Commentary on King Solomon’s Proverbs

Introduction

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This is a guide for applying the wisdom found in King Solomon’s Proverbs to our daily lives. We must consider that the wisdom contained in The Proverbs is directly related to the level of success that we enjoy in every area of our lives.

First, let’s consider the term ‘success.’ Success is, as defined by http://dictionary.reference.com, The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted. Most people equate success with financial gain but this severely limits the term. When we set a goal and diligently work toward that goal we can achieve that desired, planned or attempted goal. We can have successful relationships with our spouses, our children, our parents and our friends. We can enjoy successful relationships with our employer or our employees. We can reach goals in our personal development, our spiritual development, our finances or our educational development. Success is basically reaching a goal that we have set.

This study is designed to instruct you, according to the teaching of King Solomon, to achieve success in every area of life. I sincerely pray that you will study this guide and apply it to your daily life and endeavors. We need to attain a level of success in our life as a whole in order to gain and maintain success in any particular endeavor. For example, financial gain (success) without successful relationships with family and friends will not lead you to happiness. It is important for each of us to realize that a well rounded successful life is God’s desire for each of us.

2 Timothy 2:15 — Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Chapter 1 Perspective

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Biblical success principles are dangerous. We must first develop a perspective of what success really means and how we need to apply this to our lives.

Some feel, and with reason, that those who preach prosperity are leading good Christians away from Christ. Some are! Some teach only of material success. This is neither the belief nor the objective of this success training. The importance of biblical prosperity principles is defined by the need for the ‘nay-sayers’ not to misinterpret or miss the primary objective of success training. Without a proper understanding of biblical prosperity principles it would be easy to think that the primary objective is only material wealth without the balance of spiritual wealth.

The first thing that needs to be understood is that the only way that a Christian can be successful is to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven. As Jesus told us, when we seek the Kingdom of Heaven first all of the other things will be added to us. This principle holds greater weight than any of the other biblical prosperity principles. Let’s look at Romans 8:28¬-39, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Paul is telling us here that in all things (good thing and bad things) God Almighty, the Creator of this world, works for the good of those who love him. You see the key here is for those who love him. This is the reason that it is desperately important for us to seek first God and His Kingdom. We need to make our goal to be God’s presence and not the material things. When we make God the most important objective, everything else is provided. We have been called according to His purpose. He has a reason for each one of us to exist. We are not, as the world would like for us to think, pawns on a chess board. We are the players called by God. This is one of the most important biblical prosperity principles that you will learn.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

It is a key here for us to understand that God foreknew us. If you read the first chapter of Jeremiah you see that God told Jeremiah and us, I knew you before you were conceived in your mother’s womb. God knew us in our pure spiritual form before we became flesh and blood.

He also predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He (the Son) might be the firstborn among many brothers. He also called those (us) whom He predestined. He also justified those (us) whom He called. Pay close attention now. He also glorified those whom He justified.

Why do I wear nice suits and drive a nice car? Because I have been predestined, called, justified and glorified!

Paul continues: What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

We need to be constantly reminded that if God is for us, who can be against us? This is important information in our success training and should be a daily affirmation. The powers, principalities and our enemy in this world will constantly come against us. Our enemy will try to convince us that we are alone and cut off from God. He wants to isolate us and make us feel defeated. If God is for us means Since God is for us. Since God is for us we have nothing to fear because He has not given us a spirit of fear. Believe that you are called, justified and predestined to be glorified. You are a success because that is the way God wants it.

Remember: He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him (Christ), graciously give us all things?

How much plainer can it be? Every word of this is true! It is either all true or not true at all. He will graciously give us all things when we put Him first. Of all of the biblical prosperity principles we must keep this primary (our Prime Directive.)

Paul reminds us and we need to remind ourselves, especially when things look dark: Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Our enemy and those who do his work (sometimes our bosses, our friends, family members, etc.) will tell us that it is impossible for us to do something, to succeed and have good things. Job’s wife told him to curse God for his misfortune and to die. Know that Christ is at the right hand of Almighty God the Father interceding for us. Satan accuses, Jesus comes to our defense.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

We were never promised that life would be easy. Christ told us that men would hate us and that we would suffer trials and tribulations. But he did not say that we would have to suffer these things alone. He told us that He would never leave us nor forsake us. We will suffer troubles, hard times and even some lean times. Paul quoted Isaiah when he wrote: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Every day we face death (spiritual and physical.) He says we are considered as sheep to the slaughter not that we are. The world may consider us to be sheep to the slaughter but we KNOW that we are not.

The next quote is the crux of these biblical prosperity principles. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

In ‘what’ things? Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword! We are, by decree of the Creator of the Universe, CONQUERORS. Conquerors succeed.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Recap this biblical prosperity principle: We, by decree of Almighty God and the intercession of Christ, are meant to SUCCEED. But we must not let success on its own be our goal. We succeed through and because of Christ. He is our goal and we need to make Him first in our lives. Success is a by-product of our seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven. See yourself successful.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Chapter 2 Objectives

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We have discussed the biblical prosperity principles as they pertain to perspective. Now let’s explore the biblical principles that will help us formulate our objectives.

Many uninformed and, dare I say, brainwashed preachers, look at biblical prosperity as evil and as the world’s attempt to get the minds of Christians and non-believers off Christ and His teaching. Fortunately, for those who have actually studied God’s Holy Word, we can see in His Scripture the promises and the principle (wisdom) that He, through His teaching, has provided us, encouraging and uplifting scripture to support biblical prosperity principles.

Here I am going to reveal to you the Biblical Success System (source of our biblical prosperity principles) that has been in place since the creation of Adam and Eve. Just image a wonderful, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent Creator as He plans a world for His beloved creation, man. He creates a world with everything that His creation needs or could ever want, beautiful in every respect. God created a world of wealth and ultimate beauty. Man had to do nothing but enjoy it. However, because man allowed sin (lust) to come into his world, he no longer had everything given to him. It was and is still there. However, now he has to work for it.

How does it glorify God for us to be poor, lacking even the necessities for living, uneducated, sick? It does not and God wants us to be successful. If He did not want us to be successful, why did He create all of this and, in His Holy Word, give us the directions to become successful? The key verse we need is Proverbs 4:7, Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding

God’s Word and God’s Wisdom are the same thing! Wisdom is supreme and all the wisdom of the ages is contained in the Holy Word of God. Our study and understanding of God’s Word is paramount to success. Please do not confuse the wisdom of God’s Word with rules and regulations. They are not the same. Wisdom is a guide. By using God’s Holy Word as our biblical success principles, we will never fail.

One of the strongest arguments against prosperity messages is 1 John 2:15 which states: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

This is clearly a true statement; first because it is in God’s Word. But, as is usually the case, this has been taken ‘out of context.’ I find this happens so often. To prove an idea, some take a portion of a scripture that supports their argument but do not include the clear picture of the scripture ‘in context.’

Let us look at that passage in context.

1 John 12:14-16 "I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.