Wise and Prudent

STUDY: # 937-CHURCH IN THE HOUSES FROM: APRIL 4 - 10, 2017

Topic: "Wise and Prudent" Hosea 14:9

"Who is WISE to understand this and SAGE to know it? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk through them; but the rebellious shall fall upon them." The righteous who walks in the ways of the holy God is wise and prudent; he is the just who knows God intimately and acts accordingly. On the contrary, transgressors and rebels will stumble in the ways God has set before their people to walk. So, the same paths, in one case lead to LIFE and in another to DEATH. Those who walk righteously in the ways of God are not only righteous but also wise and prudent, but transgressors are wicked, foolish and reckless, for with their sins they draw their own ruin upon themselves, they will stumble and FALL. You have to walk in the truth (Psalm 26:3 "For your mercy is before my eyes, and I WALK IN YOUR TRUTH."). The ways of the LORD are rightful. We should walk in the truth. The psalmist says: I walk in the truth! The world speaks of truth; but the best thing is to WALK IN IT! It is spoken a great deal about the truth, but very few walk in it. He who walks in the ways of the Holy God walks in the truth! When you have decided to know God intimately, He must be close to you! When one walks according to what one desires, according to what one thinks and suggests, we walk SEEKING WELL-BEING FOR OURSELVES, but when one walks in the path of Jehovah one walks FOR WHAT THE LORD WANTS! Observe your thoughts, what you think, what you would like, that is your way! If it is in the way of truth you will walk for God and you will be IN THE TRUTH! Some promise to do well in the future, but their resolutions, their plans to change, crumble. Only the regenerated man can say: "I walk in your truth." He who truly makes the decision to change, changes. That person makes a firm decision and leaves what hinders him to follow the ways of Jehovah. He follows the path, but lightly, not burdened with thoughts and machinations. The entangled thoughts of this world and the machinations lead men to stumble and fall in the way of the righteous, the path by which they pretend to walk. If you complicate your life and become embroiled in your machination, in the righteous ways of Jehovah you will not stand firm, but rather you will fall. The rebellious and reckless will not be able to overtake, they will stumble and fall, they will not be able to walk in the right paths that God has established to be walked IN THE TRUTH! Teach me! (Psalm 86:11 "Teach me, O Lord, your way, I will walk in your truth, affirm my heart to fear your name.") Who teaches us is THE HOLY SPIRIT! Teach me YOUR way! I will walk in your truth. It is not for everyone, it is for the one who decides to be a servant of the living God. It is not being a member of a church, anyone can be a member of the church. It is not being a moral being, but a SPIRITUAL BEING! Walking in the truth is not necessarily for the man who wants to be a person with good morals, because he will not succeed if he does not want to know the Holy Spirit in order to be a spiritual person. It is not a matter of being moral, it is being spiritual! Then, this way one will walk in the truth. How much we have to die! We must live according to the Scriptures! But, unfortunately, the Scriptures are sought for convenience, it is not done to live in the Word the day, the year, the whole life! If the one who looks at you could

see the Bible stamped on you in what your life is, then yes, everyone will know that you walk in the truth. Do what the Word commands! Simple, do and do not start to reason, just do what it says. Obedience to the commandments of the Lord is an excellent way for us to make the Bible known to others. To have the Scriptures is: THAT WE DIRECT ALL OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS IN CONFORMANCE TO IT! By possessing the rule of the Word we regulate our life by means of it. But, if we do not make use of it and do not regulate our lives, then we will live in the same disorder of the rebellious and wicked. It's like trying to ride a new bike and lose the instructions! To walk as righteous in the ways of God let us use and love the Holy Scriptures, for those are "the instructions." 2 John 1:4 "I rejoiced greatly because I have found some of your children walking in the truth, according to the commandment we receive from the Father." John is very glad when he discovers that the brothers conduct themselves in the truth. He was glad when he learned that some of the members lived according to the truth. Others, apparently not! That is to say, in the church there is division when DIFFERENT WAYS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN! John has the remedy for all things, which is: LOVE! 2 John 1:5-6 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a NEW command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk in obedience to his commandments. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is THAT YOU WALK IN LOVE." NEW: "...that we love one another." Jesus Himself said it (John 13:34) "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also love one another."). He said: "...as I have loved you..." You would not betray, you would not demand, you would not drown, you would not measure the brothers when you love. There is where you stumble, if you do not love. Only love can lift everything in your life, it is not with evil or accusation. If you do, well it is simple: you have already stumbled in the path of the righteous! When there is criticism and resentment, then comes hostility, discussion and controversy to widen the division. But, LOVE is the only thing TO RESTORE THE LOST RELATIONSHIP! To conclude we repeat the verse of the subject: "Who is WISE to understand this and SAGE to know it? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk through them; but the rebellious shall fall upon them." Be wise and prudent and, as a righteous, walk in truth and in love. Proceed thus in the ways of the Lord, who are upright, until that great day when you come to His presence and contemplate His glory with great joy and happiness. Amen.