G'day friends, it's Pastor Joe here. In this part of our study on Prevailing Proverbs, we delved into divine wisdom from Proverbs chapter 2. God's wisdom offers heaven's solutions to earth's problems—a godly response to human matters.

We read from the Amplified Bible, verses 11-19, where discretion watches over us and understanding keeps us safe. This protects us from evil people: those who speak perversely, lie, forsake upright paths for darkness, rejoice in evil, and are devious. It also warns against the "alien woman" who flatters, abandons her covenant, leading to death and no return to life's paths.

These wrong people embody evil thinking, speech, actions, and lifestyles that, unchecked, evolve into tragedies. I've seen this in 40 years of ministry—problems spiralling from ungodly decisions, leading to personal and multi-generational failure. Yet, we can circumvent this through God's wisdom, highlighting differences and guiding us back.

The alternative? Verse 20: Walk in the way of good people, keeping to righteous paths. Build life, community, and nations with them. Church attendance is crucial—mingle with like-minded believers, sharing journeys. If between churches, attend eight consecutive services to discern fit. Provision in God is geographical, like Elijah at Cherith and Zarephath.

From Acts 2:40-42, Peter urged saving from a perverse generation; 3,000 were baptised, devoting to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayers. Hebrews 10:25 warns against neglecting assembly, urging encouragement as the day approaches.

Maintain upward-striving relationships; assist those needing it. Life's tough—seek godly connections and avoid unchanging wrong people (unless unavoidable, like marriage—then pray and build inwardly).

Verse 22: The wicked are cut off; treacherous rooted out. Darkness won't produce light. Praise God for His blueprint via wisdom for a successful life, protecting from evil.

Moving to Proverbs 3:13-20, happy is he who finds wisdom and understanding from God's word and experiences. Mix it up in life—I've faced unemployment, lost a house, but persisted like job-hunting with 25 resumes daily. Never give up, inspired by Elon Musk's rocket trials.

Wisdom is more precious than silver or gold—her ways pleasant, paths peace. She trees life, brings favour. God founded earth by wisdom, established heavens by understanding.

Pray: Show me blind spots, wrongs to fix. Homework: Check gold/silver prices—wisdom's gain exceeds them.

We'll continue next week. God bless—sign up at livingsuccess.org for podcasts.

G'day friends, Pastor Joe here from the Helping You Become podcast. Thanks for sharing this transcript from our study on Prevailing Proverbs. Here's a summary in under 4000 characters:

In this episode, we dive into Proverbs chapter 2, emphasising the pursuit of godly wisdom. I begin with a prayer, thanking God for His Word and asking the Holy Spirit to guide us into revelation knowledge. Reading verses 1-10, I highlight the call to receive God's words, treasure His commandments, and actively seek wisdom like hidden silver.

Key points include making our ears attentive and hearts inclined to understanding, crying out for insight. The reward? Understanding the fear of the Lord and gaining knowledge from God Himself. Verse 6 differentiates divine wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from earthly, experience-based wisdom.

Verses 7-8 are powerful: God stores wisdom for the righteous, acts as a shield for those walking in integrity, guards paths of justice, and preserves His saints. I define wisdom as heaven's solutions to earthly matters, providing protection—even from our mistakes—through integrity.

I reference Joshua 1:8 on meditating on the Word for success, and stress remaining teachable and reachable by the Holy Spirit. As we build wisdom, gratitude grows, leading to confidence in verses like Romans 8:31-32 (if God is for us, who can be against us?) and Hebrews 13:5-6 (God won't forsake us).

Verse 9 promises understanding righteousness, justice, and fair dealing in every area. Verse 10 says wisdom enters the heart, urging us to guard it diligently (Proverbs 4:23). I share a story of watching a skilled builder, likening godly wisdom to a tool used expertly.

We wrap up noting our dedication at Living Success to helping you become all you can in Christ. Check livingsuccess.org for free resources.

G'day friends, it's Pastor Joe here. In this message from Proverbs 1 and 2, I emphasised the vital importance of seeking God's wisdom—practical, intellectual, moral, and probing—for navigating life's rapid changes. Wisdom cries out in the streets, urging us to turn from simplicity, scoffing, and foolishness. If we heed her call, she'll pour out her spirit and reveal her words to us.

I encouraged everyone to actively pursue this wisdom by creating space in daily routines: rise an hour earlier, cut back on scrolling (averaging 108 minutes daily in some stats), and dedicate two hours a day for 90 days to Bible study and prayer. This investment can transform lives, equating to significant value if we consider time as money—up to $175,000 in three years at $40/hour for excessive phone use.

Proverbs 2 personalises it: "My son" (or daughter), if you receive my words, make your ear attentive, cry out for insight, and search for wisdom like hidden treasure, you'll understand the fear of the Lord and find knowledge of God. This reverent fear keeps us humble, guards against pride, and propels an upward-focused life.

We must take our Christianity into the marketplace—join clubs, committees, and community activities to shore up society amid alarming paces of change. Every day in Scripture is a treasure hunt, full of heaven's solutions for earthly matters.

Remember, we're co-labourers with God, His field under cultivation. Embrace this quest disciplinedly; it's conditional on our willingness. For resources, visit livingsuccess.org—subscribe to podcasts, share the "So What's Next?" study, and let's aim to distribute a million copies.

God bless you abundantly as you pursue His wisdom.