The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

We live life as it were on the edge of a steep eternity watching our fellows drop off one by one and realizing that at some point we must do the same; and yet what provision do we make?  We dance on the edge of this cliff,  hopping and skipping with scarcely a thought of the inevitable. Can we make a claim to wisdom, foresight or even sanity if we do not prepare? The first glimmer, the first spark of wisdom is to realize that God is our maker and reverence and honor Him. He provided Wisdom, Knowledge, and  Salvation when He gave us His Son to die for our sins in our place.

1^st Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus is ``made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.’’ There you have it. If you have Jesus, you have it all.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10

David had fallen very deeply into grievous sin in the matter of Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. He fell more deeply than you and I shall hopefully ever do. But before the steep descent into this maelstrom of wickedness, he had known the Lord; had walked in sweet communion with God; had known as few will ever know, the peace, joy, and blessedness of

living day to day in sweet, close fellowship with our heavenly Father. But now the consciousness of his dark sin and betrayal of God grieved him, gnawed at his heart and he found no rest, comfort, or peace of mind.  He longed to be restored to that state of close, blessed fellowship with the Lord that fills the God-shaped vacuum in our heart, and in great agony and grief of spirit he cried out to God in the words of today’s verse:  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10. Our loving, merciful heavenly Father graciously pardoned him and restored him to fellowship.  The only escape from your own  personal descent into a maelstrom of sin, wretchedness and grief is to cry out like David, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29

Jesus had just given the most beautiful invitation ever offered, ``COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST’’ All his disciples knew of religion was the tedious, weariness of the Mosaic Law and the endless ceremonies, sacrifices and purifications of the Levitical  law. His yoke was altogether in contrast to that. He said ``My yoke is easy  and my burden is light . Your first step toward Christ will be the most blessed one you will ever take. A life of taking his yoke, obeying Him, following Him, learning of Him is the most blessed and satisfying life that  you can live. Proverbs 3:17 says all His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all His paths are paths of  peace. And that is just for starters. Then  follows the next life  of which Paul says that ``Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them that love Him. Trade the miserable, heavy, oppressive yoke of the world for the precious service of the humble Galilean  who is  later called the Prince of Peace. Precious Jesus, teach me to walk with you.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:16

We live in an environment that is accepting and tolerant of almost any belief, ideology, or creed. But a person is not long into his new Christian life before  he realizes that this grand, liberal toleration of any belief or custom does not apply to himself. Conduct no matter how lewd, disgusting and morally degenerate is over-looked, if not approved. But if you name the name of Jesus and follow His  teachings literally, you quickly learn the world’s true feelings toward the Savior and His followers. What then? Should we take the sword? Fight fire with fire? Jesus said be wise as serpents but harmless as doves. So….. the safest, most comfortable and enjoyable place for the sheep is close to the shepherd. !  Psalm 16:11 says ``In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.’’  AMEN. Verify this for yourself, and stay close to the Good Shepherd.

The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Proverbs 10:27

Life lived in the fear of God and obedience to His will tends toward blessing, joy, peace, and prosperity. This is the general rule. Obedience to God means that a person will work hard, be honest in his dealings, avoid dens of iniquity and lawlessness, and avoid the excesses that debilitate and undermine health. It is obvious that such a person will generally have a longer life. But we have just been speaking of this PRESENT life. What about the next life. The Bible says that whoever believes in Jesus and accepts  Him as his Savior has ETERNAL  life in a place of blessedness and joy that goes on forever, and ever, and ever. Now that’s what I call prolonging your days.  Have a good eternity!

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7. It was said of one man that he was a walking civil war. To a degree this might characterize most of us. Doubts, worries, fears and concerns pull us in many different directions at once so that there is scarce any peace or rest. The solution is told us in the previous verse: Don’t worry about anything with anxious care, but with prayer and supplication and thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  THEN the peace of God  that passes understanding will keep our hearts through Jesus who is the Prince of Peace.  Jesus can stop the raging conflicts, concerns and vexations of your troubled heart in the same way that He stilled the raging and tempestuous storm on the Sea of Galilee when he raised His arms and said, ``Peace be still.”   But you can never know peace without knowing THE PRINCE OF PEACE.

A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn. Proverbs 12:2 

To have God’s approval, or favor: what greater blessing can there be? It is a foretaste of heaven. It is heaven begun on earth and completed in heaven when we hear God say ``Well done thou good and faithful  servant, enter into the joys of the LORD.

In contrast is to walk, live, move under the shadow of God’s wrath and disapproval; cursed when you come in, cursed when you go out; cursed when you rise up, and cursed when you lie down. Such a person walks through this life under a dark, threatening thundercloud, heavy with divine wrath, poised at every instant to break forth and inundate the sinner with divine judgment. This is the way the sinner passes thru this life, not to mention what is  in store in the next life when we have ``shuffled off this mortal coil”  and stand before God and hear the words ``Depart from me ye that work iniquity into everlasting flames prepared for the devil and his angels”  Blessed be God, there is still time to obtain God’s favor by kneeling before Christ the Savior and receiving Him into our heart  and thus entering that blessed realm of those good men who obtain favor of the LORD. When will it be done? One more day? One more week? One more year? Twenty more years? Never?

                He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. Proverbs 21:21

                When I was young, at different times I would have nearly the same dream. I would see a nickel or a  penny and bend over to pick it up.  Then I would see another and another. As soon as I

                would pick up one, I would see another. Spiritual blessings are like that; they are all bound up in Christ. Follow honesty, mercy, righteousness and you progress to life, righteousness and

                honor. These are all fruits of the same tree, and they all flow from a relationship with Jesus. If you have Him, you have it all. ``He that has the Son, has LIFE’’. Why not once for all take Him into

                your heart?

                The previous verse in Psalm 58:12 tells of awful judgment and punishment of the unsaved. This comes as a revelation and complete surprise to saint and sinner alike who have been

                accustomed  to seeing sinners prosper and apparently go unpunished. So then with wonder and amazement it becomes clear that  life is not just a jumble of accidents from evolution,

                or, as Shakespeare, ``a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.” So with great admiration, men say as it were, ``Well there really is a God, He does see what is going on,

                and the patient, plodding Christian is rewarded by hearing the Father say ``Well done thou good and faithful servant,” while they behold the just punishment of the evil-doer  who

                lived his whole life ignoring his  Creator, doing as he pleases, lying, cursing, lusting, scheming and cheating his way to an eternity of lament and suffering, without God and without hope.

                So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. Psalms 58:11

                In a world where many times it seems that the wicked prosper, lying and treachery are rewarded, and evil-doers enjoy success, the Lord gives this encouragement to the

            person who walks humbly with his God and in obedience to his commands; it will be well with the righteous. In Jeremiah 9:24 it is said  that the Lord exercises lovingkindness,

            judgment and righteousness. Then it says ``in these things I delight”. Since God delights in justice, kindness, goodness and righteousness, it flows from His nature that He will

            reward the righteous and punish the evil-doer. That day is fast approaching when all will be set to rights. It will either be a day of rewards or punishments.. It is up to you. Which

            will it be?