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      • 18. The Motivation of a Sucide Terrorest
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      • 40. One of the Greatest Need America
      • 41. Your Memorial Table
      • 42. George W. Bush Verses Saddam Hussein
      • 43. Learning to Listen
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      • 45. Memorial Day
      • 46. My Ecounter with an Orthhodox Jew
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      • 49. The Decline in Family Living
      • 50. Give Me a Problem
      • 51. Decoding the Da Vinci Code
      • 52. Thanksgiving is not a Holiday
      • 53. What a Christmas Present!
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      • 54. What Do You Mean by that?
      • 55. What are Parents to Do?
      • 56. "The Passion of Christ"
      • 57. Martha Stewart's Greatest Lesson
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      • 67. Tribute to My Mother
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      • 79. The Redemption of Tookie Willaims
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      • 80. Is Religion a Problem?
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      • 82. Did You Hear What She Said about Muslims?
      • 83. Judas: Betrayer or Best Friend?
      • 84. Weekend or Week--Beginning?
      • 85. A Tribute to My (Spiritual) Father
      • 86. Your Relationship to the Word of God
      • 87. What an Opportunity!
      • 88. America's Four Gods
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      • 90. The Case for Systematic Exposition
      • 91. Don't Miss the Message
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      • 92. I can Afford it!
      • 93. The Gospel according to Patricia
      • 94. The Functional Church
      • 95. Who wants to Deal with a Taxman?
      • 96. Vital Virtures
      • 97. Have You Grown up Yet?
      • 98. A July 4th Reminder
      • 99. The Volume of Silence
      • 100. Biblical Illiteracy
      • 101. A Modest Political Propospal
      • 102. How to Handle Credit Cards
      • 103. When it is Tough to be Thankful
      • 104. Romney's Religion
    • 2008 Articles 105-114 >
      • 105. Continue
      • 106. A Tribute to Jack
      • 107. Why Good Ftiday?
      • 108. Happy Birthday
      • 109. The Most Important Room in the House
      • 110. The 80-20 Rule
      • 111. Be Sensible
      • 112. To Be Like Christ
      • 113. Sweet Reasonableness
      • 114. The Other Benefit of Christmas
    • 2009 Articles 115-126 >
      • 115. What Determines who Obtains Eternal Life?
      • 116. The Healing Touch
      • 117. The Function of Dysfunction
      • 118. When Your World Falls Apart
      • 119. 24-7-365
      • 120. To Complain or not to Complain
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      • 123. God's Timing
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    • 2010 Articles 127-138 >
      • 127. Don't Ask; Don't Tell
      • 128. A Forest Dark
      • 129. The Rule of Law
      • 130. The Hits and Miss of Grace
      • 131. People Need the Lord
      • 132. Examples Worthy of Notes
      • 133. A Hassle Reduction Strategy
      • 134. Gossip
      • 135. My Favorite Poem
      • 136. Let's Put the Cross in its Place
      • 137. "Don't Spare Me"
      • 138 The Unseen Message of Christmas
    • 2011 Articles 139-147 >
      • 139. What Parents Should Teach their Children
      • 140. How to Avoid Having to Serve
      • 141. What Happen to Mike?
      • 142. An Atheist Recommends God
      • 143. Surprise
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      • 146. Get in the Way
      • 147. "Let George do it."
    • 2012 Articles 148-160 >
      • 148. Truth or Consequences
      • 149. Don't Leave Home without it
      • 150. Take a Break
      • 151. The Worth of an Individual
      • 152. A Tribute to Nana
      • 153. Jesus Crossed the Line
      • 154. Thomas Jefferson
      • 155. Taxes
      • 156. You Must be Present to Win
      • 157. A Grandfather's Wish
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      • 159. Is There a Santa Claus?
      • 160. A Tribute to Sumner Wemp
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      • 161. How to Finish Well
      • 162. Rewards
      • 163. Spiritual Binging
      • 164. There is no way out of this one
      • 165. Half Empty or Half Full
      • 166. Nones
      • 167. Greet One Another with a Holy Kiss
      • 168. God's Answer to Atheism
      • 169. Obedience
      • 170. The Problem of Fellowship with God
      • 171. Character Development
      • 172. For Mercy's Sake
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      • 173. Lies
      • 174. Endure to the End
      • 175. Teaching Children How Money Grows
      • 176. The Principle of Delay
      • 177. By Their Fruit
      • 178. Sermons that Changed My Life
      • 179. If Paul Harvey were the Devil
      • 180. The Principle of Practice
    • 2015 Articles 181- >
      • 181. In Wrath Remember Mercy
      • 182. Choosing the Right Shepherd
      • 183. The Lord's Requirements
      • 184. Your Ear Lobe. Thumb, and Big Toe
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"Don't Leave Home Without It"

American Express says, “Don’t leave home without it.” They are talking about their credit card, but there are other things you should not leave home without. What do you not leave home without? What do you go back home for, if you forget it? For me, it is my wallet, my watch, and my keys. Solomon say there is something else we should not leave home without.

In Proverbs 6, Solomon admonishes his son to listen to his parents. He says, “My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother” (Prov. 6:20). Solomon has spoken before about the father’s command (Prov. 1:8, 2:1. 3:1, 4:1; etc.) and the mother’s law (Prov. 1:8, 6:20). These passages assume that godly parents are giving godly advice, that they are giving their instruction based on God’s Law (see verse 23 below).

In language reminiscent of what Moses said we should do with the Word of God (see Deut. 6:4-9), Solomon continues, “Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck” (Prov. 6:21). Godly wisdom should be the inward controlling principle (cf. “heart”) and it should be seen by others (cf. “tie them around the neck”). Being bound to the heart and tied around the neck, godly wisdom should be a constant companion.

Solomon goes on to say, “When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you” (Prov. 6:22). Notice, Solomon speaks of roaming, sleeping, and being awake. The Hebrew word translated “roam” means “walk” (cf. NASV; NIV). Solomon is talking about leaving the house, being asleep at night, and being awake during the day. In addition, note that godly parental wisdom is personified as a guide, guard, and governess. When godly wisdom is a constant companion, it will direct, protect, and instruct.

Solomon explains (cf. “for”), “For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Prov. 6:23). It now becomes clear that the parental rules of verse 20 are expressions of the divine law (Kidner). God’s Law, here received through parents, is a spiritual light in a morally dark world.

Don’t leave home without godly wisdom, whether you got it from your human parents or from your heavenly Father, Who used some other means.

Godly wisdom will protect you. “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you, understanding will keep you” (Prov. 2:10-11). “Then you will walk safely in your way and your foot will not stumble” (Prov. 3:23). The safety here is not physical; it is spiritual. The same Hebrew word for safety is used in Proverbs 1:33, 3:29 and in 10:9, where it is being used of safety from sin. When we follow wisdom, we do not stumble into sin (Prov. 3:6). Wear your seatbelt to protect your body and wisdom to protect your soul.

Thus Solomon is saying, “Don’t leave home without taking godly wisdom with you. Let wisdom be your constant companion. If you do, you will be safe; if not, you will be sorry.”

                                    ©  G. Michael Cocoris, 1/31/2012.
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