Charles Spurgeon:
His whole character commands our reverence because it is superlatively holy, and His name is to us a word of awe never to be mentioned flippantly, and never to be quoted without earnest thought and prostration of heart before Him.

Five Warnings or Precautions of Wisdom: Proverbs 3:21-35
1. Don’t be Afraid…Proverbs 3:25-26
2. Don’t Withhold Good…Proverbs 3:27
3. Don’t Devise Evil…Proverbs 3:29
4. Don’t Strive…Proverbs 3:30
5. Don’t Envy Evil…Proverbs 3:31

Proverbs 3:21-24
²¹ My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
²² So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
²³ Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet

Alan Stein: Sustain your Game
1. In the moment, we must be mindful
2. In the stretch, we have to fight stagnation
3. In the long-haul, we have to beat burnout

Watchman Nee Love Not the World
“There is a spiritual force behind this world scene which, by means of the things that are “in the world” is seeking to enmesh men in its system”

Matthew Walker Why We Sleep
“There does not seem to be one major organ within the body, or process within the brain, that isn’t optimally enhanced by sleep ( and detrimentally impaired when we don’t get enough sleep).”

“The physical and mental impairments caused by one night of bad sleep dwarf those caused by an equivalent absence of food or exercise.

It is difficult to imagine any other state - natural or medically manipulated- that affords a more powerful redressing of physical and mental health at every level of analysis.”

Don’t be Afraid…Proverbs 3:25–26
²⁵ Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
²⁶ For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

Matthew 10:28
²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Don’t Withhold Good…Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.

Don’t Devise Evil…Proverbs 3:29-30
²⁹ Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
³⁰ Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

Don’t Strive…Proverbs 3:30
Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

Don’t Envy the Evil…Proverbs 3:31
³¹ Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
³² For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
But His secret counsel is with the upright.
³³ The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.
³⁴ Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.

The prosperity of the wicked is short lived…it is temporal…it is shallow…it is flimsy, but their doom is eternal…and it is certain.

Discussion Questions:

1. Solomon warns us not to let wisdom depart from our eyes. But at times we can get hijacked. We must remain alert in the moment, vigilant in the stretch, and resilient in the long run. Talk about your disciplines to keep you on track, operating in wisdom.
   

2. Solomon writes: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so.” Think about the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37) , have you ever been “that guy in the road”? Have you ever walked by that guy in the road?
   

3. Proverbs 3:31 tells us not to envy the oppressor, but sometimes it appears as if evil is prospering. The author of Psalm 73 notes: “My feet almost stumbled. I was jealous of the boastful, When I saw the well-being of the wicked”. Have you ever looked at the world…or Washington DC and felt this way? Why does Solomon say this is a trap?