If you had a choice, would you choose LIFE or DEATH? In the physical realm most of us would choose LIFE. If someone were to hand you a sharp knife and say, "You have a choice! You may either put this knife down on the table or you may put this knife through your heart!" would you choose life? If you were handed a sharp razor blade and given the choice of either cutting open the jugular vein of your throat or not, what would your choice be? Would you not choose life?
In the physical realm, most people want to live. But in the spiritual realm, most people foolishly choose death! To such people God says, "Why will ye D____?" (Ezekiel 33:11). God is not pleased when men and women choose death. God wants wicked people to turn from their evil way and L_______ (Ezekiel 33:11). According to Matthew 7:13-14, do most people choose the way of life or do most people choose the way of death? ______________________________ Those who make the right choice are "FEW" indeed!
God gives every man a clear choice. According to Deuteronomy 30:15, we must choose between life and ________________________ and we must choose between good and ________________. According to Deuteronomy 30:19, we must choose between life and __________________ and we must choose between blessing and _____________________. Read verses 16 and 17. Which verse describes the way of life and blessing? __________ Which verse describes the way of death and cursing? _____ According to verse 19, God tells us what choice we should make. He says, "CHOOSE _______________." According to verse 20, how is life defined? __________________________________________ Men must choose the living God or they must choose to reject the living God! "For HE is thy _________" (Deut. 30:20). Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the ___________" (John 14:6). Choose CHRIST and live! "Verily, verily I say unto you, He that _______________________ on me hath ________________________________ (John 6:47).
In our study of Proverbs we have already seen that we must choose which COMPANION we are going to walk with down the road of life (see chapter 2). We must choose either the WORLDLY WOMAN or THE WISDOM WOMAN. Which woman is being described in Proverbs 2:16,18,19? ____________________________________ Is she walking on the path of life? ___________ Which woman is being described in Proverbs 5:3? ______________________________ If you follow her, where will you end up? ______________________________________ If your friend were going to walk off a cliff, would you walk with him (or her)? _____ If someone were swimming in a river infested with man eating crocodiles, would you jump in with him (or her)? _____ If you somehow knew that a person would be involved in a fatal car accident, would you want to ride in the car with him? _____
God says that if we choose the WORLDLY WOMAN as our companion, it will cost us our L________ (Proverbs 7:23) because her house is the way to __________, going down to the chambers of ______________ (Proverbs 7:27). Only a FOOL would choose her as a companion! This would be like a person choosing to put a knife into his heart!
On the other hand, the WISDOM WOMAN is said to be a TREE OF _____________ to them that lay hold upon her (Proverbs 3:18). How happy is the man that makes her his companion!
Most people would be horrified at the thought that they might love death. They might say, "People that commit suicide may love death, but I certainly do not. I love life!" It’s true that most of us love physical life, but how many of us really love spiritual life?
Proverbs chapter 4 is talking about the WISDOM WOMAN (see verses 5,6,7, etc.). In Proverbs 4:13 we learn that SHE IS _________ _____________. If a person really loves life then he (or she) will love _________________ (compare verse 6). Those who do not love wisdom do not love life! They love death!
Proverbs 8:35 says, "For whoso findeth ______ findeth _____________." To whom does the word "me" refer? _________________________________. If a person wants to find life, then he must find ___________________. If you were to put the word "CHRIST" in verse 35 instead of the word "me," would the verse still make good sense? __________ The Bible says, "He that hath the ________ hath______ " (1 John 5:12). Is wisdom some secret thing that is hard to find? Has God made Himself hard to find? Is the real problem that people can’t find God or is the real problem that people do not want to find God? ___________________________________________________ Christ wants to give people LIFE, but do people want to come to the LIFE-GIVER (John 5:40)? ________
In Proverbs 8:36 WISDOM says, "all they that ___________ me love _____________."
According to this verse, what kind of person LOVES DEATH?______________________________________________
If you put the word "CHRIST" in this verse instead of the word "me",
would the verse still make sense? ______ Where are all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge to be found (Colossians 2:2-3)? _________________________
Do you love wisdom? Do you love Christ? Do you love God’s Word (God’s
Book of Wisdom)? As you think about the people in your town, would you say that
most of them love life or that most of them love death? ____________________________________
Read Proverbs 14:12 and compare it with Proverbs 16:25. Can something seem right but not really be right? _____ Can a person think that something is right (see Proverbs 12:15 and 16:2), when it is not really right at all? ______ Can a person think that he is on the road to heaven and actually be on the road to hell? ______
Have you ever been with your family on a trip and you thought that you were on the right road and heading in the right direction, but you were actually on the wrong road heading in the wrong direction? How can a person BE SURE that he is on the right road? If we follow our own judgment and our own sense of direction we can sometimes go astray, but if we follow a good MAP, then we can be sure that we are on the right road. What MAP has God given to us so that we can KNOW that we are on the road which leads to LIFE (compare 1 John 5:13--"these things are __________________ . . . that you might K____________")? __________________________________
Read Proverbs 13:14 and compare it with Proverbs 14:27. A snare is a type of trap. There is a fountain of life and there are traps of death. The wise drink and the foolish get caught! Remember this: A fountain is not something that is hidden. The waters that gush out of a fountain can be seen and heard. On the other hand, traps are hidden and catch you by surprise. Who provides a fountain for those who are thirsty (John 4:14 and John 7:37-38)? ___________ Who provides a trap (2 Timothy 2:26)? _________________ God wants to bless you with LIFE; Satan wants to trap you with the snares of DEATH! The worm on the hook looks so good to the fish and the cheese in the mousetrap looks so good to the mouse, but WATCH OUT! They are death traps! Compare James 1:13-15.
"Keep thy ________________ with all diligence; for out of it are the issues (streams) of _________ " (Proverbs 4:23). The heart is what really counts! As Jesus said in Matthew 12:34-35, the real problem is not the M______________ but the H______________. As the fountain, so the streams! If the fountain is poisoned, will the streams be poisoned? _____ We need to guard the fountain (the heart) to make sure the waters are pure and clean and healthy. When is the last time you searched your heart to make sure things were right between you and your God?
"In the _____________ (road) of _____________________ is __________; and in the pathway thereof there is no _____________________" (Proverbs 12:28). Are you on the righteous road or the sin road? According to Romans 6:21, where does the SIN ROAD end up? ________________ (it’s a DEAD END!) Some want to find LIFE without following after RIGHT. Is this possible (Proverbs 21:21)? _______
Read these three verses carefully: Proverbs 14:27; 19:23 and 22:4. If a person is going to have LIFE, then he also must have the ____________ of the LORD!
Often instead of fearing GOD we fear MEN, and we begin thinking like this:
"What will they think of me?" "What will they say?" "Will they get angry?" "Will they be pleased?" "Maybe they will see me!" "I’m afraid of what they might do to me!" "Will they be upset or offended?" "Will they still be friendly towards me?" "What will they want me to say?" "What will they want me to do?" "Where will they want me to go?" "I’m afraid they will not be happy with me!" "I don’t think they will approve of this." "They might frown on my actions!" "I hope they will appreciate what I’m about to do!"
If we really want to have the fear of the LORD, then we should think differently. In the above sentences we should remove the word "they" and what word should we replace it with? _____________ This is the fear of the Lord!
What choice will you make? LIFE or DEATH? HEAVEN or HELL? WISDOM or FOLLY?
In Proverbs 1:24 what choice was made? In Proverbs 1:29 what choice was made?
Because of their WRONG CHOICE today, God will someday say, "SEEK AND YE
SHALL NOT FIND; KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL NOT BE OPENED UNTO YOU"
(Proverbs 1:28 and compare Luke 13:24). May we choose LIFE. May we choose CHRIST,
"who is our ____________ " (Colossians 3:4). May we choose to have a living
and eternal relationship with the living God (see John 17:3). What choice have
you made?
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