Proverbs 4; Acts 21:15-25

Proverbs 4
Solomon is giving advice to his children and also remembering the wisdom he learned from his own father, David. It's important to do what we can to pass our values on to future generations. All wisdom ultimately comes from God, and we should always encourage everyone within our influence to follow Him.

vv. 4-7 teach us that if we want wisdom, we must seek it, go after it. Wisdom is precious. Getting it is not a one-time deal. Rather it is something we need to choose daily.

Throughout the Proverb, we see wisdom lifted up and praised. She will lead us in a straight path. Wisdom is the way of righteousness, and she is contrasted with the way of the wicked. v. 14 ff. We are warned to avoid listening to evil people. So often they are not satisfied with their own evil deeds but want to try to cause others to stumble. v. 16  How many times have we heard of a young person, or even an older one, who fell in with the wrong crowd, and the results were not good.

vv. 23-27 teach us about our hearts--the center of our feelings. These verses tell us to plan our ways with a cool head and to guard our hearts and emotions. "Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil."

Acts 21:15-25
Paul at last arrived at Jerusalem. After reporting to the church what God had accomplished among the Gentiles, they asked him about a rumor they had heard. This rumor was that Paul was forbidding the Jewish believers (those who believed in Jesus as their Savior) to follow Jewish traditions such as circumcision. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) had already settled this question. The Council had not forbidden Jewish customs but had not required them of the Gentiles. After all, practicing the Jewish law did not bring about salvation. Here in Jerusalem, Paul was willing, for the sake of unity, to practice the Jewish customs along with the Jewish believers. We must remain firm on essential doctrines. For example, our salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for us. Nothing must be added or subtracted from essential Christian doctrine. But when it comes to non-essentials, it's often hard to know what to do. One thing is for sure, and that's the fact that we should not deliberately offend people when it's within our power to bring about harmony. Paul did just that in this case.

I love the following quotation:
“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” --Augustine