Keepers of His Ways
Proverbs 8:32-36 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
Introduction: Glory be to God who has kept us by His words. I pray that His Presence will not depart from us and we shall not stray away from God’s Presence in Jesus name.
Let us look at what Scriptures speak on Keepers of His Ways.
A keeper of His Ways is His follower; that is, follower of Christ.
Reading through Proverbs chapter 8, we shall observe that Wisdom speaks and advices readers to keep or follow His ways.
Jesus Christ is the Wisdom that speaks.
1 Corinthians 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Therefore, a keeper of His Ways is a follower of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 8:32 (NLT) “And so, my children, listen to me, for happy are all who follow my ways.
Some of us are followers of people on Facebook, Instagram and other social media with excitement. Whether you like it or not, you replicate whosoever you follow.
Hear Apostle Paul to church at Corinth;
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1(AMP) PATTERN YOURSELVES after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).
Who are you following? Whose ways excite you? Remember, you become the replica of whosoever you follow.
Examining our text today, what characterises keeper of His Ways?
Hearing God’s instructions without refusal, Watching and waiting daily and looking at the word of life are some of the attributes of Keepers of His Ways.
What happens to keepers or followers of His Ways?
1️⃣ They are blessed
Proverbs 8:32 (AMP) Now therefore listen to me, O you sons; for blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who keep my ways.
Psalms 119:2 (GNS) Happy are those who follow his commands, who obey him with all their heart.
After the ministration of Jesus Christ, a woman declared Mary mother of Jesus as the blessed. The reply of Jesus is worthy of note;
Luke 11:27-28 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
What else do we need to be blessed other than to hear His words and be keepers of it.
2️⃣ They are wise
Proverbs 8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Wisdom comes from genuine salvation and following Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:24 (NLT) But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God.
The fool follows after the flesh and acquires worldly wisdom without the wisdom of God. Human wisdom ultimately becomes useless.
1 Corinthians 1:19-20 (NLT) As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas. “So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense.
Hear how God gave up His chosen ones to foolishly follow their heart desires when they refused to listen and follow Him.
Psalms 81:10-12 (NLT) For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. “But no, my people wouldn’t listen. Israel did not want me around. So I let them follow their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires.
After your salvation from sin and death, Will you still depend on your brilliant ideas and human wisdom to the detriment of God’s wisdom?
James 3:17 (MSG) Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.
3️⃣ They are alive
Proverbs 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life,…
There are dead Christians that think that they are alive.
Jesus wrote to such believers in Sardis;
Revelation 3:1(NLT) “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.
Wealth even in ministry is not an indication of life as many erroneously believe. Ecclesiastes 7:12 (NLT) Wisdom or money can get you almost anything, but it’s important to know that only wisdom can save your life.
Can we boast of having the wisdom of God? Is there any secret unrighteousness that only Jesus Christ knows? May be the reason why you still identify yourself as Christian is because some virtues of Christ is still available in you.
Hear the advice Jesus Christ gave to the Sardis dead church in His letter to them; Revelation 3:2 (NLT) Now wake up! Strengthen what little^ remains, for even what is left is at the point of death. Your deeds are far from right in the sight of God.
4️⃣ They obtain favour
Proverbs 8:35….and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Keepers or followers of His Ways will surely obtain God’s favour. In every endeavour of life, anyone who follows the Ways of God will surely be blessed.
Proverbs 12:2 A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
I always tell my wife that anyone that ended up with bad spouse had disobeyed God one way or the other when looking for spouse.
Proverbs 18:22 (AMP) He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
Remember, only the good ones in the sight of the Lord obtains His favour.
5️⃣ They are righteous
Proverbs 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
The righteous are the followers of Christ who flee from sin to obey God’s commandments.
John 8:31(AMP) So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.
The righteous ones determine to keep or follow the teachings of Christ anywhere they find themselves. God will never forsake the righteous.
Proverbs 13:6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
Proverbs 13:6(MSG) A God-loyal life keeps you on track; sin dumps the wicked in the ditch.
Proverbs 13:6(GNS) Righteousness protects the innocent; wickedness is the downfall of sinners.
Finally brethren, let us be intentional as we keep His Ways anywhere, anytime and in all situations. The implication of not keeping or following Christ is foolishness, manifestations of dead works, living a sinful life and becoming haters of righteousness and lovers of death.
Ezekiel 18:20 (NLT) The one who sins is the one who dies. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own goodness, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.
✋ Maranatha
