Introduction
Having studied the Book of Proverbs thus far, I am beginning to find my way. When I first started examining the Book of Proverbs, I was a little unsure. How should I approach it? Books like Genesis, Samuel, and the Gospels, which contain stories, are easier to study. But how should I study something without stories? The Book of Proverbs is very much like philosophy, and it seems quite difficult to study! Later, I realized that not understanding philosophy is truly a flaw, because philosophy is a powerful tool. It is troublesome if one does not know how to learn, think, and observe. If one does not view things from a philosophical perspective, one usually sees things in a haze.
You will notice that I am working hard to teach everyone how to learn and think. Previously, I wanted to find a book related to philosophy to teach everyone how to learn and think. After searching, I found the Book of Proverbs. This book is good, but not easy to explain; its content is deep! However, after studying up to chapter 16, I found that what this book says is actually quite straightforward. To boast a little, I can simplify complex things. In the future, I may ponder and teach a class on how to do management, write a book on management, and share how to do digital marketing. Perhaps we will turn these things into classics. But Chinese Mingding Destiny will definitely become a classic. The most important feature, and the foundation, of the Chinese Mingding Destiny Bible study is: to act upon the word of God after reading it.
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24)
If you keep learning from me, you will hear a lot about how to implement things. It's not just random talk; I am working hard to lead everyone to read the Bible and then put God's word into practice. I won't just tell you that this is God's word without knowing which sentence can be put into practice. I believe that reading God's word must move towards the path of how to put it into practice. How to speculate is not difficult; you can confuse everyone by going around and around. How can you implement something you don't understand? In the end, you won't know how to put it into practice.
A friend of mine told me, Teacher, what you teach is very specific, but what I teach is very lofty. What he teaches is very lofty; he takes out a world map and talks about how to convert Muslims, how to evangelize, and so on. The slogans are very loud, like the Cultural Revolution. But look at the church he built; it is loose and disorganized. I build the church very rigorously. My theological system, although not lofty, is very specific; it is to build the house on the rock. This is what God said, how can it be bad? It is very grounded!
If we talk about being grounded, I would give this chapter a title: My heart should only please God. After reading it, I found that this whole chapter is about how my heart can please God, be liked by the king, be pleasing to the Lord, and how to rely on God, with many such discourses. We will discuss around this topic. Does your heart please yourself, or does it only please God? This is a very sharp question. In fact, how can people not understand? Some people say, I don't know how to please God. Then I'll teach you! How about selling all your money and possessions and distributing them to the poor, and then come follow Jesus? That won't do; it touches his beloved treasure, and then he leaves sorrowfully.
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Matthew 19:21-22)
This is what Jesus said to a very wealthy young man in the Bible. With this test, his heart goes to pleasing money alone. He feels that money is very important, that he cannot live without money, and that pleasing God is too impractical. That's how people are! Why should we only please God?
To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. (Proverbs 16:1)
How important it is to be able to speak. Some people hear this and focus on learning storytelling, learning stand-up comedy, and learning to sing and perform. That's troublesome! Their minds are filled with speaking skills, forgetting to please God. When they need to get things done one day, such as a job interview, and those skills don't work, they remember God. God, help me, I have an interview today. As a result, when people ask questions, their tongues can't turn, and they can't speak.
Speaking can be practiced, but the root of the problem is whether your heart pleases God, and whether God allows you to say words suitable for that occasion at that time. Don't forget the most important thing! I am very strange; many people often misunderstand what I want to express. For example, I say that you should glorify God in your work, and they work overtime, thinking that this is glorifying God! This is a misunderstanding. In fact, if you don't have God's help in your work, you are glorifying yourself! I said, Can you set aside time to be sanctified? He said, That won't do. Didn't you teach us to work hard? Speechless! I taught you to please God, why didn't you hear it? People just don't like to walk the right path.
To Please God, You Must Deal with the Laziness of the Flesh
All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. (Proverbs 16:2)
People always think they have reasons, even for hating and being sick, and they always think negatively when encountering problems. What is our heart thinking? In fact, God measures people's hearts! Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob pleased God. What were they thinking? Many people don't care about these things and only look at what they did. People look at people's actions, but God looks at people's hearts. I often hear people say how good a certain brother's life is, but it's all based on what he does. What everyone sees is that he comes to set up chairs before the meeting and cleans up after the meeting, which looks like he loves God very much. But later it is discovered that when God measures his heart, it is not quite right. Because his heart is to please people, not to please God.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
Some people say that this reminds them of what they did in the church before. Moving chairs back and forth, forgetting to please God, all done to show others.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Proverbs 16:3)
Learn to please God! On this point, I really have to boast: I only know one person who likes to please God so much, and that is me. With God's spirit as my witness, you will see that many things I do really succeed. When I used to work in the company, all the projects I was responsible for were successful. The reason is very simple: I am very serious about God's word! I also know that I don't do well, and I never think that my behavior is holy in God's eyes.
From the day I believed in the Lord, I knew that my heart must please God is very important, because I have a very simple logic: If I am an engineer, I will be an excellent engineer; if I am a Christian, I will be an excellent Christian, and I will pursue excellence! If I am a Christian and do not please God, but spend my whole life incurring God's wrath, then what am I doing? Later, I thank God that what we do with our hands is the best confirmation of our desire to please God.
We all have to reflect on whether we really love God in our hearts. It depends on what we do. God does not like lazy people, so you are not pleasing God if you are lazy. I am very diligent. Although I didn't believe very well in the first few years of believing in the Lord, I was very serious. In fact, I had a lot of opinions about the local church at that time. Now this professional term is called distinguishing good from evil. I often saw that the things these churches promoted were not pleasing to God, and I was not very satisfied, which is why I built the Chinese Mingding Church. In fact, I was very proud at that time, but I just wanted to please God.
Thank God! Our Chinese Mingding Destiny theological system is more in line with the Bible, because we study the Bible so seriously! We say what God says, because I know how low our thoughts are, like a frog in a well, and how high God's thoughts are. God's word is right. We have to know that we are human. The Bible is all God's word. You will find that many people read the Bible very loosely and do not want to establish a complete belief system. They always pick bits and pieces from here and there. If you sweep and mop the floor like this, you won't be able to clean the floor, let alone learn theology, it definitely won't work. Everyone must learn my attitude and figure things out!
I will give everyone some confidence. As long as you adjust your methods and attitudes correctly, you will also be a top student! Some people have developed a retreating personality since childhood, retreating when they encounter difficulties. In the end, they became pastors who retreat when they encounter difficulties, and then lead church members who retreat when they encounter difficulties. I want to encourage the brothers and sisters among us that there is no problem with the hardware of your brains. It is just that you have been deficient in yourselves for so many years, not installing software or knowledge, so you must install it today! Now you will definitely become smarter, because your things have been upgraded, upgraded to Chinese Mingding Destiny. You will begin to receive destiny and begin to be people who please God, and your plans will be established. You will be blessed by God as soon as you do things, and you will succeed as soon as you do things, and the boss will think you are great!
The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster. (Proverbs 16:4)
Sometimes you will see that this pastor is very hardworking and diligent, and also preaches on stage, loving the Lord wholeheartedly, with all his soul, and with all his strength. When you think he is doing well and his life is not bad, but he often experiences many strange disasters, you will know that what he has in his heart is not pleasing to God. The price he pays is not for the kingdom of God, but all for pleasing himself or pleasing others.
All a person’s ways are pure in their own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. (Proverbs 16:2)
I am very clear that some things in people's hearts can be said but not done, and some things can be done but not said. Many politicians are like this during elections.
To Please God, You Must Deal with Pride in Your Heart
The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 16:5)
It is very troublesome for God to hate what is in people's hearts. Many people are proud when they have money and power, because they feel that these things can support their image. I rarely see anyone proud of loving God. Many people have a worldly value system. They think that taking a mistress out all day can support their face. How low is that! For example, two people sit together and chat, comparing how many girlfriends they have. One says I have 20, and the other says I have 10. What are they comparing? It's really low! The examples I mentioned are all things I have heard.
Know that God reigns in the heavens and on earth, whether hypocritical or truly virtuous; whether the wicked are revealed or hidden, God will bring disaster on these people. As long as you observe carefully, you will come to the same conclusion as I do, that many things that happen in this world are deserved! Some people have pity on those whom God hates, aren't these political prisoners in God's kingdom?
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided. When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them. (Proverbs 16:6-7)
It is imperative that the phrase God reigns supreme in Heaven and Earth be deeply etched in our hearts. When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. The testimonies to this are abundant. We must discern whether we are pleasing to God. A person who is of the flesh, indulging in carnal desires, incurs God's wrath. The Bible says something very striking: Adam was cursed because he listened to his wife. Nowadays, in society, it is considered quite glorious for a husband to heed his wife. A well-known Christian acts like a mouse before his wife.
Therefore, we must know what we should do, that is, to seek God’s pleasure. Abraham interceded with God for Sodom, and that was God's intent. We need to understand that if we seek the will of God, we are pleasing to Him. Should we seek to please God or to please our wives? To please God or to please our husbands? If you are solely someone who pleases God, God will cause your enemies to be at peace with you. Even those around you will give you a thumbs-up and applaud you, and you will become a noble prince.
Pleasing God, Unobstructed by Wealth
Better is a little with righteousness than vast revenues with injustice. (Proverbs 16:8)
If one's heart is solely seeking wealth, that could be somewhat troubling. The influence of money on the human heart is profound. Many people place great value on it. Everyone should understand that capital is formidable. What is capital? Capital is money, but not all money is capital. Since hospitals were reformed, they aim to make money. One hospital earns 400 million in a single day. Despite this, people still queue up to pour money into it. If a person's heart is completely filled with money, then he is surely an evil person. In our education back then, we were taught about the evils of capitalists. As I grew older and began to understand these things, I realized that they truly are evil!
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
Do not assume that this is a good thing. Man wholeheartedly plans his way, planning this and that, but what is he calculating? Calculating how much money he can make. Some people want to go public. Once they go public, 500 million immediately turns into 5 billion. How easy it is to make money! Some people toil hard for a month and earn only 3,000, while others earn only 10,000 a month. Yet, when people go public, they have 5 billion. As a result, the listing fails, and it is no longer 500 million, perhaps even nothing remains. Why? Because the Lord directs his steps, leading him to prison.
The Lord God can direct you on the path of life, and the Lord God can also direct you on the path of death; He can direct you to the road to prison, and also to the road to destruction; or He can direct you to the road of prosperity... It all depends on your fortune. Is the path you plan a path that pleases God, or a path that pleases money? I still understand a lot about spiritual matters. The thing that fills a person's heart, if it does not please God, it will attract demons. Observe carefully. I must revere God. I do not want to attract demons; I just want God to guide me on the path of life.
To Please God, Honour Authority
A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not err in judgment. (Proverbs 16:10)
Even kings are in God's hands. The kings of all nations are under God's control. Be careful not to contend with them. I do not encourage everyone to contend with the government. If you walk the path of righteousness, why would those in authority bother you? Just be a good citizen, work hard, and make money. You also do not love money, but solely seek to please God. What God wants me to revere, I will revere well. I do not want to plunder the people's wealth; I just want to create some value. Then can there still be problems? You must be careful.
A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not err in judgment. A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work. It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favour is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. (Proverbs 16:10-15)
All authority comes from God. Whoever God establishes as king is good. The emperors of ancient China called themselves the Son of Heaven. At least he did not say he was the Heavenly Father, right? Even emperors did not dare to provoke God! What do we have to be proud of? What do we have to scheme for these riches? There is a saying about making ten thousand in one go, referring to the story of Lu Buwei, a great merchant from the State of Wei during the Warring States period. He authored Lüshi Chunqiu. Once, he went to Handan, the capital of Zhao, to do business and encountered Prince Yiren of Qin, who was being held hostage there. He made a political deal of making ten thousand in one go, helping Yiren return to his country to become the king of Qin, thereby becoming the prime minister of Qin himself. What kind of business can make ten thousand in one go? Controlling policies and political regulations is what makes ten thousand in one go. Later, Lu Buwei was still killed by Qin Shi Huang. What can loving money do? Only pleasing God is wisdom.
How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. (Proverbs 16:16-17)
Which path God guides you to walk, the path of destruction or the path of life? Does God want to preserve you or ruin you? It all depends on what is in your heart. Lu Buwei did not have the habit of believing in God at that time, but at that time, people who loved money had accidents. Now, in this era, loving money will lead to more accidents. In fact, from ancient times to the present, people who love money all have accidents.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. (Proverbs 16:18-24)
If your heart is pleasing to God, and God gives you some wisdom, then do you not have wisdom? If your heart is pleasing to God, and God protects you, then have you not become a wise person? Brothers and sisters, consider: Do you rely on money or rely on God? Are you pleasing God, or are you pleasing yourself, or are you pleasing others? What a person has in their heart, they speak out of their mouth. Gradually, you will come to realize that pleasing God is both not easy and very easy. There are often times like this: If I do not earn this money, my heart itches. If I do not earn this money, I am really letting myself down. But if I were to earn this money, it seems like I would be letting down heaven and earth. For example, someone imports a batch of cheap, contaminated food. If they sell it, they will earn five times the profit. They buy it at the price of cabbage and sell it at the price of pork. It is really immoral!
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. A worker's appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on. A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. A violent man entices his neighbour and leads him in a way that is not good. Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things; whoever purses his lips brings evil to pass. (Proverbs 16:25-30)
Do you all know why lips are pursed tightly? Because what is said is very low, and it is embarrassing to say it, even to the point of being unspeakable. So brothers and sisters, if you are constantly planning for your eating and drinking, for your flesh, but there is no wisdom in your heart, then that is troublesome. If your heart is filled with the way of life, the way of eternal life, and then you seek to please God, and what you say is in accordance with God's will, edifies people, makes the heart sweet, and heals the bones, then that is good! As a person walks the path of life, they grow old. As they scheme in their heart, they grow old. In the blink of an eye, they go from thirty to fifty years old. Some people die before their hair turns white.
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. (Proverbs 16:31)
When you walk the path of life, although your hair is white, you are still full of wisdom.
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. (Proverbs 16:32)
Subduing one's heart is a battle in the heart. Either walk this path or walk that path. Be careful not to go wrong. If you go wrong, before your hair turns white, you are gone. If you are a person full of wisdom, you will become smarter every day, and you will be able to please God every day. Starting from the age of twenty, you can please God, and even when you are ninety years old, although your hair is white, it is your crown of glory, which you have gained by walking on the path of righteousness. If in the future you share stories with others, and you speak of how God is with you, how He protects you, how He bestows grace upon you, how He makes covenants with you, and the miracles and wonders God has manifested in your life, how wonderful that would be!
In fact, getting old is not a big deal. The most deadly thing is that in addition to growing old, growing wrinkles, growing blood pressure, and growing blood sugar, your heart of revering God and pleasing God does not grow. Your flesh has not grown less, and your blood pressure hasn't grown shorter, but knowledge does not grow, wisdom does not grow, and your life is a tragedy! So brothers and sisters must begin to know: We must subdue our hearts, turn our hearts to be pleasing to God. Then tell ourselves: My heart must solely please God! Do not be a fool, do not be led down the path of destruction, but solely rely on God!
Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. (Proverbs 16:20)
So a person's emotions must be stable, to what extent?
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. (Proverbs 16:32-33)
Draw a lot in the temple. Whether it is a very favorable lot or a very unfavorable lot, that lot is not important. It is important to have a heart that pleases God. If you open the eyes of your wisdom, you do not need to see much. Including you swiping Douyin every day, swiping news every day, you can swipe out concepts. You will know that this one was caught and that one was caught. The lines are almost the same: using power for personal gain, using power to seek wealth, bribery, power-sex transactions, all these are nonsense. Which of these pleases God? None. If people pursue that path, they will find that another one has been caught, and another one has been confirmed: God's word is our path, and pleasing God is the goal we pursue.
Conclusion
Can everyone summarize it? If you say, It's okay, anyway, what I pursue is about the same as him, it's just that he's unlucky, and God's eyes are blind. I tell you, God's eyes are not blind. Everyone, engrave this sentence in your heart: My heart must solely please God. We must know that God controls everything; God examines people's hearts; God will guide our steps; if we please God, even our enemies will be at peace with us. We have a path; do not think that it is the right path, only God's word is the right path. Do not walk down the path of destruction, do not put the worldly logic system into our hearts, but put the divine, pleasing to God, eternal life logic system into our hearts!
May God bless everyone!
Reflection Questions
- Which of the following behaviors do not please God? ()
A. Physical laziness
B. Pride in heart
C. Heart not being filled with wealth
D. Honoring authority
- Which of the following are pleasing to God? ()
A. Humility
B. Diligence
C. Honoring authority
D. Seeking God's will
- Why is it important to subdue our hearts?