The Way of His Saints Prov. 2: 8 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO of God’s Way.
In the prior broadcast, we looked at the references in Proverbs to the way of evil men. Today, we are going to preach on the verses dealing with the way of God’s saints. This is God’s way. There are a number of these verses, so we’ll comment on them as we go through the Proverbs.
The way of his saints – Prov 2:8. God… preserveth the way of his saints. God makes sure to preserve the way of his saints, because it’s God’s way. He keeps the way open and clear so that you and I can walk on that way without difficulty. In other words, you may encounter obstacles, persecution, tribulation, necessities and the like in your life as a saint. But those things come to you from the world and not from the Lord on this way. He preserves the way of his saints and nothing “evil” can get you in that way. He’ll protect you.
The way of good men – Prov 2:20. That thou mayest walk in the way of good men. You have a choice whether you will walk in the way of wicked men or in the way of good men. The way of good men is God’s way. Oddly, when men and women grow up in a good church, they often see the way of good men as confining and restraining. When they leave home and go into the world, the world seduces them to walk in the way of the wicked. Solomon’s exhortation is that you would continue to walk in the way of good men despite the allurement of wicked men. You will see, in time, that God’s way is far better.
The way of wisdom – Prov 4:11. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. The way of wisdom will direct you through your entire life. Along this way you will always make good decisions and reap the wonderful benefits of those good decisions. You obtain the wisdom of this way through the Bible, through the Lord in prayer and through wise counsel.
The way of life – Prov 6:23. The reproofs of instruction are the way of life. The reason some men don’t walk in the way of life is that they don’t like others telling them what to do. They don’t like instruction and correction. But if you’re going to make it through this life unscathed by the world, you will need to pay careful attention to those who reprove you.
- Prov 10:17 – He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction. You must follow instruction in life in order to live. In other words, life is more than eating, sleeping, breathing, recreating, procreating and working. And you won’t find what life is, and you won’t know how to live it, without godly instruction.
- Prov 15:24 – the way of life is above to the wise. You need to look up to see the way of life. Life comes from Jesus. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly,” [Jn 10:10].
The way of righteousness – Prov 8:20. I lead in the way of righteousness. The way of wickedness allures you with immediate gratification but results in longterm debilitating consequences. The way of righteousness has very little immediate gratification but yields inestimable longterm benefits. Men, generally, don’t want to wait. So, they refuse the way of righteousness to their detriment. Look at these verses:
- Prov 12:28 – in the way of righteousness is life. I am so much more alive today than back in the day when I was “living it up”. And life gets better by the day.
- Prov 15:19 – the way of the righteous is made plain. This is not a hard way to find and it is not a difficult way in which to walk. God’s way is plain.
- Prov 16:31 – the hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. An aged man who still walks in the way of righteousness is a crown of glory.
The way of understanding – Prov 9:6. Go in the way of understanding. The way of understanding is by far the best way to go. When you are on this way, no matter what comes your way, you understand what God is doing. Therefore, nothing throws you for a loop. When the Jews jailed Paul for preaching the gospel, he understood that the things that happened to him were for the furtherance of the gospel. When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and Potiphar wrongfully imprisoned him, he came to understand that God did it to preserve his family’s life. If you want to be able to understand what God is doing in your life when trials come your way, you must be in the way of understanding.
- Prov 21:16 – the man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. This is a terrible place for a man to end up. But you’ll end up here if you wander out of the way of understanding. Notice, it is not a sudden departure, but rather, a gradual wandering.
The way of the Lord – Prov 10:29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright. Hopefully, you have been encouraged to go God’s way. His way is where your strength is. The way of the wicked will deplete your strength and kill your joy. Just ask the prodigal son, if you don’t believe Solomon.