Psalm 69

Psalm 69 is a messianic Psalm and much of what is written in it is applied to Christ in the NT.  As believers, we share in the fellowship of Christ sufferings and as believers we will also share in His glory.  It is true that this psalm uniquely refers to Christ, but here David also truly expresses the heart of any believer who has faced persecution and hatred for Christ sake.  Be encouraged..we are Overcomers.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Live for Him...be approved of Him...reign with Him.

“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.--Luke 12:8

If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.--2nd Timothy 2:12

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.  Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.--Romans 8:28-39

Here is Psalm 69 in its entirety...

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.

69 Save me, O God!
For the waters have come up to my neck.
² I sink in deep mire,
Where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters,
Where the floods overflow me.
³ I am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

⁴ Those who hate me without a cause
Are more than the hairs of my head;
They are mighty who would destroy me,
Being my enemies wrongfully;
Though I have stolen nothing,
I still must restore it.

⁵ O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
⁶ Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me;
Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.
⁷ Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Shame has covered my face.
⁸ I have become a stranger to my brothers,
And an alien to my mother’s children;
⁹ Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
¹⁰ When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach.
¹¹ I also made sackcloth my garment;
I became a byword to them.
¹² Those who sit in the gate speak against me,
And I am the song of the drunkards.

¹³ But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O Lord, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
¹⁴ Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
¹⁵ Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

¹⁶ Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
¹⁷ And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.
¹⁸ Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.

¹⁹ You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
My adversaries are all before You.
²⁰ Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of heaviness;
I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.
²¹ They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

²² Let their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.
²³ Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.
²⁴ Pour out Your indignation upon them,
And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.
²⁵ Let their dwelling place be desolate;
Let no one live in their tents.
²⁶ For they persecute the ones You have struck,
And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.
²⁷ Add iniquity to their iniquity,
And let them not come into Your righteousness.
²⁸ Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
And not be written with the righteous.

²⁹ But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
³⁰ I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
³¹ This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
³² The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
³³ For the Lord hears the poor,
And does not despise His prisoners.

³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them.
³⁵ For God will save Zion
And build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.
³⁶ Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

"Exhortation to Repentance and Promises of Mercy"

Beautiful exhortation to repentance accompanied by promises of mercy found in this the last chapter of the Book of Hosea...The Spirit desires to convince so that He may bring the comfort and peace of God to your heart.  


Hosea 14 

O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
² Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
“Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.
³ Assyria shall not save us,
We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’
For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

⁴ “I will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from him.
⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel;
He shall grow like the lily,
And lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
⁶ His branches shall spread;
His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And his fragrance like Lebanon.
⁷ Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain,
And grow like a vine.
Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

⁸ “Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’
I have heard and observed him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
Your fruit is found in Me.”

⁹ Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”--Matthew 11:28-30

Mother Dying of Cancer Gives a Life Changing Speech...

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=000F9MNU

Yearning with the Tender Affections of Jesus Christ...

For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.--Philippians 1:8 NKJV

From the King James...

For God is my record - witness..for God is my spectator...He sees all

how greatly I long after you all - pursue you with love, yearn for, desire after, 

in the bowels of Jesus Christ - the bowels were regarded as the seat of the more violent passions, such as anger and love; but by the Hebrews as the seat of the tenderer affections, esp. kindness, benevolence, compassion; hence our heart (tender mercies, affections, etc.) So yearning and pursuing with the tender affections, and kindness found deep in the heart of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 4:19  My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 

Jeremiah 31:20 [Is] Ephraim My dear son? [Is he] a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as [the] elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

1 John 3:17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Oh Father...empty me of me...help me to have room in my heart to yearn for the supplications and needs of others.  Give me Your love, Your affection, Your eyes and Your heart of intercessory prayer.  Help me to bring unity by humility and the bond of perfection which is love. 

Our Speech - With Salt and Ministering Grace

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.--Colossians 4:6

Let your speech - let what you say

be always - at all times

with grace - that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, 

   a.  good will, loving-kindness, favor - of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of Christian virtues.  

seasoned - prepared, arranged, make savory.

with salt -  1.  that which food is seasoned and sacrifices are sprinkled  2. salt is a symbol of lasting concord, because it protects food from putrefaction and preserves it unchanged.  Accordingly, in the solemn ratification of compacts the orientals were, and are to this day, accustomed to partake of salt together. 
4.  wisdom and grace exhibited in speech.  5. flavors  6. has healing qualities.

that ye may know - see, perceive, discern

how - in what way

ye ought to answer every man 


Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. --Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupt - bad, putrefied, no longer fit, worthless

communication - word, speech

proceed - go forth, depart

out of - preposition denoting origin (the point whence an action or motion proceeds.)  Please note:  speech comes from the mouth but it is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Your speech says much about you and what you are meditating on.

your mouth 

but - an exception, a restriction

that which

is good - of good constitution or nature, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, honourable

to the use - need, duty or business

of edifying - building up, promoting another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness.

that it may minister - to give something to someone, to bestow a gift, to supply, furnish, necessary things, to reach out, extend, to give forth from one's self

grace - that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, good will, loving-kindness, favor.

a.  of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.

unto the hearers - to those who are listening

Take Therefore No Thought...

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.--Matthew 6:34

To My Beloved Daughters in Him:

This is the third time the phrase "take no thought" is used in Matthew 6.  All of us are faced with troubles and trials in this life.  They are a great equalizer among men...Job 5 says, Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward."  A rich man concerns himself with his worldly goods..a poor man worries about his immediate physical need.  Either focus is worldly in the sense that it  take our our minds off of God...and places them on the things of the world.  Jesus says, "TAKE THEREFORE NO THOUGHT."  (emphasis mine)  

Look at what comes right before this verse in Matthew Chapter 6:  

 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.--Matthew 6:31-33:

Seek first the things of God and of His Kingdom....make your priorities heavenly ones and all the rest will be added unto you.  Beloved, live your lives in the here and now.  Focus on the eternal in the moment.  God gives us manna for the day....He gives us our DAILY bread.  He will be with us according to our need in the moment.  His grace is sufficient and as our days are so shall our strength be.  Tackle today's problems with today's strength. ( are you getting the message...I probably need several more admonitions to get the message through to my own heart ) The word sufficient here in the Greek means enough; being possessed with unfailing strength.  It carries with it the idea of raising a barrier...I like that...as if to say to your worry..this far and no further...SUFFICIENT FOR THE DAY!!   

Look at the farmer...he plows,  he sows and he reaps.  In this sense he does prepare for tomorrow and the future.   Planning for the future, however, should never be his or our main focus or concern.  It should not dominate our thoughts.  The future should NEVER TRUMP today.  Beloved, we are not sufficient of our ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves....OUR SUFFICIENCY IS FROM HIM.  Abide in His word...seek His truth....store up yourselves treasure in heaven where no one and no thing can take them away.  

Today I remind each of us of the names given to our God in the Old Testament.  A name in the Old Testament was not only used to identify someone but it was his identity...a name revealed who someone was...it revealed his character.   Here are the names given to our God...the Great I AM or the Becoming One...the One who becomes for us whatever our need might be.  When worry and concern for tomorrow creep in, meditate on these.  

• El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)
• El Elyon (The Most High God)
• Adonai (Lord, Master)
• Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)
• Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)
• Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)
• Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)
• Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
• Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)
• Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)
• El Olam (The Everlasting God)
• Elohim (God)
• Qanna (Jealous)
• Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)
• Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)
• Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

FEAR NOT...

Comfort from the Word for those who are afraid....

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.


The word shield here means buckler or defense.  From the Hebrew root Ganan meaning to defend, cover surround.  The Lord our God defends us, covers us and surrounds us.  He arms us for the battle and fights for us.

Exodus 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you,--Deuteronomy 1:30a


FEAR NOT...

Gen 26:24 KJV
And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I [am] the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I [am] with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

Gen 46:3 KJV
And he said, I [am] God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

Exd 14:13 KJV
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

Deu 31:6 KJV
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

1Ch 28:20 KJV
And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do [it]: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, [even] my God, [will be] with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Psa 27:1 KJV
[[[A Psalm] of David.]] The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Isa 35:4 KJV
Say to them [that are] of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come [with] vengeance, [even] God [with] a recompence; he will come and save you.

Isa 41:10 KJV
Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isa 41:14 KJV
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, [and] ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 43:1 KJV
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine.

Isa 43:5 KJV
Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

Isa 44:2 KJV
Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

Isa 44:8 KJV
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared [it]? ye [are] even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any].


Isa 51:12 KJV
I, [even] I, [am] he that comforteth you: who [art] thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man [that] shall die, and of the son of man [which] shall be made [as] grass;

Dan 10:12 KJV
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

Mat 8:26 KJV
And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Mat 10:28 KJV
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Mat 10:29 KJV
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

Mat 10:30 KJV
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Mat 10:31 KJV
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Mat 28:5 KJV
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

Luk 1:13 KJV
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Luk 1:30 KJV
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

Luk 12:32 KJV
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Rev 1:17 KJV
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:


THY SHIELD...

Deu 33:29 KJV
Happy [art] thou, O Israel: who [is] like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who [is] the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

Psa 3:3 KJV
But thou, O LORD, [art] a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

Psa 5:12 KJV
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as [with] a shield.

Psa 18:2 KJV
The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower.

Psa 84:9 KJV
Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.

Psa 84:11 KJV
For the LORD God [is] a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good [thing] will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Psa 91:4 KJV
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler.

Psa 119:114 KJV
Thou [art] my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

Pro 30:5 KJV
Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

AND THY EXCEEDINGLY GREAT REWARD....

Deu 33:26 KJV
[There is] none like unto the God of Jeshurun, [who] rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.

Deu 33:27 KJV
The eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are] the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy [them].

Deu 33:28 KJV
Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob [shall be] upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

Deu 33:29 KJV
Happy [art] thou, O Israel: who [is] like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who [is] the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

Rth 2:12 KJV
The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Psa 16:5 KJV
The LORD [is] the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

Psa 16:6 KJV
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant [places]; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

Psa 58:11 KJV
So that a man shall say, Verily [there is] a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Psa 142:5 KJV
I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou [art] my refuge [and] my portion in the land of the living.

Pro 11:18 KJV
The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness [shall be] a sure reward.

Lam 3:24 KJV
The LORD [is] my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

1Cr 3:22 KJV
Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

Hbr 13:5 KJV
[Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Hbr 13:6 KJV
So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Rev 21:3 KJV
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.

Rev 21:4 KJV
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

verses from the BLB's Treasury of Scripture...

The Beginning of Wisdom...

My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.--Proverbs 2:1-5


Beloved,

Receive the words of God and live!  Treasure and lay hold of His words and carry them with you always.  Incline your ear and be attentive to the wisdom that comes from above.  Stretch out your heart toward understanding which is the object of all knowledge.  Cry aloud to Him for help and get understanding.  Seek wisdom as silver and search for her as buried riches. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy understanding...   



Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”
¹¹ Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— ¹² wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”--2nd Chronicles 1:10-12


“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asksfor a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more willyour heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”--Luke 11:9-13

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.--Proverbs 9:10

And to man He said,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.’”--Job 28:28

But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.--Jeremiah 9:24

Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.--Jeremiah 24:7

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.--John 17:3

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.--1 John 5:20

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

Proverbs 1 NKJV

To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;
For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
She cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

Our Personal Relationship to Jesus: Slave

Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service, as men-pleasers but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. --Colossians 3:22 NKJV

Bondservants - Doulos - slave, one who gives himself up to another's will whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his causes among men.  Devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interest. (We as believers are no longer slaves to sin but we are the Lord's freed man...we are slaves of Christ - THAT is a pretty personal relationship) 

Behold, as the eyes of servants [look] unto the hand of their masters, [and] as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes [wait] upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.--Psalm 123:2

obey - hearken, submit

in all things - each and every

your masters - He to whom a person belongs about which he has the power of deciding; master, Lord, owner, one who has control.   the possessor and disposer of a thing.  (As believers we belong to God...Jesus is our Master, our Lord and our Savior)

according to the flesh - toward the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, the body

not with eye service - service performed only under the master's eyes; master's eye stimulates to greater diligence, his absence, renders sluggish. 

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.--Galatians 1:10

as men pleasers - anthropareskos -STUDYING to please man, courting the favor of men.  

but in singleness  - sincerity, simplicity, mental honesty, the virtue of one who is free from pretence and hypocrisy; not self-seeking, openness of heart manifesting itself by generosity.  

of heart - the seat of all physical and spiritual life, the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors; of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence.

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.--Matthew 6:22

Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;--Ephesians 6:5

fearing  - to be struck with amazement; to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience. 

God.  

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.--Ecclesiastes 12:13

Love Covers...

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.

And - Moreover

Above - Before

all things - each every any

have - to hold in the hand in the sense of wearing; to have possession of the mind

fervent - stretched out; stretched forth to its longest reach 

love - charity, affection, good will, benevolence

for one another - towards each other

for - because

love - affection, good will, love benevolence, brotherly love

will cover - Kalypto - to hide, veil, to hinder the knowledge of a thing, conceal that it might not become known.  Kalypto comes from two root words: 
1. klepto - to steal or commit a theft...to take away by stealth
2. kyrpto - to hide, conceal to be hid, to escape notice.

a multitude - a great number

of sins - violations of divine law in thought or in act. 

My Paraphrase...
And before each and every thing give preeminence to and wear affection, good will and benevolence stretched to the limit as in a stretched out hand toward one another because self sacrificing love will cover or conceal a great many sins. It will point many to Jesus.

Hatred stirs up strife but love covers sins.--Proverbs 10:12

Love overlooks and covers offenses especially those offenses that are against us...personal offenses. Love desires the best spiritually for another and puts their good foremost without considering how they themselves are being treated. Christ is our greatest example:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.--Romans 5:8

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.--1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (Replace the word love with Jesus)

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.--Philippians 2:1-11

Love is ready to forgive...love covers and overlooks offenses against itself.