Have You Found Honey? (Notes on Proverbs)

My Son, Hear My Words: Notes on Proverbs

The following is an excerpt from the book, My Son, Hear My Words: Notes on Proverbs.

Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, that you not have it in excess and vomit it” (25:16). Self-control is not only necessary in order to refrain from doing things that are wrong. It is also necessary to control our use of those things which are good. It is true that one can have too much of a good thing. Honey is good. In describing the great blessings of the promised land, the Lord called it “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). But even though it was one of the good things of the land, Solomon says, “It is not good to eat much honey” (25:27). We sometimes hear the phrase, “everything in moderation.” Of course, this would not apply to things that are sinful in themselves. But of those things that are good, we must exercise self-control so that we do not overuse or abuse the good things with which God has blessed us.

You can read more comments on the book of Proverbs in My Son, Hear My Words: Notes on Proverbs. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!

The Root of the Problem: Chapter 16 – Lack of Self-Control (Excerpt)

The Root of the Problem (cover)“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me’” (Luke 9:23).

Jesus says we are to deny ourselves. That is, we must exercise control over our minds and our hearts so that we might submit to His will and follow Him rather than follow after our own desires. He says it will require a daily effort to do this. We must remain firm in our resolve to overcome sin and to follow His will.

There will be times when we might want to quit the battle against sin. We may want to temporarily surrender and give a little bit of ground to our enemy. But we must not do this. It will not work for us to strive to overcome sin only when we feel up to the challenge or when it is convenient. We must strive to overcome sin at all times – daily, as Jesus said. So we must learn to exercise self-control – denying ourselves in order to follow Christ.

You can read more about the need for self-control and how to develop it in The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!