Proverbs 17
Quietness is better than strife.
Acting wisely is better than acting shamefully.
The Lord tests our hearts - as surely as a refining pot tests silver and a furnace tests gold.
Listening to wicked lips and paying attention to destructive tongues- leads to becoming evil.
Being a mocker offends our Lord.
Rejoicing at another's problems will bring punishment to you.
"Grandchildren are the crown of old men." ( and old women!) Verse 6
A fool should not be giving speeches and a prince should not be telling lies.
A bribe is like a charm...
Covering another's sins ... is love in action.
Telling about it.. is not.
A fool won't listen to a rebuke, but a man of understanding will take it in deeply.
A rebellious man is seeking evil and will find it.
It is better to meet up with a mama bear separated from her cubs than a fool.
Returning evil for good will only multiply evil to yourself.
Get control of strife while it is just a drip, before it becomes a flood. (v14)
The Lord finds it disgusting when someone justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous.
A fool might try to buy wisdom, but it is worthless to him.
A real friend will love you no matter what. A brother will stick with you through the hard times.
It is foolish to pledge / commit yourself for someone else when you don't know what they will do.
To love sin is to love trouble.
To let in the world is to seek destruction.
To dwell on what is crooked will bring "no good".
To speak what is perverted is to "fall into evil."
The most sorrowful thing is to see your children walk in foolishness instead of wisdom. ( v21, 25)
"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." verse 22
Wicked men give and receive bribes in order to pervert justice.
"Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding, but the eyes of the fool are on the ends of the earth." v24
A man with knowledge restrains his mouth.
A man of understanding keeps his cool.
Even a foolish man seems wise when he is silent.
Wisdom. Understanding. Knowledge. These proverbs spell it out for us. We need to have understanding in order to gain the knowledge so that we can become wise. It is only by a righteous fear of the Lord do we begin to understand. It is all a gift! Grace!
Father in heaven, God of grace and mercy, how holy and wonderful You are! You give us the desire to know You, to receive Your Word, and to walk in Your wisdom. You give us Your Spirit to dwell in us and make us able to even receive this truth. You give us salvation through the blood of our dear Lord, Jesus Christ, so that we can know You. All is a gift. Thank You. Help us to live according to these words. May we know that Your wisdom is here, right here in You... and may we stop looking anywhere else to find it. Great are You Lord and highly to be praised! Your greatness is unending, unsearchable, unfathomable... blessed be Your holy Name. Amen.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Proverbs 16 Sprinkled throughout this chapter are nuggets of wisdom about:
Making plans
V 1 "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."
V2 " All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs his motives."
V3 "Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established."
V 9 "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."
V25 "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."
Our plans, our intentions and purposes, start then, in our hearts and minds. We think they are right and clean and good. But, there is only one way that this can be so.. if they are committed to the Lord!
For it is our Sovereign Lord who sees our real intentions and knows where our plans might really lead us. We have to go back to Proverbs 3: 5-6, leaning not on our own understanding, but acknowledging Him in all our plans so that He can establish our paths. Here is the wisdom that we must live by! Our every plan, intention, and purpose... submitted to and committed to Him, Who knows what is best for us.
Being leaders -
A king is responsible for "divine" decisions. V10
He must be careful to "not err in judgement"
It is disgusting to the Lord when a king commits wickedness. v12
A position of authority "is established on righteousness"
"Righteous lips are the king's delight, and he who speaks right is loved." v 13
"The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will appease it." v14
"In the light of a king's face is life, and his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain." v15
Think about these words in light of our current political system! The leader who has the fear of the Lord and commits his way to the Lord, has everything to gain.. for his way will be established. But those who "err in judgement" and commit wickedness will gain only God's wrath. How we need to pray for our president and senators and congressmen - that they will not err in judgement and commit wickedness, but would speak and do what is right.
And again, more words about our mouths!
Verse 21 " ... and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness."
Verse 23 "The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds persuasiveness to his lips."
Verse 24 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
Verse 27 "A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are as a scorching fire."
Verse28 " A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends."
James wrote about this too. "And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity, the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell." (James 3:6) To tame the tongue, he tells us, " If anyone does not stumble is what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." ( v2) What is the cure for this? There is only one. " But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy . " (v17)
We must:
"submit to God" (4:7);
"Draw near to God" ( 4:8) and
"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord.." (4:10)
In Christ, Paul wrote, "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." ( Col. 2:3) And so I pray:
Father in heaven, may the peace of Christ rule in my heart today. May His words richly dwell in me, with all wisdom and with thankfulness. May all I do in word or in deed, be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as I give thanks through Him to You, God, the Father. Amen. ( Col. 3:15-17)
Making plans
V 1 "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."
V2 " All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs his motives."
V3 "Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established."
V 9 "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."
V25 "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."
Our plans, our intentions and purposes, start then, in our hearts and minds. We think they are right and clean and good. But, there is only one way that this can be so.. if they are committed to the Lord!
For it is our Sovereign Lord who sees our real intentions and knows where our plans might really lead us. We have to go back to Proverbs 3: 5-6, leaning not on our own understanding, but acknowledging Him in all our plans so that He can establish our paths. Here is the wisdom that we must live by! Our every plan, intention, and purpose... submitted to and committed to Him, Who knows what is best for us.
Being leaders -
A king is responsible for "divine" decisions. V10
He must be careful to "not err in judgement"
It is disgusting to the Lord when a king commits wickedness. v12
A position of authority "is established on righteousness"
"Righteous lips are the king's delight, and he who speaks right is loved." v 13
"The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will appease it." v14
"In the light of a king's face is life, and his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain." v15
Think about these words in light of our current political system! The leader who has the fear of the Lord and commits his way to the Lord, has everything to gain.. for his way will be established. But those who "err in judgement" and commit wickedness will gain only God's wrath. How we need to pray for our president and senators and congressmen - that they will not err in judgement and commit wickedness, but would speak and do what is right.
And again, more words about our mouths!
Verse 21 " ... and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness."
Verse 23 "The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds persuasiveness to his lips."
Verse 24 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
Verse 27 "A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are as a scorching fire."
Verse28 " A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends."
James wrote about this too. "And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity, the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell." (James 3:6) To tame the tongue, he tells us, " If anyone does not stumble is what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." ( v2) What is the cure for this? There is only one. " But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy . " (v17)
We must:
"submit to God" (4:7);
"Draw near to God" ( 4:8) and
"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord.." (4:10)
In Christ, Paul wrote, "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." ( Col. 2:3) And so I pray:
Father in heaven, may the peace of Christ rule in my heart today. May His words richly dwell in me, with all wisdom and with thankfulness. May all I do in word or in deed, be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as I give thanks through Him to You, God, the Father. Amen. ( Col. 3:15-17)
Monday, April 10, 2017
Proverbs 15 This chapter continues to exhort us to live the life of righteousness and to gain knowledge and wisdom through the fear of the Lord and by His Word. There are several topics that strike me as something I need to meditate on:
1. Prayer -
Verse 8 " The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the righteous is His delight."
Verse 29 " The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous."
We are reminded in verse 3 that the Lord is watching, He sees the evil and the good, and in verse 11 we are told that the "hearts of men" are open before the Lord. He knows those who just go through the motions of going to church, acting like they are worshipping the Lord, but whose hearts are far from Him. Their gifts and offerings are meaningless, and even more, they are an "abomination" - they are disgusting to Him. That is a strong word! Consider the fact that in Leviticus 18 the Lord commands the Israelites not to commit the abominations of the Egyptians and other nations, listing every kind of sexual immorality you could imagine. Being a hypocrite, playing church, is just as disgusting to God as those things.
Yet, the good news is that those who love and serve the Lord with genuine worship are "His delight"!
He hears our prayers. He sees our hearts and knows our deepest needs.
Lord, help us to serve You with pure hearts and clean hands, in genuine faith and in the fear of the Lord.
2. Our well-being- Living a life of righteousness and faith effects us physically and emotionally as well as spiritually.
Verse 13 " A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken."
Verse 15 " All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast."
Verse 30 " Bright eyes gladden the heart; good news puts fat on the bones."
We are not surprised any more by the prominence of depression and suicide in our society. The rich and the poor, it doesn't matter; the young and the old.. makes no difference. Without the Lord, there is no joy, no satisfaction, and no hope. Our world continues to chase the wind. There is a great need for the Truth of God's Word to be preached! For only in Jesus can there be real joy!
3. Again there are many references to our mouths, our words, in this chapter.
Verse 1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs anger."
Verse 2, " The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly."
Verse 4 "A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit."
Verse 7 "The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not so."
Verse 14 "The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of the fool feeds on folly."
Verse 23 "A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word."
Verse 26 "Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord, but pleasant words are pure."
Verse 28 "The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. "
As people of God, followers of Christ, our words need to become more like our Shepherd's - gentle, reasonable, wise, apt, delightful, pure and pleasant, thoughtful. The proverbs also address the necessity of discipline and reproof (v5, 10,31 and 32); and counsel (v22). We receive the "instruction for wisdom" and the "fear of the Lord " We listen and learn and then we are to live it out in our homes and workplaces, in our cities and nations. And so I pray:
Father in heaven, great and Mighty are You in all the earth. You see our hearts, they are open before You. You know our weaknesses, our failures, and our greatest needs. I ask You Father, to give us pure hearts to worship You in spirit and in truth. I pray that our prayers would be delightful to You and that we will know that You hear us. I pray for hearts of joy and satisfaction in You. And I ask that You will take our bodies, living sacrifices.. acceptable sacrifices... for all that we are belongs to You. Take our mouths and transform us, by the renewing of our minds, so that rivers of living water will flow from us in all gentleness, purity, and wisdom. Thank You for the indwelling Spirit and for the mind of Christ, to whom we yield and in whose name we pray. Amen.
1. Prayer -
Verse 8 " The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the righteous is His delight."
Verse 29 " The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous."
We are reminded in verse 3 that the Lord is watching, He sees the evil and the good, and in verse 11 we are told that the "hearts of men" are open before the Lord. He knows those who just go through the motions of going to church, acting like they are worshipping the Lord, but whose hearts are far from Him. Their gifts and offerings are meaningless, and even more, they are an "abomination" - they are disgusting to Him. That is a strong word! Consider the fact that in Leviticus 18 the Lord commands the Israelites not to commit the abominations of the Egyptians and other nations, listing every kind of sexual immorality you could imagine. Being a hypocrite, playing church, is just as disgusting to God as those things.
Yet, the good news is that those who love and serve the Lord with genuine worship are "His delight"!
He hears our prayers. He sees our hearts and knows our deepest needs.
Lord, help us to serve You with pure hearts and clean hands, in genuine faith and in the fear of the Lord.
2. Our well-being- Living a life of righteousness and faith effects us physically and emotionally as well as spiritually.
Verse 13 " A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken."
Verse 15 " All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast."
Verse 30 " Bright eyes gladden the heart; good news puts fat on the bones."
We are not surprised any more by the prominence of depression and suicide in our society. The rich and the poor, it doesn't matter; the young and the old.. makes no difference. Without the Lord, there is no joy, no satisfaction, and no hope. Our world continues to chase the wind. There is a great need for the Truth of God's Word to be preached! For only in Jesus can there be real joy!
3. Again there are many references to our mouths, our words, in this chapter.
Verse 1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs anger."
Verse 2, " The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly."
Verse 4 "A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit."
Verse 7 "The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not so."
Verse 14 "The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of the fool feeds on folly."
Verse 23 "A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word."
Verse 26 "Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord, but pleasant words are pure."
Verse 28 "The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. "
As people of God, followers of Christ, our words need to become more like our Shepherd's - gentle, reasonable, wise, apt, delightful, pure and pleasant, thoughtful. The proverbs also address the necessity of discipline and reproof (v5, 10,31 and 32); and counsel (v22). We receive the "instruction for wisdom" and the "fear of the Lord " We listen and learn and then we are to live it out in our homes and workplaces, in our cities and nations. And so I pray:
Father in heaven, great and Mighty are You in all the earth. You see our hearts, they are open before You. You know our weaknesses, our failures, and our greatest needs. I ask You Father, to give us pure hearts to worship You in spirit and in truth. I pray that our prayers would be delightful to You and that we will know that You hear us. I pray for hearts of joy and satisfaction in You. And I ask that You will take our bodies, living sacrifices.. acceptable sacrifices... for all that we are belongs to You. Take our mouths and transform us, by the renewing of our minds, so that rivers of living water will flow from us in all gentleness, purity, and wisdom. Thank You for the indwelling Spirit and for the mind of Christ, to whom we yield and in whose name we pray. Amen.
Proverbs 14
Verse 8 " The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way."
Verse 15b " But the prudent man considers his steps."
Verse 18 b "But the prudent are crowned with knowledge."
The dictionary defines prudent as - capable of exercising sound judgement in practical matters; cautious or discreet in conduct; circumspect, not rash; managing carefully and with economy. The Hebrew word [aruwm] means cunning. It comes from the root word [ aram] which means to make bare, beware, take crafty counsel. To be cunning is to be skillful or cleaver; it is usually used in a negative sense of being skillfully deceptive, sly, or crafty. But it can also mean to know, to do something with skill and proficiency; ( World Dictionary).
The Word of God makes it clear to us that we are to live and walk according to our Lord's commands, by the Spirit, with faith in Jesus Christ. This is not something that we can do without His power and grace. We need to be prudent:
- to understand the way we must live
- the steps we must walk
- the choices we must make,
- the goals we set,
- the purpose for our lives.
The proverbs help us to be prudent, to exercise sound judgement, to carefully manage our lives skillfully and wisely, in the fear of the Lord.
To build up our homes and families with wisdom, instead of tearing them down with foolishness. v1
To walk in righteousness in the fear of the Lord, instead of being crooked and despising the Lord. v2
To speak words of wisdom which preserve us, instead of foolishness which brings punishment. v3
To be a faithful witness, speaking truth, instead of a lying v5
To be kind and gracious to those in need, instead of being bitter and scornful v9/10
When we are committed and careful to walk according to God's will, in love and grace and goodness, He promises again and again that He will bless us!
Our homes will flourish v11
We will find satisfaction in our lives v14
We will find happiness in helping others v21
We will profit from our labors v23
We will have confidence in the Lord, our children will find refuge in Him v26
We will find peace in our hearts and health in our bodies v30
We know that we have a refuge for eternity when we die v32
Our nation will even profit! v34
It is everything that we could ever want or need, right? Do we want it enough to work at it? To be prudent, to be careful, to take the time and energy to develop these virtues in our own lives and in our children's lives? Again and again, the Lord reminds us to be intentional in the things we say and the things we do! It is so easy to just go along with the flow of work and chores and recreation - living without really thinking about it. We are busy people! ( Even in retirement!) But, this is so important ! And so I pray:
Father in heaven, my Refuge and Fortress, always faithful and patient, help me to live prudently, intentionally, skillfully and even cunningly.. according to Your Word. Make me righteous and wise. Make me gracious and kind, truthful and generous, obedient and humble. I need You, O Lord, I need You. Every hour I need You! Thank You for loving me, saving me, and sanctifying me by Your grace and power. Christ in me, the hope of glory! It is in Your name I pray, Amen.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Proverbs 13 continues to contrast the life of the righteous man with that of a wicked man. Over and over again the writer teaches that there are great benefits to living in the Wisdom of the Lord and there are horrible consequences for going the way of wickedness. We each have a choice as to which life we want to live. This book of wisdom is spelling it out for us plainly and explicitly. It is very practical and reasonable.
To live for the Lord is to walk by the Spirit, in wisdom and truth. It is to:
accept discipline
desire good
guard our mouth
be diligent
guard our way
be humble
rejoice in righteousness
receive counsel
work hard
keep God's commandments
teach wisdom
gain understanding
act with knowledge
be faithful in our messages to others
listen to reproof
walk with the wise
leave a legacy
love and diligently discipline our children
Some of the benefits of righteous living are:
enjoying good v2
preserving life v3
finding satisfaction v4, 25
having desires fulfilled v12
rewards v13
prosperity v21
Delight, satisfaction, fulfilled desires, sweetness in the soul, -- all that we need and want are found in the way of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. While the way of the world, the way of unrighteousness is filled with ruin, want, failure, poverty, and shame.
Father in heaven, Your Word is truth and brings Light into our lives. Thank You. I love You Lord and desire to live according to Your Word and will. Help me to hear and to obey. Help me to keep seeking and finding You as I seek You with all my heart. Once again I turn my eyes upon Jesus and confess my need, my desire for You to fill me, surround me, take me, melt me and mold me, that I might be all that You have purposed for me to be.
In the beautiful name of Jesus I pray,
amen.
To live for the Lord is to walk by the Spirit, in wisdom and truth. It is to:
accept discipline
desire good
guard our mouth
be diligent
guard our way
be humble
rejoice in righteousness
receive counsel
work hard
keep God's commandments
teach wisdom
gain understanding
act with knowledge
be faithful in our messages to others
listen to reproof
walk with the wise
leave a legacy
love and diligently discipline our children
Some of the benefits of righteous living are:
enjoying good v2
preserving life v3
finding satisfaction v4, 25
having desires fulfilled v12
rewards v13
prosperity v21
Delight, satisfaction, fulfilled desires, sweetness in the soul, -- all that we need and want are found in the way of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. While the way of the world, the way of unrighteousness is filled with ruin, want, failure, poverty, and shame.
Father in heaven, Your Word is truth and brings Light into our lives. Thank You. I love You Lord and desire to live according to Your Word and will. Help me to hear and to obey. Help me to keep seeking and finding You as I seek You with all my heart. Once again I turn my eyes upon Jesus and confess my need, my desire for You to fill me, surround me, take me, melt me and mold me, that I might be all that You have purposed for me to be.
In the beautiful name of Jesus I pray,
amen.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Proverbs 12 "In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death." (v28)
The man or woman who lives according to the Word of God, pursuing wisdom and having a holy fear of the Lord will:
love discipline and knowledge (v1)
obtain God's favor (v2)
be unmoved by circumstances (v3)
bring honor to his or her spouse (v4)
think just thoughts (v5)
speak words of deliverance to others (v6)
have a secure home and family (v7)
have insight (v8)
be better off (v9)
have compassion even on his animals (v10)
work hard and be fruitful (v11)
yield the fruit of righteousness (v12)
escape from troubles (v13)
be "satisfied with good by the fruit of his words" and be rewarded for his good works. (v14)
listen to counsel (v15)
not speak of another's dishonor (v16)
speaks truth and tells what is right (v17)
speak words of healing (v18)
be eternally established by speaking the truth (v19)
find joy in helping others find peace (v20)
stay out of harm's way (v21)
delight the Lord (v22)
keeps from boasting about his "knowledge" (v23)
be diligent (v24)
bring gladness to others with his good words (v25)
guide his neighbors to righteousness (v26)
have the "precious possession" of diligence (v27)
This is the "delight" of our Lord, to "deal faithfully", to live this abundant life of righteousness and find favor in His eyes. Two passages come to mind as I think of these things, especially the many proverbs involving the use of our tongues:
Matthew 15:18-19 " But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders."
and Galatians 5:19-22 " Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality , idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Jesus says that what is in our heart comes out our mouths. Solomon's proverbs affirm this same truth and adds that it comes out in every part of our lives : our words and actions, our attitudes and our work ethic; our present path and our future hope. Paul gives us this - " But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.... Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:16, 24) He tells us to " let each one examine his own work..." (v4) We must pay attention to, examine carefully, what is coming out of our mouths and our actions as well. Are we walking by the Spirit? Are we doing the things listed above that reveal a life of righteousness? Are we delighting our Lord?
Father in heaven, You are a loving God and I praise You. You call us to joy and peace, to truth and righteousness . You want us to delight in You as You delight in us as we walk in Your ways. Help me to walk in Your Spirit and to crucify the flesh. Jesus, thank You for forgiving me my sins and cleansing me from all unrighteousness. Create in me a clean heart so that what comes out of my mouth will be pure and pleasing and good. Once again, my Savior, I surrender myself to You. amen.
The man or woman who lives according to the Word of God, pursuing wisdom and having a holy fear of the Lord will:
love discipline and knowledge (v1)
obtain God's favor (v2)
be unmoved by circumstances (v3)
bring honor to his or her spouse (v4)
think just thoughts (v5)
speak words of deliverance to others (v6)
have a secure home and family (v7)
have insight (v8)
be better off (v9)
have compassion even on his animals (v10)
work hard and be fruitful (v11)
yield the fruit of righteousness (v12)
escape from troubles (v13)
be "satisfied with good by the fruit of his words" and be rewarded for his good works. (v14)
listen to counsel (v15)
not speak of another's dishonor (v16)
speaks truth and tells what is right (v17)
speak words of healing (v18)
be eternally established by speaking the truth (v19)
find joy in helping others find peace (v20)
stay out of harm's way (v21)
delight the Lord (v22)
keeps from boasting about his "knowledge" (v23)
be diligent (v24)
bring gladness to others with his good words (v25)
guide his neighbors to righteousness (v26)
have the "precious possession" of diligence (v27)
This is the "delight" of our Lord, to "deal faithfully", to live this abundant life of righteousness and find favor in His eyes. Two passages come to mind as I think of these things, especially the many proverbs involving the use of our tongues:
Matthew 15:18-19 " But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders."
and Galatians 5:19-22 " Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality , idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Jesus says that what is in our heart comes out our mouths. Solomon's proverbs affirm this same truth and adds that it comes out in every part of our lives : our words and actions, our attitudes and our work ethic; our present path and our future hope. Paul gives us this - " But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.... Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:16, 24) He tells us to " let each one examine his own work..." (v4) We must pay attention to, examine carefully, what is coming out of our mouths and our actions as well. Are we walking by the Spirit? Are we doing the things listed above that reveal a life of righteousness? Are we delighting our Lord?
Father in heaven, You are a loving God and I praise You. You call us to joy and peace, to truth and righteousness . You want us to delight in You as You delight in us as we walk in Your ways. Help me to walk in Your Spirit and to crucify the flesh. Jesus, thank You for forgiving me my sins and cleansing me from all unrighteousness. Create in me a clean heart so that what comes out of my mouth will be pure and pleasing and good. Once again, my Savior, I surrender myself to You. amen.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Proverbs 11 - contrasting righteousness and wickedness; wisdom vs folly:
The Lord delights in just balances and hates false ones. (v 1) He cares about how we do business.
The Lord honors the humble and dishonors the proud. (v2) He cares about our attitudes.
Integrity is a guide, falseness will destroy. v3 He cares about our character.
Money won't save you; righteousness will. v4 He cares about what we trust in.
Righteousness makes life smoother, wickedness brings failure. v5 He cares about our daily lives.
Righteousness delivers, greed traps the treacherous. v6 He cares about our troubles.
The wicked have no hope for eternity. v7 He cares about our future.
The righteous may have trouble, but they will be delivered. The wicked will not. v8
The godless man will destroy his neighbor with his words, the righteous will be delivered through knowledge. v9
When the righteous do well, it benefits the city and brings rejoicing. v9-10
When the wicked die, the city rejoices.
The Lord cares about our neighbors and our towns and cities.
A righteous man will not tell rumors or lies, gossip, or tales.
He will seek guidance from an "abundance of counselors"
He will be careful in his dealings with strangers.
He will be merciful.
He will sow righteousness.
He will desire good.
He will be generous.
And he will be rewarded.
A righteous woman will be gracious. She will have discretion . She will desire good.
Here is how we flourish and bear much fruit... how we gain life. We trust in God's Word and live according to His plan. We become His righteous sons and daughters through Jesus Christ and walk in faith by His Holy Spirit every day. We seek wisdom and depend on His power in us to stay blameless. We give ourselves to Him and then live like He does. We live this truth: " I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20
And so I pray:
Gracious Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank You for loving me and giving me salvation through Jesus Christ the Lord. Fill me again and again with Your Spirit, that I might truly live the life of Christ in faith and holiness. You are my God and my Salvation . I give my all to You. Lead me in Your ways and may You will be done. All glory and honor and blessing is Yours forever and ever. Amen.
The Lord delights in just balances and hates false ones. (v 1) He cares about how we do business.
The Lord honors the humble and dishonors the proud. (v2) He cares about our attitudes.
Integrity is a guide, falseness will destroy. v3 He cares about our character.
Money won't save you; righteousness will. v4 He cares about what we trust in.
Righteousness makes life smoother, wickedness brings failure. v5 He cares about our daily lives.
Righteousness delivers, greed traps the treacherous. v6 He cares about our troubles.
The wicked have no hope for eternity. v7 He cares about our future.
The righteous may have trouble, but they will be delivered. The wicked will not. v8
The godless man will destroy his neighbor with his words, the righteous will be delivered through knowledge. v9
When the righteous do well, it benefits the city and brings rejoicing. v9-10
When the wicked die, the city rejoices.
The Lord cares about our neighbors and our towns and cities.
A righteous man will not tell rumors or lies, gossip, or tales.
He will seek guidance from an "abundance of counselors"
He will be careful in his dealings with strangers.
He will be merciful.
He will sow righteousness.
He will desire good.
He will be generous.
And he will be rewarded.
A righteous woman will be gracious. She will have discretion . She will desire good.
Here is how we flourish and bear much fruit... how we gain life. We trust in God's Word and live according to His plan. We become His righteous sons and daughters through Jesus Christ and walk in faith by His Holy Spirit every day. We seek wisdom and depend on His power in us to stay blameless. We give ourselves to Him and then live like He does. We live this truth: " I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20
And so I pray:
Gracious Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank You for loving me and giving me salvation through Jesus Christ the Lord. Fill me again and again with Your Spirit, that I might truly live the life of Christ in faith and holiness. You are my God and my Salvation . I give my all to You. Lead me in Your ways and may You will be done. All glory and honor and blessing is Yours forever and ever. Amen.
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