(Proverbs 14:1-35)
1 The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
2 One who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
But one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise will protect them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean;
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.
5 A trustworthy witness will not lie,
But a false witness declares lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,
But knowledge is easy for one who has understanding.
7 Leave the presence of a fool,
Or you will not discern words of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
But the foolishness of fools is deceit.
9 Fools mock at sin,
But among the upright there is goodwill.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way which seems right to a person,
But its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the end of joy may be grief.
14 One with a wayward heart will have his fill of his own ways,
But a good person will be satisfied with his.
15 The naive believes everything,
But the sensible person considers his steps.
16 A wise person is cautious and turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.
17 A quick-tempered person acts foolishly,
And a person of evil devices is hated.
18 The naive inherit foolishness,
But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is hated even by his neighbor,
But those who love the rich are many.
21 One who despises his neighbor sins,
But one who is gracious to the poor is blessed.
22 Will they who devise evil not go astray?
But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.
23 In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is simply foolishness.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
But one who declares lies is deceitful.
26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And his children will have refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
By which one may avoid the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,
But in the scarcity of people is a prince’s ruin.
29 One who is slow to anger has great understanding;
But one who is quick-tempered exalts foolishness.
30 A tranquil heart is life to the body,
But jealousy is rottenness to the bones.
31 One who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
But one who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
32 The wicked is thrust down by his own wrongdoing,
But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
But among fools it is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,
But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
2 One who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
But one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise will protect them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean;
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.
5 A trustworthy witness will not lie,
But a false witness declares lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,
But knowledge is easy for one who has understanding.
7 Leave the presence of a fool,
Or you will not discern words of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
But the foolishness of fools is deceit.
9 Fools mock at sin,
But among the upright there is goodwill.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way which seems right to a person,
But its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the end of joy may be grief.
14 One with a wayward heart will have his fill of his own ways,
But a good person will be satisfied with his.
15 The naive believes everything,
But the sensible person considers his steps.
16 A wise person is cautious and turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.
17 A quick-tempered person acts foolishly,
And a person of evil devices is hated.
18 The naive inherit foolishness,
But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is hated even by his neighbor,
But those who love the rich are many.
21 One who despises his neighbor sins,
But one who is gracious to the poor is blessed.
22 Will they who devise evil not go astray?
But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.
23 In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is simply foolishness.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
But one who declares lies is deceitful.
26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And his children will have refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
By which one may avoid the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,
But in the scarcity of people is a prince’s ruin.
29 One who is slow to anger has great understanding;
But one who is quick-tempered exalts foolishness.
30 A tranquil heart is life to the body,
But jealousy is rottenness to the bones.
31 One who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
But one who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
32 The wicked is thrust down by his own wrongdoing,
But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
But among fools it is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,
But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
If anyone behaves disrespectfully towards a police officer, it will not go well. The wisest thing we can do is cooperate with authority, whether they are right or wrong. While remaining calm and levelheaded, we can always appeal or lodge a complaint later, using facts and evidence. Now, people are not perfect, but God is. So, how well will it go with those who choose to disrespect God, the One who judges with truth and righteousness? Those who live in His righteousness will be protected, because they have received His free gift of forgiveness and salvation, and are guaranteed eternal life with Him. In Him, we will find peace, contentment, hope and true joy.
Without God, people have to make up their own direction/s in life, which will be based on their fickle feelings, self-centered desires and limited knowledge. This way is ripe with arrogance, jealousy, hatred and uncertainty. This way is futile and only leads to death. We get a glimpse of the futility in verses 13-15.
Comparing the world's kingdom vs God's kingdom, the world's kingdom embraces entertainment, which is passive and a form of escape and deception. Actors are only pretending to be something that they are not. And viewers often take what they see, to apply to their own lives, trying to emulate fictitious "happily-ever-after" endings. Therefore, those who want to live by their fleshly desires will hate God and His instructions. Those who are evil, see sin and crime as a game to play. And those who want to appear good, will only mask the sins that they hide inside.
When a person humbly repents of their sins, the Lord sets us free from sin and clothes us in His righteousness. Therefore, God's kingdom is one of celebration, which requires participation within a group of others who share the same joy and direction in life. When we live in the Lord's will, we have purpose and direction, with excellent instructions in order to keep us on the right path. And the wise will seek to understand why things work or don't work. Instead of reacting to something (whether it is with sadness or anger), stop to figure out the facts. God's truths are reasonable, and make complete and perfect sense. And we can actually observe the outcomes and see that God works things out for good when we apply biblical instructions with goodwill intentions and with cautious and prayerful consideration.
In showing love to our neighbor, we have to know that this isn't just talking about those who live right next to us. This is talking about those in the next community... in the next country... it is talking about all people. Practically speaking, God wants us to be Spirit-led in all things. So as we go through life, and we realize someone's need and are prompted to help or serve in some way, when we step up, God will equip us and strengthen us.
We can love everyone, and be gracious to those in need, because God is rich with resources, and He is faithful provide. And if anyone has wronged us, when we forgive them, as the Lord forgives us, we are delivered from anger and bitterness. Otherwise, our hearts will struggle to embrace and enjoy peace, joy and love. This in itself will compromise our relationships. Forgiving those who hurt us, as well as confessing our sins, are necessary in maintaining a healthy life, and healthy relationships, with the Lord and others!
If we awesomely respect the Lord, we will be striving to live in His righteousness, with a strong confidence. So, instead of talking about things that we are against, which only helps to tear down and destroy, we should be talking about the things we are for, which is to be serving, encouraging, building up and life-giving. But just talking about it isn't that effective. If we are passionate about a need somewhere, that means God is calling us to do something! Part of growing in our personal relationship with the Lord is to be attentively listening to His directions, and then talking to Him about walking-that-walk together!
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