(Proverbs 17:1-28)
1 Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the Lord tests hearts.
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 One who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;
One who rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the old,
And the glory of sons is their fathers.
7 Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are lying lips to a prince.
8 A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 One who conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter separates close friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 A rebellious person seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a person meet a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his foolishness.
13 One who returns evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
15 One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,
When he has no sense?
17 A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A person lacking in sense shakes hands
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
19 One who loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 One who has a crooked mind finds nothing good,
And one who is corrupted in his language falls into evil.
21 He who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A joyful heart is good medicine,
But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked person accepts a bribe from an inside pocket
To pervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
26 It is also not good to fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 One who withholds his words has knowledge,
And one who has a cool spirit is a person of understanding.
28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
Than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the Lord tests hearts.
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 One who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;
One who rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the old,
And the glory of sons is their fathers.
7 Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are lying lips to a prince.
8 A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 One who conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter separates close friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 A rebellious person seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a person meet a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his foolishness.
13 One who returns evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
15 One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,
When he has no sense?
17 A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A person lacking in sense shakes hands
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
19 One who loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 One who has a crooked mind finds nothing good,
And one who is corrupted in his language falls into evil.
21 He who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A joyful heart is good medicine,
But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked person accepts a bribe from an inside pocket
To pervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
26 It is also not good to fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 One who withholds his words has knowledge,
And one who has a cool spirit is a person of understanding.
28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
We all want to experience a happy life, but what do we have to do to achieve that? Here we are given some really good advice which we can apply to our lives. To be truly happy, we should want to live in peace, not fighting or arguing. Whatever we say or do should be encouraging and edifying, not divisive or destructive. If we strive to be just and fair, we will definitely not be happy when we see others struggle and suffer. Those with good intentions will succeed and will want to help others, and share that with others.
Respecting our family members is important. Those who love, respect and have compassion towards all people, will forgive and be understanding, and never go around gossiping or seeking revenge. Stay away from doing evil and those people who do evil. And when we have done anything wrong, we should be very open to getting feedback, so that we can reconcile things, as well as mature.
Very importantly, true happiness is to have the joy of the Lord in our hearts. As well, to have understanding of God's word, so that we will not be deceived in how we interpret and apply the scriptures. As believers gain wisdom, we will understand that in order to live in God's will and have a fulfilling, peaceful and joyful life here on earth, all we have to do is ask and allow God to work in and through us.
Because God looks at our hearts, it is our hearts that we need to give to Him so that He can make them pure, changing us from the inside out. Since God is holy and good, as our hearts desire what God desires, then our motives in what we say and do will be pure and righteous. But since we still struggle with sin, even though we won't lose our salvation, we should want to continually go to the Lord for His wisdom, guidance and help, even and especially when we are serving others and doing good deeds.
When believers get to heaven, we will not be judged for our sins, because God has forgiven us. He will judge our good deeds and put them through the refining fire. For those deeds that do not burn up because they were done with pure motives, we will be rewarded. For now, though, we will be blessed with the Lord's joy, when we do all things in the Lord's strength, righteousness, wisdom and love, all for His glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment