(Proverbs 22:1-29)
1 A good name is to be more desired than great wealth;
Favor is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor have a common bond,
The Lord is the Maker of them all.
3 A prudent person sees evil and hides himself,
But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
4 The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor, and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
One who guards himself will be far from them.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he grows older he will not abandon it.
7 The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
8 One who sows injustice will reap disaster,
And the rod of his fury will perish.
9 One who is generous will be blessed,
Because he gives some of his food to the poor.
10 Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave,
Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.
11 One who loves purity of heart
And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord protect knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous person.
13 The lazy one says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is cursed of the Lord will fall into it.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
16 One who oppresses the poor to make more for himself,
Or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
17 Extend your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
18 For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
So that they may be ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I have taught you today, you indeed.
20 Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 To make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
So that you may correctly answer him who sent you?
22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Nor crush the needy at the gate;
23 For the Lord will plead their case
And take the life of those who rob them.
24 Do not make friends with a person given to anger,
Or go with a hot-tempered person,
25 Or you will learn his ways
And find a snare for yourself.
26 Do not be among those who shake hands,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to repay,
Why should he take your bed from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a person skilled in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure people.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
Favor is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor have a common bond,
The Lord is the Maker of them all.
3 A prudent person sees evil and hides himself,
But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
4 The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor, and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
One who guards himself will be far from them.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he grows older he will not abandon it.
7 The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
8 One who sows injustice will reap disaster,
And the rod of his fury will perish.
9 One who is generous will be blessed,
Because he gives some of his food to the poor.
10 Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave,
Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.
11 One who loves purity of heart
And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord protect knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous person.
13 The lazy one says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is cursed of the Lord will fall into it.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
16 One who oppresses the poor to make more for himself,
Or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
17 Extend your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
18 For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
So that they may be ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I have taught you today, you indeed.
20 Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 To make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
So that you may correctly answer him who sent you?
22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Nor crush the needy at the gate;
23 For the Lord will plead their case
And take the life of those who rob them.
24 Do not make friends with a person given to anger,
Or go with a hot-tempered person,
25 Or you will learn his ways
And find a snare for yourself.
26 Do not be among those who shake hands,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to repay,
Why should he take your bed from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a person skilled in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure people.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
While the Lord has created both the rich and the poor, and loves them both, in this sinful, broken world (for now) it just works out that the rich will rule over the poor. So how do we navigate through life while maintaining a close relationship with the Lord and remaining in His will? Here we are reminded that favor and a good reputation is better than wealth. Meanwhile, the Lord will give riches, honor and eternal life to those who humbly fear Him, live for Him, focus on Him, and love Him above all else.
If we love pleasures of the flesh more, we will fall into the trappings of promiscuity and adultery. If we love the world more, we will make friends with those who are selfish, volatile and angry, only to become selfish and volatile ourselves, being angry for the wrong reasons. If we love material things above all else, one will fall into debt, which comes with its own set of consequences. If we love money more, we will fall into sinful tactics, criminal behaviors and danger.
No matter what or how, to live for oneself without the Lord in one's life is to be cursed. But being "cursed of the Lord" doesn't mean that all is lost. One still has the opportunity to turn to the Lord to be saved! It is only foolishness if a person decides to keep denying God and going against His will. To proceed wisely requires us to humbly fear and love the Lord and what He tells us!
Therefore, even biblical advice needs to be considered carefully, and in context. Like how we are to run and hide from evil, yet we ARE to defend and help bring about justice for the vulnerable. Like how we should avoid toxic people, to protect ourselves and our family, but still love everyone and not be afraid. Like, how we are to be generous to the poor, but not neglect providing for our family.
To balance out these things safely and to God's glory, we need His wisdom, guidance, strength and love. To have a pure heart is to confess sin and fill it with God's goodness, so that we see and hear His words and instructions clearly. It is only the Lord who can purify our hearts, and change us from the inside out so that our actions will be trustworthy and appreciated. In putting our trust in the Lord's wisdom, we will be guided in truth, so that things will work out for good. Our treasures are in heaven, and our wealth is in the Lord and what He gives to our lives. And because He gives to us so generously, we can serve, equip, encourage and give to others generously, especially to our children!
To have a peaceful household, and for our children to know how to establish their own peaceful households, we need to teach and equip them with the Lord's truth. They will not figure it out on their own. Since we are all born with a sin nature, what comes "naturally" is sinful thinking and behavior. Therefore, we have a very important job as parents, which we should not neglect. But this does not mean that we should abuse or bully anyone into submission.
Always in love, we should teach God's word and the importance of having a personal relationship with the Lord, and teach discipline and how to work diligently. And of course, we need to be allowing the Lord to work in our own lives so that we will be a worthy example. How we give, and how we live, is what we will foster in all of our relationships and environments.
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