(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)
(Proverbs 10:1-32)
1 The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
2 Ill-gotten gains do not benefit,
But righteousness rescues from death.
3 The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.
4 Poor is one who works with a lazy hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The mentioning of the righteous is a blessing,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9 One who walks in integrity walks securely,
But one who perverts his ways will be found out.
10 He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will come to ruin.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all offenses.
13 On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who has no sense.
14 Wise people store up knowledge,
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
15 The rich person’s wealth is his fortress,
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
17 One who is on the path of life follows instruction,
But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray.
18 One who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And one who spreads slander is a fool.
19 When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,
But one who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.
22 It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
23 Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a person of understanding.
24 What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright,
But ruin to the workers of injustice.
30 The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not live in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked, what is perverted.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
2 Ill-gotten gains do not benefit,
But righteousness rescues from death.
3 The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.
4 Poor is one who works with a lazy hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The mentioning of the righteous is a blessing,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9 One who walks in integrity walks securely,
But one who perverts his ways will be found out.
10 He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will come to ruin.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all offenses.
13 On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who has no sense.
14 Wise people store up knowledge,
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
15 The rich person’s wealth is his fortress,
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
17 One who is on the path of life follows instruction,
But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray.
18 One who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And one who spreads slander is a fool.
19 When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,
But one who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.
22 It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
23 Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a person of understanding.
24 What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright,
But ruin to the workers of injustice.
30 The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not live in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked, what is perverted.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
I see verse 17 as the key verse in this chapter. The one who is on the path of life listens to instruction! The path of life and all of the instructions found in God's word encompasses every aspect of life. First of all, as verse 2 tells us, righteousness rescues us from death. This is both eternally, as well as physically, emotionally and spiritually while here on earth. And this is not of ourselves, it is Jesus who is righteousness, and it is Jesus and only Jesus who can save us because of His work on the cross and His sacrificial love.
When we become believers in Christ, because we have Jesus' love and righteousness guiding us, we should see all commandments as valuable and beneficial. This is not to say that we should be striving to be the richest, or the most popular, or even the most "piously religious" (which is self-righteousness and/or just going through the motions)! As we live in God's will - all in God's strength, love and guidance, and as we allow God to grow us in our faith and maturity, these things of integrity will be reflected in all areas of our life.
As verses 22 and 23 says very clearly, it is God who brings about these blessings to those who are eager to know Him better and better and strive to follow His instructions. So - it is the Lord who saves us, and then it is the Lord who changes us (as we allow), and it is the Lord who then blesses us! And our biggest blessings are the love, joy, strength and hope we have in Christ!
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