(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 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:
Verses 10 to 15 should be enlightening. Even though things might seem right, and one is having fun and getting and earning the things they desire, this will come to an end. I've heard so many people say, "It just feels right!" regarding things that are wrong. Or they think that their way is "easier." Regarding Christianity, there are those who think that it's too much work, and there are those who think that it just sounds too easy.
Verse 4 sticks out to me as very interesting. We need to consider the blessings, benefits and the rewards of everything to make sure something is worth it. Everything in life involves work. Even the lazy person who "doesn't work" has to work very hard at manipulating others or figuring out ways to scam and steal. There is also the very hardworking person who is only spinning their wheels because the end result will be futility. Whatever we physically earn or get here on earth, we cannot take with us.
Our entire purpose comes down to the spiritual matter of reconciling with God. No one can work their way into heaven. It is by faith alone! Having faith in Jesus and trusting in His word. So in His strength and guidance, a person can work with purpose and security, knowing that there is an amazing guaranteed outcome with treasures in heaven, as well as benefits and blessings here on earth.
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