Proverbs

This Proverb says, “Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” Only a true friend will tell us what we need to hear, even if it is painful. However, an enemy will lie to us for their own personal gain. A true friend is one who is close to us. A true friend knows us. They know our strengths and…

This Proverb says, “The stone is heavy and the sand weighty, but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.” The Bible defines a fool as a person who does not believe in God. The Bible says, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.” Such a person therefore does not possess the quality of self-restraint. Fools are not influenced by God's guidance, which teaches us to have self-restraint. Therefore,…

This Proverb says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth, a stranger, and not just your own lips.” It is a natural desire to want others to think highly of us. Therefore, it is a natural desire to boast or brag about our accomplishments. We may actually seek opportunities to do so. However, we should resist such urges. The Bible says that God hates pride above all other sins. It was pride that led…

This Proverb says, “A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” A person who lies and speaks flattering words to others does so for personal gain. They are not concerned for others. They are self-centered. The Bible characterizes such a person as evil. Such people cause much destruction in the lives of others, but they do not care. To them other people are tools to further their own interests. Their successes…

This Proverb says, “He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.” I believe this Proverb is speaking about a person who plans to do harm to somebody else. Sometimes their evil plan will backfire on them. They will become victims of their own scheme. King David in his Psalms wrote of his many enemies who wanted to do David harm. David wrote about…

This Proverb says, “He who hates disguises it with his lips, but he lays up deceit in his heart. When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for there are severe abominations in his heart. Though his hatred covers itself with guile, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.” This is another Proverb about a person whose words are not sincere. Their words are not consistent with their character. They are filled with hate…

This Proverb says, “Like an earthen vessel with silver dross are burning lips and a wicked heart.” There are some people in the world who speak with eloquent and smooth speech professing love. However, inwardly they are filled with evil thoughts and intentions. Their purpose is to paint a false picture of themselves, so that others will not know who they truly are. Unfortunately, many of these people occupy positions of leadership in America and in…

This Proverb says, “The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, and they go down to the innermost part of the body.” Another way of saying this is that a gossip's words are difficult to forget. Gossiping is a sin that tempts many people. It can seem appealing to tell of another person's secret. It is also alluring to hear of another person's secret. However, gossip can be very damaging on several levels. First, it…

This Proverb says, “For lack of wood the fire goes out.” Our Faith in God is like that. Strong Faith in God is like a fire burning brightly. However, a to sustain this strong Faith over a lifetime we may need to continually add fuel to it like we add fuel to a fire. How do we refuel our Faith? There's only one way. We need to feed our Faith with the Word of God, the…

This Proverb says, “Like a bad man who throws firebrands, arrows and death, so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “was I not joking.” The person described in this Proverb is one who causes another person harm and suffering. Then, that person excuses their own behavior by saying they were only joking and didn't mean to cause harm. However, that person really was intending to cause harm. A person like this is purposely…