Proverbs

This Proverb says, “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.” This can be applied to many situations. One situation that comes to mind this morning involves a marital relationship. In a marriage, contentious discussions may occur from time to time. I have found that words spoken in anger can produce bad results. If a husband speaks words that hurt his wife, he…

This Proverb says, “He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is crooked in his ways despises Him.” The Bible says that those who are righteous fear the Lord. This is a good kind of fear because it provides motivation to walk rightly before God. A righteous person is motivated to live their lives according to God's Word, the Bible. With this motivation a righteous person will turn from sin and…

These passages contain two Proverbs. The first Proverb says, “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” When I grew up in the 1950s, spanking children was an acceptable form of discipline. When we were disobedient, our parents would spank us. It was an effective motivation to change our behavior and obey our parents. Schools were even allowed to discipline children when they misbehaved. As a result…

This Proverb says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” People are influenced by those with whom they associate. Family, friends, and work associates have differing worldviews. They will express these views to us at various times during our association with them. We will also observe how they respond to different situations. All of these occasions will have an influence on how we behave and…

These passages say, “A wicked messenger falls into adversity, but a faithful envoy brings healing. Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, but he who regards reproof will be honored. Desire realized is sweet to the soul, but it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.” The Bible characterizes those who do not believe in God and do not live by God's Word as foolish or wicked. Those who believe in…

This Proverb says, “Good understanding produces favor, but the way of the treacherous is hard. Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays folly.” What is knowledge? What is understanding? Knowledge is what we gain through observation and experience. Knowledge is assimilating the facts of the world around us. Understanding is accurately interpreting the knowledge we receive. This Proverb indicates that a prudent person acts according to their observations. For example, they learn that uncontrolled…

These passages say, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. The one who despises the Word will be in debt to it, but the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn aside from the snares of death.” There are three Proverbs in these passages. The first Proverb speaks of unfulfilled and fulfilled desires during a person’s…

This Proverb says, “Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it.” The person who gathers his wealth by labor gathers slowly. As a result, they learn how to use it, manage it and protect it. Such knowledge doesn't come instantly. It must be learned over time. Once a person has gained this knowledge and experience, they will better understand how to grow their wealth and make wise financial decisions. On the…

These passages say, “The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked goes out. Through presumption comes nothing but strife, but with those who receive counsel is wisdom.” The Bible characterizes a righteous person as one who has the light of God's presence within them. A righteous person regularly reads God's Word, the Bible. As a result they fill themselves with God's Truths. As they live their lives, their light will grow brighter…

These passages contain two Proverbs. The first Proverb says, “There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing; another pretends to be poor but has great wealth.” The second Proverb says, “The ransom of a man's life is his riches, but the poor hears no rebuke.” The first Proverb indicates that there are some people who want to be held in high esteem or honor for their apparent wealth, when they are not really…