Proverbs

This Proverb says, “He who loves pleasure will become a poor man. He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.” A person who seeks pleasure is seeking personal gratification. Because we all are prone to sin, personal gratification usually involves sinning in one way or another. It usually involves an act of selfishness and will not result in having God's blessing. Taken to extreme, pursuing pleasure will lead to a person spending their money…

This Proverb says, “The execution of justice is joy for the righteous, but terror for the workers of iniquity." Righteous people desire to live in a just society with leaders that promote goodness and order. However, those who are given over to evil do not want a just society. They want a society that does not punish criminals. They want leaders who promote sinful living. Unfortunately, America has changed into a society that is trending…

This Proverb says, “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered.” There are many poor and needy people in the world. We may encounter some of them in our lives, and our natural instinct may be to avoid them. However, God does not want us to do that. There are some needy people that God places before us that He wants us to help.…

This Proverb says, “When the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.” A scoffer is one who ridicules the Word of God. A scoffer ridicules the Word of God because it doesn't make sense to them. It is foolishness to them. As the Proverb says, God will sometimes punish the scoffer. When this happens, acquaintances of the scoffer who are friends and relatives may take notice and…

This Proverb says, “The way of a guilty man is crooked, but as for the pure, his conduct is upright.” Who we are is reflected in the way we live. It is reflected in our words and the choices we make. The upright person will live their lives according to the Word of God. They will desire to obey God, and their desire will be displayed in the lives they lead. On the other hand, those…

This Proverb says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes to poverty.” Gaining wealth rapidly may seem like a good thing. However, wealth must also be managed. There are stories of athletes who have become wealthy at a very young age who did not manage their wealth very well. As a result they became poor with nothing to show for their efforts. On the other hand, when one…

This Proverb says, “Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, is sin.” The Bible says that God hates pride. It was pride that led Satan to rebel against God. It is pride that keeps people from trusting in God. It is pride that keeps us so away from God. God is our creator. He created each and every one of us. He enabled us to have certain abilities, and He enabled us…

This Proverb says, “To do righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord rather than sacrifice.” Through Moses, God gave Israel His laws and rules by which Israel was to live. God also gave Israel guidance on how they were to worship Him. God gave Israel their religion. This religion consisted of sacrificing animals to atone for sin. It was a rather methodical process which we can characterize as rituals. Some religions today have rituals. However,…

This Proverb says, “Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” What we do is important. The Bible says that we will be judged for our actions and deeds during in our lives. However, our motives behind those deeds are also important. God’s most important commandment for us is to “Love the Lord with all your mind, with all your heart, with all your strength, and with all your…

This Proverb says, “Stripes that wound scour away evil, and strokes reach the innermost parts.” Discipline may be painful. However, it is a good thing when it turns a person away from sin. Discipline provides the necessary motivation to pursue the right path. I grew up in the 1950s. During that era, fathers discipline their children for wrongdoing. Sometimes they disciplined physically with a spanking. This physical discipline was effective in motivating children to behave and…