Before I get into today’s post, I’d like to quickly mention that I’ve chosen another winner for my Reading and Writing Giveaway. I was unable to get ahold of my previous winner, so the new winner is Athelas Hale! Congratulations! I’ve sent you an email with the details.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve been going through the book of Proverbs, reading one chapter a day. I intended to finish it in one month (31 chapters is handy that way), but my laziness has stretched it out. Anyway, from each chapter, I picked a verse or two and expounded on it for myself. Now I’d like to share some of those thoughts and verses with you. I’ll probably do about 4 or 5 verses per post, depending on the length. Let me know your own thoughts on these verses in the comments!
Proverbs 1:32-33 “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Wisdom protects us. Complacency leads only to destruction. We think that it will keep us safe. We think that, if we only keep to our routine, stay safe and normal, don’t draw attention to ourselves, blend in, we’ll be fine. But that’s a lie. Complacency doesn’t help us. It doesn’t bring us peace. Only in the wisdom and truth of the Lord can we find rest.
Proverbs 2:10-11 “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”
The closer we grow to God, the more we love learning about Him and gaining knowledge. I think about the many times during school when I complained and didn’t want to learn whatever I was studying at the time. Wise people love to learn, especially about our Creator and Lord. They recognize that knowledge is a blessing and that, on our own, we know nothing. I want to be wise and embrace the lessons that God sends my way.
Proverbs 3:21-22 “My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.”
Good people get into bad situations. It happens. We often say that they were “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Yet how many tragic deaths and wrongful convictions might be avoided if people applied their brains? How many situations that go badly might never happen if people thought about the situation? Discernment, recognizing a situation for what it is, is protection for the innocent.
Proverbs 4:18-19 “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.”
The dawn of day is a beautiful, peaceful time. Sitting quietly and watching the sunrise is an amazing experience. Thus, this imagery is gorgeous. Everyone knows what it’s like to stumble around the house late at night when it’s pitch black inside and out. We hit corners, step on Legos, and get ourselves into general pain and frustration. The path of the righteous is full of light and peace, not darkness and confusion. Why wouldn’t we want to follow the beautiful path?
Proverbs 5:23 “For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.”
God’s people should be marked by discipline. We often view discipline in a negative light, thinking of it as something that takes all the fun out of life. That view is skewed. Discipline isn’t the absence of joy, but it is the setting aside of folly, which leads to death anyway. Joy and folly are very different things. One is healthy and beautiful; the other is destructive and selfish. Thus we should run after the Giver of Joy and run from the Bringer of Folly. Discipline is a life-saver.
What do you think about these verses? Let me know in the comments; I’d love to discuss them with you!
Well, that's motivation to read proverbs again!
ReplyDeleteI love that it doubles as a calendar.
What a wonderful comment! Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting, Blue!
Delete