God Speaks
The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise child brings joy to a father;
a foolish child brings grief to a mother.
2 Tainted wealth has no lasting value,
but right living can save your life.
3 The Lord will not let the godly go hungry,
but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.
4 Lazy people are soon poor;
hard workers get rich.
5 A wise youth harvests in the summer,
but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.
6 The godly are showered with blessings;
the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.
7 We have happy memories of the godly,
but the name of a wicked person rots away.
8 The wise are glad to be instructed,
but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.
9 People with integrity walk safely,
but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.
10 People who wink at wrong cause trouble,
but a bold reproof promotes peace.
11 The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;
the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.
12 Hatred stirs up quarrels,
but love makes up for all offenses.
13 Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding,
but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.
14 Wise people treasure knowledge,
but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.
15 The wealth of the rich is their fortress;
the poverty of the poor is their destruction.
16 The earnings of the godly enhance their lives,
but evil people squander their money on sin.
17 People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life,
but those who ignore correction will go astray.
18 Hiding hatred makes you a liar;
slandering others makes you a fool.
19 Too much talk leads to sin.
Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
20 The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
the heart of a fool is worthless.
21 The words of the godly encourage many,
but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.
22 The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.
23 Doing wrong is fun for a fool,
but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.
24 The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;
the hopes of the godly will be granted.
25 When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away,
but the godly have a lasting foundation.
26 Lazy people irritate their employers,
like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.
27 Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life,
but the years of the wicked are cut short.
28 The hopes of the godly result in happiness,
but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity,
but it destroys the wicked.
30 The godly will never be disturbed,
but the wicked will be removed from the land.
31 The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice,
but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.
32 The lips of the godly speak helpful words,
but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: [Proverbs 10 begins a collection of sayings attributed to Solomon. They are arranged in couplets comparing and contrasting wise and foolish behavior. These are general observations or principles, not commands. There are exceptions in individual cases. To draw the reader’s attention to what is wise, this blog will highlight by using italics the wise, positive, Godly statements while presenting the foolish statements in regular type.]
1. A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother.
2. Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.
3. The LORD will not let the godly go hungry, but He refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.
4. Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. *
5. A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.
6. The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.
7. We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away.
8. The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.
9. People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.
10. People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace.
11. The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.
12. Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.
13. Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding, but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.
14. Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.
15. **The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.
16. The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.
17. People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.
18. Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool.
19. Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
20. The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless.
21. The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.
22. The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, * and He adds no sorrow with it.
23. Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.
24. The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted.
25. When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.
26. Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke to the eyes.
27. Fear of the LORD lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
28. The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
29. The way of the LORD is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.
30. The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land.
31. The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.
32. The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.
*[This may or may not be money and/or possessions.]
**[The wealthy should rely on the LORD, not their riches. There is no shame in poverty if one is trusting and obeying the LORD.]
Prayer: How might I pray regarding Proverbs 10?
Dear all-wise God who promises to teach wisdom to anyone who asks, without ridiculing or condemning them, thank You. I so need to ponder these sayings in my heart. My own heart, my life and family, my community, and my nation are in such disarray and confusion. Please draw us back to Yourself and the wisdom that only comes from You. I need and want to grow more in exhibiting the positive side of these sayings (wisdom) and less in displaying the negative side (folly). I desire to properly fear You, LORD, instead of rebelling against You. I want to receive and give wise advice. May the children (and adults) that I know and care about bring joy and not grief to their parents. May we turn to You to help us to be diligent, to have integrity, to be open to instruction and correction, to be humble (willingly admit we don’t know it all but need help), to handle wealth and possessions wisely, to be generous, and to do those things that lead to a long, meaningful life. May our lives bring glory to Your name, O LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.) What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Proverbs 10? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will study these and other proverbs so that I can recognize and obtain wisdom.
- I will seek out at least one wise person to be my mentor.
- I will work hard so that I can be rich enough to share with others.
- I will use these sayings to choose wise leaders every chance I am given a choice.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.