Proverbs 28-29: Never the Twain Shall Meet

The righteous detest the dishonest;
   the wicked detest the upright. - Prov. 29:27 NIV

Proverbs talks a lot about fools and wise men, the wicked and the upright, the wealthy and the poor, the rulers and the servants, the greedy and the generous, the ones never satisfied and those who are content.

I have to think long and hard about which side of the issue I would rather be on.  Do I really want to side with the poor and oppressed as opposed to those with wealth and influence?  Do I really want to be wise when a lot of the time my actions are more those of a fool?  Can I consider myself content and even blessed with what I have, or is there always something else that catches my eye?

Proverbs goes on and on and on and you begin to get the drift.  The only way to get through this life with any satisfaction is to be on what always appears to be the losing side.   There is no middle ground.

2010 Post - Proverbs 28-29:  Righteousness and Justice

Proverbs 30-31: A God Fearing Woman

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
   and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. - Prov. 31:30-31 NIV

How different the Proverbs 31 woman is from today's housewife of Orange County, New York, New Jersey or wherever the flashy and shallow come from.  Today's housewives have yet to learn that 'charm is deceptive and, beauty is fleeting.' 

There is a way for a woman to be pleasing to the Lord.  It is not by sitting around eating bon bon's and gossiping all day.  According to Proverbs 31, a God fearing woman is industrious, often more industrious than her husband who is relegated to discussing the affairs of the world with the other men at the city gate while the wife is buying fields, planting vineyards, making profitable trades, spinning and weaving, and decorating her house.  A God fearing woman makes the 'housewives' of today look like the prostitutes they really are.  A God fearing woman is the one who will be rewarded in the end.

2010 Post - Proverbs 30-31:  Enough Said

Proverbs 26-27: Riches Do Not Endure Forever

 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
   give careful attention to your herds;
for riches do not endure forever,
   and a crown is not secure for all generations.
When the hay is removed and new growth appears
   and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
the lambs will provide you with clothing,
   and the goats with the price of a field.
You will have plenty of goats’ milk
   to feed you and your family
   and to nourish your servant girls. - Prov. 27:23-27 NIV

Most of us no longer have flocks of sheep, goats, or cattle that we tend, but we are tasked with tending those who provide for us.  It may be tending our parishioners, our patients, our students, or our employees, but they all require careful attention.  More than once, I have witnessed the folly when a businessman or owner suddenly realizes that he can grasp wealth or fame at the expense of those who are in his employ.  He rides to success on the backs of those who worked for him and leaves them behind when his goal is reached.  Whatever riches and success he may have gained at their expense will never satisfy as much as the loyalty and dedication of those who supported him when he was nothing.  Often, in spite of a great accumulation of wealth and power, those that climb to the top on the backs of others, find themselves left with nothing of value.  As the wise man says, riches do not endure forever.

2010 Post - Proverbs 26-27:  As Iron Sharpens Iron

Proverbs 22-25: A Wise Heart

 My son, if your heart is wise,
   then my heart will be glad;
my inmost being will rejoice
   when your lips speak what is right.
Do not let your heart envy sinners,
   but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
There is surely a future hope for you,
   and your hope will not be cut off. - Prov. 23:15-18 NIV


We don't often think of a wise heart.  We hear of strong hearts, of brave hearts, but seldom hear mention of a wise heart.  In the end, it is our heart that we are led by, often to our own detriment.  It is our heart that causes us to follow after the flashy but insignificant.  It is our hearts that lead us to covet what others have.  It is our hearts that deceive us into thinking that if it feels good, it must not be bad.

How different our lives would be if our hearts were wise; if they longed for truth and righteousness rather than a comfortable life and self-preservation.  If our hearts were wise, they would be zealous for God, rather than the things of the world.  If our hearts were wise, there would be hope.

2010 Post - Proverbs 22-25:  When Evil Lurks

Proverbs 19-21: The Secret of Life

He who pursues righteousness and love
   finds life, prosperity and honor. - Prov. 21:21: NIV

We pursue many things, many of them with great success, but what do we really gain?  The most common definition of prosperity assumes financial wealth.  As we chase after that definition of prosperity, we often find it at the expense of honor and occasionally even our own lives.  Prosperity does not save us as this article yesterday attests:

The Salt Lake Tribune

First published Jul 04 2011 10:40AM 
Police are looking for a man who stole a dump truck from a construction company’s lot in Logan and drove it all the way to Salt Lake City, where he crashed it into a residence.

At about 11 p.m. Saturday, the man crashed the truck into a home at 984 W. Prosperity Drive, Salt Lake City police confirmed. No one was injured in the incident.

The man left a form of identification in the vehicle, but police did not immediately release his identity.

The dump truck was stolen from Spindler Construction, said Logan police Assistant Chief Jeff Curtis. When police inspected the lot, they found the man had taken a semitrailer and rammed it into the fence in the lot, disabling the vehicle. Police say he then took the dump truck, and drove away after running into the first truck.

The damage at the lot and the home is estimated to be several thousand dollars, police said.

“This is really unusual,” Curtis said. “People don’t usually go back into a yard like this to steal a second truck. Then, crashing it into a house is very strange.”

If prosperity is all we pursue, we may find ourselves being hit by the proverbial dump truck of misfortune when we least expect it.  Righteousness and love, there is no fault in that pursuit.  What calamity can rob us of the aftermath of a righteous life or a life filled with love.  If that is what we pursue, it cannot be lost.  It only gets lost when we pursue the end result rather than the true prize.

2010 Post - Proverbs 19-21:  In Our Own Home

Proverbs 9-12: What Comes Out of the Mouth

He who winks maliciously causes grief,
   and a chattering fool comes to ruin.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
   but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked -Prov 10:10-11 NIV

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
   but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.
 Wise men store up knowledge,
   but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. Prov. 10:13-14 NIV

The lips of the righteous know what is fitting,
   but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.  - Prov. 10-32 NIV

Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
   but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor,
   but a man of understanding holds his tongue. - Prov. 11:11-12 NIV

Reckless words pierce like a sword,
   but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Truthful lips endure forever,
   but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.  - Prov. 12: 18-19 NIV

The LORD detests lying lips,
   but he delights in men who are truthful.
 A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself,
   but the heart of fools blurts out folly. - Prov 12:22-23 NIV

If we think that what we say doesn't matter, these verses should put that notion to rest.  'Nuff said.

2010 Post - Provers 9-12:  -It's Still the Same Old Story

Proverbs 10-12: Love Covers All Wrongs

Hatred stirs up dissension,
   but love covers over all wrongs. Prov. 10:3 NIV

What the wicked dreads will overtake him;
   what the righteous desire will be granted. Prov. 10:24

A kindhearted woman gains respect,
   but ruthless men gain only wealth. - Prov. 11:16

There are so many wise saying in proverbs, and we recognize each one of them as true, even if we seldom put them to practice in our lives.  The ones that jump out for me today have to do with the core issue of love.  What it means to lead a life guided by love instead of greed.  Most of the commentary we see today between either side of any spectrum is vitriolic.  It doesn't matter if the discussion is over politics,the economy, abortion, gay marriage, the environment, immigration, or even the president, there is nothing that can be construed as reasonable dialog any more.  Everyone is trying to protect their life as they know it, but it always ends up in tossing words of hate at each other. The result will be as the writer states, 'what the wicked dreads will over take him.  Until we can learn to love our neighbor and even our enemies and treat them with words of love rather than hate, nothing is going to get better.  Love covers all wrong.  It is the foundation for fixing all the worlds ills, it is the foundation of life.

2010 Post - Proverbs 10-12: Universal Truths