Proverbs 10 (New King James Version)
1 The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.
3 The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall.
9 He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.
10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But a prating fool will fall.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.
14 Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
15 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty. 16 The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin.
17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.
18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom.
22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
This is a great chapter to encourage believers. Life is not easy for anyone, but we are promised a long successful life for righteous living. Emily was a telling me about Steven K. Scott, the owner of Total Gym. He speaks at Christian conferences about studying Proverbs and becoming successful. Here is a short bio on Steven:
Steven K. Scott is the best-selling author of The Richest Man Who Ever Lived, The Greatest Words Ever Spoken, and Mentored by a Millionaire. After failing in nine jobs, he started reading a chapter of Proverbs every day–and the wisdom of Scripture changed his life. Scott and his business partners have built more than a dozen multimillion-dollar companies from scratch, achieving billions of dollars in sales. He is the co-founder of Max International, Total Gym Fitness, and The American Telecast Corporation. He is a popular international speaker on the subjects of personal and professional achievement and the application of biblical wisdom to every area of life.
23 To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom.
24 The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.
27 The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. 28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
30 The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.
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5 comments:
Just in case you did not read last night comment, I want to say again this has been a blessing studying God's word with you all. The comments have been awesome! This chapter in Prov. speaks volumes to the reward of the righteous. I have read it over and over throughout my life and God's promises to those who desire to do what pleases Him gives me hope. He says the righteous will be delivered from death, our soul will prosper, the memory of our name will last, we can walk securely with Him, our words are a well of life and will feed those who hunger for Him, our desires will be granted, we will stand firm forever, we will never be uprooted! When the storms of life come by I want to be able to stand firm and not be swept away like the wicked. God says all of his promises are yes and amen. That tells me He will deliver on every promise. I pray for the Holy spirit everyday to guide me toward God's will and not mine. It saddens me so much to see people choose to walk down a path of destruction. My heart is so burdened for this confused generation. I have spoken to so many young people who question if there is really a God? I pray we are not only encouraged by our rewards, but be burdened for the lost and the reward that is waiting for them.
This chapter reminds me of the importance of my words. It reminds me that my words reveal the condition of my heart. For example: v. 11 – “The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well”, v. 13 – “You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight”, v. 20 – “The speech of a good person is worth waiting for”, v. 21 – “The talk of a good person is rich fare for many”, v. 31 – “A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom”, v. 32 – “The speech of a good person clears the air.” (All taken from The Message Paraphrase)
I want my words to line up with God’s word. I want my heart to be in a condition that is totally dependent upon Him. I want wisdom to be the fruit of my lips. In addition to this, I want to surround myself with people who will speak wisdom and truth into my life. It is not only important to speak life-giving, truth-filled words, but it is also important to hear these words on a consistent basis. I want to surround myself with people who encourage me to walk closer with God, who challenge me to pursue holiness, and who spend time chasing after Him.
A lot is said in this chapter about our tongue. We all know we would get in a lot less trouble if we would keep it behind the fence. (I don't think it is a coincidence that our teeth resemble a fence!) But, James said the tongue can no man tame, that is so true. It definitely takes the power of the Holy Spirt and a lot of wisdom to control your tongue. You can kill people with your tongue, you can also heal people with your tongue. A good saying to remember is, It is easier to leave harsh words unspoken than to mend a heart those words have broken. We need to use wisdom with our words. You don't have to say everything that comes to your mind. You will regret often that you have spoken, never that you were silent.
Great comments everyone! I can see heart change reflected in our words everyday. Really glad you are joining us Eve!
Amen to all the comments of Eve, Anne and Karen. It seems that just when I think I've got a better hold on my tongue, I lose it again.
25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
What an amazing promise..."The righteous has an everalasting foundation." We ALL face whirlwinds in our lives, but Praise God for the promise that our foundation is everlasting and if we'll just hold on to the Lord, we'll make it through.
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