Proverbs 15 (New King James Version)
1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5 A fool despises his father’s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent.
I am thankful for my Dad. His corrections gave me wisdom and understanding. If I could be a part of a movement in America that I know would change our nation, it would be to help all the people who have never had a godly Dad!
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.
7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves him who follows righteousness.
10 Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die.
11 Hell and Destruction are before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.
12 A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, Nor will he go to the wise.
13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.
16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble.
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred.
18 A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
19 The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway.
20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, But a man of understanding walks uprightly.
22 Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!
24 The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.
25 The LORD will destroy the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow.
26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, But the words of the pure are pleasant.
27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.
29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy.
31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise.
32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.
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6 comments:
You are right Bro. David, how blessed are those who have a godly Dad. When I think of my Daddy, I think God may love me the best. (just kidding) I cannot say I have always been good at receiving my Father's instruction but the older I get the more I remember it. I still need it, I still watch him, I still learn from him and am still challegned by him.
I really noticed verse 17. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.
This is so true. Of course, I like my fatted calf served with love, but I would rather know God ( who is love) than have anything.
I also love verse 33.
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.
This is so true in life. When I think of all the people I admire most they are all people who have a healthy fear of the Lord and they are humble. My Grandmother, Nell Noojin, is someone who I can honestly say, I have never seen sin. I have never witnessed it. I know she has, but the fact that in almost 40 years, I have never seen it, is such a testimony. She is the most humble woman I know. She ask for nothing and gives her all. Because she lives this way, I just love her so much. I desire to honor her. I desire to live more like that. I always want to show her my love. I think God feels that way towards us. When we have fear of the Lord in our life, are humble and love Him. I imagine He feels that way towards us.
19 The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway.
I have a book of Charles Spurgeon’s sermon notes. He did an entire sermon on this verse, but one statement in particular spoke to me. “It is not enough to be diligent unless we are righteous; for though the curse is to the idle, the blessing is not to the active, but to the righteous. It is diligence in the service of God, under the Holy Spirit which wins the reward of God.”
It isn’t the things we do for God, but our pursuit of Him that matters. Of course, in our pursuit of Him, we will automatically participate in His service. We will naturally minister to the needy, pray for the sick, love the “unlovely”. This will come as a direct result of our relationship with Him. But we cannot get so busy trying to do things for Him that we forget Him.
Spurgeon also comments on the spiritual sluggard: “If you let your farm alone, it will be overrun with weeds, and if your heart be let alone it will be eaten up with sins.”
I want to give God total access to my heart so that it will not be overrun with weeds or thorns. I do not want sin to take hold in my heart. And I know that I have to stay focused on Him in order to avoid this. If I become lazy in my walk with Him by refusing to pray or spend time in the Word, then my heart is subject to attacks from the devil. And it is subject to being grown up with thorns. Thorns choke the seed (the Word) and make it unfruiful (Matthew 13:22).
I want to walk on the highway. I want to keep my heart clear of sin(and thankfully I can through His forgiveness). The path may not always be smooth and flat, but at least I am protected, for it belongs to the King.
Vs. 3 states that the Lord is watching both the evil and the good. Sometimes it appears that those who are practing evil and causing us pain and grief are getting by but this verse says that God sees ALL things. God will protect and reward the righetous. Praise God, our hearts can rest in Him!!
The right kind of fear keeps us from doing wrong!
These chapters have been effective in that I watch my words so much more!
Verse 28 really struck me in this chapter. I really believe that God is showing me that I really need to watch what I say to people. I cannot tell you how many times I have given a quick answer to someone just to avoid conflict. However, if you give no thought to the answer then generally speaking it is easy to cause more conflict. I pray that God will direct me in how to speak to my family, friends, students, and especially parents.
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