Proverbs 29 (New International Version)
1 A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.
2 When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.
3 A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
4 By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.
5 Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.
6 An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.
7 The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
8 Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.
9 If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.
10 Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seek to kill the upright.
11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.
12 If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.
13 The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.
14 If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure.
15 The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall.
17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.
18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.
Proverbs 29:18 (New Living Translation)
18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
Proverbs 29:18 (King James Version)
18Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
I have been studying about vision lately. Without fresh vision, there is nothing to work for, no God given purpose to build for. People who have no purpose "cast off restraint", or as the NLT says, "they run wild". I don't ever want to be stuck in the past or satisfied with what God has done. The Holy Spirit is not stuck in the past. He wants to move forward and do a new thing in our lives.
19 A servant cannot be corrected by mere words; though he understands, he will not respond.
20 Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21 If a man pampers his servant from youth, he will bring grief in the end.
22 An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.
23 A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
24 The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy; he is put under oath and dare not testify.
25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
26 Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice.
27 The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.
4 comments:
29:11 is really speaking to me today. It says, " A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control."
I tend to have a temper at times. I tend to take things personally sometimes when I should not. I need to be reminded that when I am angry to go to God with my issue, talk with Him about what is bothering me, lay my burden at His feet. I need to keep myself under control. My mouth firmly shut, except when sharing with my Savior. I need to remain focused on the vision God has given me. (18)
29:18 When we neglect the word of God and lose the vision of God's purpose for our lives then we tend to become what I refer to as a "renegade". Webster defines a renegade as : a deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another. In the case of this scripture it is one who neglects the law of God. God help us to always be not only a hearer of the word but a doer of the word.
25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
This verse really speaks to me. So many times, I am afraid of what other people think of my decisions. This causes me to second guess decisions that I make in my personal and professional life. I am worried that I will hurt, offend, or anger someone else. While I certainly do not want to do any of these things, I have learned that you cannot fear what others will say or do to you. If you fear others, they have you caught in their trap. This can lead to so much manipulation, which then leads to bitterness and anger as well. This is not productive for anyone involved. Believe me, I learned this lesson the hard way! Now, I know that if I trust in God, He will open people's hearts for me. He will guide me with the words that I should use. He will help me make wise decisions and to turn away wrath. I know that He will protect me and that I have nothing to fear. Now, that I have said that, let's see me put it into practice. Ha Ha. That is often the hard part!
6 An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.
One of the worst punishments for sin is more sin. It is crippling to be a habitual sinner. It imprisons us and keeps us from a relationship with God. The very people that we have a tendency to envy – the “wicked” who seem to prosper even in the midst of sin – are trapped. They are living a lifestyle that is hopeless and life-threatening. They are slowly being choked by their own chains.
Praise God – we are free! Although we sin, we are forgiven. Although we dishonor God, He sees us as righteous. Although we make mistakes and poor decisions, we are redeemed! We no longer are chained to our sin, but we are connected to Jesus. Whoa – that is a reason to praise!
I struggled until recently with letting go of my past. After seriously seeking the Lord for wisdom in how to deal with my troubled heart, He spoke to me. I had a dream about being in prison. I was chained up and sitting on the floor in a hallway. I was scared and confused, broken and lonely. Jesus walked down the hall and stood me up. The chains fell off my hands and my feet. What I realized is that my chains that I had been carrying around were already unlocked. They were unlocked the day I got saved, but I had stayed in a state of imprisonment with excuses of what had happened to me. Jesus had already paid for my freedom. All I had to do was stand up!
This verse reminds me of that dream. We do not have to carry around our chains. They have already been unlocked. When I finally dropped what the devil had convinced me that I needed to be carrying around – I could sing and be glad!
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