Proverbs 12 (New King James Version)
1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.
2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD, But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.
3 A man is not established by wickedness, But the root of the righteous cannot be moved.
4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are right, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked are, “Lie in wait for blood,” But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.
7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more, But the house of the righteous will stand.
8 A man will be commended according to his wisdom, But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.
9 Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant, Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.
10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.
12 The wicked covet the catch of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
13 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble.
14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.
16 A fool’s wrath is known at once, But a prudent man covers shame.
17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy.
21 No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
23 A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.
26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession.
28 In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.
I love Chapter 12. Verse 4, I know I am a blessed man! Verse 15 is important for me. I seek out wise counsel. The Lord brings wise men and women into my life all the time. All I have to do is recognize them and ask for counsel. He has just recently opened up new sources of wise friendships on a national level that I am very thankful for. Verse 16 is important for the same reasons. It's not just in reference to friends who have outwardly sinful lifetsyles. This verse could be warning us about negativity, gossip, or people that have a controlling spirits (spiritual manipulation). Great chapter! Time to pray for my heart to be wise and understanding.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
21 No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
I used to cringe when I read verses like this one. Passages like Psalm 91 and verses like Proverbs 12:21 seriously confused me. No harm befalls the righteous? I could not understand how God could allow these promises in His Word. I had been harmed physically and spiritually, even after my salvation. In my narrow and foolish vision, I had decided that God didn’t protect me.
Of course this was a lack of trust and faith in God. I do know and believe now that He is EXACTLY who He says He is in His Word. His Word reveals His character, and it is my responsibility to respond to Him in faith and to stand believing His promises even when I may not understand.
Obviously, we are going to have trouble in this world. Even Jesus tells us this. My lack of faith resulted from my narrow vision. God sees the bigger picture, and what may seem harmful to me, under God’s amazing power, can be used for my ultimate good. Although my troubles seemed insurmountable at the time (in my narrow vision), I know that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
So my harm turns into my good. My ashes turn to beauty. My rough places are made smooth. My afflictions produce perseverance in me. These are my promises! Therefore I have hope. Unlike the wicked – who deal with troubles just like I do with no ultimate solution. In fact, their harm stays harmful. Their broken and destroyed life continues to lie in ashes. Their rough places continue to be bumpy. And their afflictions produce frustration and depression.
Thank God for hope and for protection. I want to order my steps with wisdom so that I stay under His shelter and in His favor.
25 "Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad."
I have experienced this firsthand many many times. When we allow our minds to be anxious and to worry, it opens us up to a spirit of depression that will build up strongholds in our minds and choke off what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us.
A mind that is constantly worried about different things and situations is too occupied to realize that the Holy Spirit will give us peace about our problems or whatever we may be facing. We must do as Philippians 4:6 says, we have to come to Him with "all prayer and supplication, WITH THANKSGIVING..."
Worry will have to leave when we begin to thank God and praise Him for who He is and what He has done. Stand on His Promises.
Today's chapter had two verses that really stood out for me.
First v. 16 A fool's wrath is known at once, But a prudent man covers shame.
This verse reminded me of some things about myself. I have always been a very direct "tell it like it is" kind of person. If someone made me angry, I would confront them. I have learned that while God wants me to be honest about my feelings, he does not want me to express them all the time. It is better to take a matter to God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide me in the correct verbage that I should use. I have found that when I do this, I tend to speak out of love and understanding and not out of wrath. Also, there are times when you just let something go and no words are necessary. Believe me this was a hard lesson for me to learn.
v. 26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
So many times, I have tolerated behaviors in my friends because I felt that I should do so out of love. However, recently I have learned that it is best to keep some friends, even friends that I have had for years, at a distance for my own spiritual growth. Sometimes, it is not noticable at first when a friend is leading us astray. It can be as simple as someone who takes up all of our time with negative thoughts and comments, or someone who wants all of your attention and focus to be on them. I have become a lot more selective this year about chosing friends. I can be friendly to everyone, without allowing people to influence me. As Pastor Dave said in his comments, spiritual manipulation can play a role in this as well. As someone who recently experienced this, I can tell you all how damaging it can be. I know that if I pray and ask God to open my heart to wise friends this will add so much peace to my life. This has taken me a while to learn, but I am so thankful to God for opening my eyes to this.
3 A man is not established by wickedness, But the root of the righteous cannot be moved.
While reading this verse, I am reminded that although many times it seems that the wicked or sinful man appears to be successful, they are not rooted. These people are not secure or even settled. However, those that are called the righteous are deeply rooted and totally dependent on Him! In time the wicked will fall to destruction, while the righteous will continue to be firmly planted. It almost seems parallel to the tortoise and the hare. I'm not saying that hares are evil, but like the rabbit, the man who attempts to be established in their wickedness often slows to consume their surroundings. Meanwhile the tortoise stays on track and continues to move forward. Our walk is like that of the tortoise. We grow continually day by day! Our wisdom and knowledge of Gods word doesn't overflow in our lives on the day of our salvation, but comes by the daily intake of this spiritual food. Seek Him, seek wisdom, and grow deep roots!
4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.
What an excellent crown I have!!! Nuff Said!
Post a Comment