Proverbs 14 (New King James Version)
1 The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, But knowledge is easy to him who understands.
7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit.
9 Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.
15 The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.
16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly, But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, But the rich has many friends.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
22 Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.
23 In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches, But the foolishness of fools is folly.
25 A true witness delivers souls, But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor, But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
29 He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly.
30 A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.
Here is more Biblical proof of the need for our commiment to give God unhindered access to our hearts. I don't believe what we have started this month is just a 31 day study. Keeping our hearts open will result in all kinds of healing and prosperity. Verse 33 speaks of the relationship between wisdom and understanding. I want to understand my heart and deal with issues. There is nothing more destructive than a deceitful heart. Thank you for all the posts, I have been so blessed reading these amazing responses to the Word!
31 He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness, But the righteous has a refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.
35 The king’s favor is toward a wise servant, But his wrath is against him who causes shame.
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4 comments:
when I read verse 12 "There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death." Every time I have read or heard this verse, I always have to ask the Lord, are my ways leading to death? I would hate to know that I have justified a sin out of selfish desires and wrong motives. I want any sin that I may have to be brought to light so I can be healed (James 5:16).
I want my body, soul and spirit to be corrected, tested, uprooted, whatever it takes, so that I am not a fool! I pray my heart is not deceived.
I am reading the most amazing book by Bob Scorge called Envy
You should read it sometimes because it brings light to verse 30.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
I was a little confused by this verse. Why do the wicked get a “house”, while the righteous live in a “tent”? Obviously a house would be better to live in due to its stability and firm foundation. This has to refer to my dwelling place on my spiritual journey.
If I am living in a house, then I am not looking to move. I am comfortable with my surroundings, and I do not look for opportunities for improvement or advancement. I am set in my ways, and I am convinced that my house is the best dwelling place. I live inside walls that keep others and God out of my life. My friends are others who own houses similar to mine, and I would obviously look down on “tent-dwellers”. This would be a very bad spiritual condition. Walls, complacency, stagnant living, pride, and bad company impair my walk with God.
I want to be a tent-dweller. I want to constantly be on the move – in the direction of my Father. I want to look for opportunities to improve my relationship with God, and I do NOT want to build up walls that keep others and God out of my life. I never want to be satisfied with my current spiritual condition, but I always want to become more like Christ. I want to fellowship with other tent-dwellers who are searching diligently for God. And, of course, I must get to as many “houses” as I can and invite them to join our “tent” community where there is freedom and joy!
Verse 31 reminds me of our youth and the Moore's ministering to the poor today. What the Lord is working in their hearts will be amazing!
27. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life. To turn one away from the snares of death.
I love this verse. Where does this fountain flow from? Where does it pour out? Proverbs 4:23 tells us that it flows from our hearts, “for out of it spring the issues of life”. Another version says “flows the springs of life”. Matthew 12:34 tells us that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” The “fountain of life” flows from within us. It flows from our hearts, and out of our mouths. That is why it is so important we keep and guard our hearts with all diligence. We don’t want to pollute the fountain of life.
We are here for a specific purpose, to be the hands and feet of Jesus. The second part of this verse tells us that the fountain is “to turn one away from the snares of death”. That’s our job, to turn people away from the wiles of the enemy, to shine the light for all to see. Jesus didn’t say greater works than this shall you SEE, He said “greater works than these shall you DO.” Let’s be who we are supposed to be, the Body of Christ. Let’s do what He has called us to do, steer people from the snares of death and toward the author of life. We can’t do that with polluted hearts. LORD search my heart and remove anything that would pollute the fountain of life that you wish to flow from me….
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