Proverbs 16 (New King James Version)
1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.
3 Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.
4 The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.
5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
It is hard not to focus on the enemies we can see and hear. God wants us to trust Him and have His vision for our lives. He is more than able to take care of our enemies! This is a heart issue of course. The fear of man is believing that a person has the power to stop God's will for my life. The only person who can halt God's purpose for me is me. I see our hearts getting healthier every day through these amazing chapters. I am going to keep examining as I read the rest of these verses.
Keep the comments coming. I love reading about what God is saying to us through His Word!
8 Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice.
9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
10 Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment.
11 Honest weights and scales are the LORD’s; All the weights in the bag are His work.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right.
14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath, But a wise man will appease it.
15 In the light of the king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
26 The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on.
27 An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire.
28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He purses his lips and brings about evil.
31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.
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5 comments:
I have heard verse 18 all of my life. Everytime I would get my "I know much more than you mom" attitude, my mother would make me read this verse. As a teenager I absolutely despised that verse. I had these feelings because I knew that my actions were not pleasing to God or my mother. As I have grown older, and hopefully wiser, I have come to love this verse and God has changed my heart from the attitudes that I had then.
There is no worse feeling that someone trying to make you feel they are better than you are. When people try to bring us down with prideful and haughty spirit, it is best to remember that God is no respector of persons. This is why when we take this attitude, we fall, because God has no part in it. I pray that God would help be to have a humble spirit and to not get so prideful that I think I can do anything without him. I need God to be a better daughter, friend, and teacher. Without him, I cannot do any of these effectively. I cannot take pride in this, because it is through God that I get my abilities and not through myself!
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
As I read this, I see that this is one of the most misquoted verses. Technically the quote is still correct, but there is one very important part that is left out. The part about destruction! Interesting how that is completely left out. However, I hear it all the time, "Pride goes before a fall." I can only think that we don't want to think about the destructive power of pride. Pride can keep one from good decisions, poison relationships, and experience the power of forgiveness. Pride and gravity both have great power to pull someone down to destruction. It is pride that keeps someone from receiving correction.
This verse says that a "haughty" spirit before a fall. The word haughty means: snobbish or prideful. Verse 18 is speaking about our spirit. It is one thing to be prideful, but something even more dangerous for our spirit to be haughty or prideful. That is distinctfully different than not accepting physical correction. I believe that this is when our spirit refuses correction. That is a slippery slope. Pride has carried the cost of nations, success, wars, and even one, Lucifer, his position in heaven.
I want to always be aware of any prideful behaviour that I have, for I know that if my flesh is not willing to be humble, then my spirits pride may be following close behind.
I have prayed verse 9 so many times!
"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Thank you Jesus! This verse has encouraged me so often when I do not what to do. I know if I trust the Lord with my plan, He will direct my steps toward His will for my life. I am so glad the Lord knows are hearts intentions, and He always steps in when we are about to make a huge mistake. I pray my spiritual ears and eyes are open to follow Him and not get lost in my own way. I have learned He cant direct my steps unless I move!
25There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
This verse strikes me because I have many co-workers and acquaintances that are on a path that seems right to them. They are committed to being moral without a relationship with Christ. They are kind to others and even unselfish. But I know truth, and I know that this path ends in death. A life without Christ is meaningless and hopeless. This verse reminds me of the importance of actively sharing my faith with those around me.
It also challenges me in my relationship with Him. How often do I make decisions that “seem” right to me without consulting Him? I want my life to overflow out of a close walk with the Lord. I want Him to consume my every decision and my every move. I want to be in constant fellowship with Him, trusting in Him for direction and guidance. Isaiah 30:21 says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” I want this to resemble my relationship with God.
I like verse 2.All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.
You know your conscience is a blind guide unless it is enlightened by the Word of God. Everyone has said, "my conscience tells me..." You better take what your conscience is telling you and compare it to the Word of God and see if it is telling you the truth.
Again, your heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it Jeremiah said.
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