Proverbs And Wisdom

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

Loving the feast.

23:1. When thou shalt sit to eat with a prince, consider diligently what is set before thy face:

When I had my first blog on the Book of Proverbs, I used to like to find a word in the verse for which I'd dig up the dictionary definition to see if there was something a bit deeper there.

Today, the word "diligently" caught my eye. Let's see what Mr. Webster has to say:

Most of us are familiar with the words used to define diligent - care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties. So caution, prudence, good judgement are at the root of being diligent. However, if you look at the entire definition and go all the way to the bottom, the French and Latin origin says: love, take delight in.

In the first part of the verse, it is revealed to us that you will be dining with not just anyone, but a prince. A prince. Yes, you want to be on your best behavior in the presence of a prince. Use your napkin, don't speak with your mouth full, but you should love the moment. Delight in the experience.

That is how we should feel in the presence of the LORD - the prince of peace. When we come to His banquet, love the moment. Delight in His presence.

You would not be at the banquet unless you were invited. And by the sheer fact that you were invited, it means you are worthy of the feast.

Yes, you don't want to wipe your mouth with your sleeve or stuff your face full of food until your belly is ready to bust; but enjoy the fact that you are at the feast. Love it. You are worthy.

Book of Proverbs: 23:1

Book Of Proverbs: 22:1 - Your Reputation Is Greater Than Wealth

2011-12-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

Wealth can never replace a good name.

22:1. A good name is better than great riches: and good favour is above silver and gold.

When I read this verse, I thought, "How many people today chase riches and completely forsake their reputation?"

You don't have to look any farther than Reality TV. Season after season we have a parade of people who you view like zoo animals and have no respect for by the end of the season. But they got paid. And in today's world, "Getting Paid" is much more important than what people think of you.

There are people lined up, waiting to be guests on the Jerry Springer Show. Would you want any of those people as "dinner guests"? ;(

A generation or so ago, a good name was probably THE most valuable possession anyone could have. Character, honesty, virtue - those were all valued. People dressed up when they went out. Now, you see tank tops and tufts of armpit hair in nice restaurants. Is that what fashion has become? Is that how you show that you're hip? Our society has lost its sense of class and decency.

Think before you trade your reputation for a dollar. You can always get another dollar. But you may never be able to regain your reputation, once it is dashed.

Book of Proverbs 22:1

Book Of Proverbs: 21:1 The LORD Can Turn The Hearts Of Kings

2011-12-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

The heart of a king can be turned by the LORD.

21:1. As the divisions of waters, so the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord: whithersoever he will, he shall turn it.

Today's verse took me quite a bit of thinking to try to figure out the message, and I'm not quite sure if I got it right.

I could use your help, so put your thoughts in the comment section below.

Here's what I came up with...

The "divisions of waters" may be harkening back to Moses when he parted the Red Sea. (?) And kings were considered to be the most powerful, knowledgeable and wise of the people. Yet, a king's confidence, or possibly arrogance - a hardened heart - will turn when touched by the hand of the LORD.

The Pharaohs were frequently described as having hard hearts. A heartless mindset can be turned by the LORD...

I guess, no matter how powerful you think you are, the hand of the LORD can trump yours.

If I had to put this verse into a single thought, it is that the LORD is all-powerful and no earthly king is a match for the heavenly King.

What do you think? Did I get it right?

Share your thoughts.

Book of Proverbs 21:1

Book Of Proverbs: 20:1 Wine Is A Luxurious Thing

2011-12-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Wisdom is not found in great quantities of wine.

20:1. Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous: whosoever is delighted therewith, shall not be wise.

If you take the first two phrases of today's verse, you'll see that wine is not forbidden or considered evil by itself. It is luxurious. It is a gift, a reward, a comfort.

However, if consumption of wine leads to drunkenness, which is described as riotous, you have trouble on your hands.

How many people do you know who connot handle their liquor? What has it done to their lives? Surely, excess is not wise.

If you had to sum up today's verse, moderation is the message. Enjoy the good things of life - not just wine, but entertainment, recreation, play; but if you overdo it, you'll have to face the consequences.

The Book of Proverbs teaches that the path to wisdom is through knowledge and understanding. Comprehending what is today's message and understanding it will lead you to wisdom.

Book of Proverbs, 20:1

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Book of Proverbs 15:1 - A mild answer breaketh wrath

2011-12-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 15:1

Book of Proverbs 15:1 - A mild answer breaketh wrath: but a harsh word stirreth up fury.

You can sum up today's verse with the old adage, You can't fight fire with fire.

If someone comes at you with anger, control yourself. Be calm. Calm begets calm. But if you want a fight on your hands, say something sharp, biting or sarcastic.

No one likes to be in a position where they are wrong. And if they are angry, the average person will tend toward escalation if their is a rebuff. So, take a deep breath. Ask a calm question, "What is bothering you? Can I help?"

Empathy in a sincere manner also works.

I heard a great line his past week from my friend Mike W. He said, "The one who listens most controls the conversation."

That is so true. I used to get customers calling up and they would yell and yell into the phone. I'd let them go. I don't know what was bothering them that much, it certainly wasn't the error he was accusing me of. He might have had a bad time with his wife or his boss or gotten to work late. I was just in the path of the fury. I learned early on that listening, letting the person vent, then asking a calm question always seemed to bring peace to the conversation.

Try it the next time you are faced with anger by someone else. Remember, calm begets calm.

Book of Proverbs 15:1

Book of Proverbs 14:1 - A wise woman buildeth her house

2011-12-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 14:1

Book of Proverbs 14:1 - A wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish will pull down with her hands that also which is built.

In today's Proverb the root word built is used twice. And the word house is really a metaphor for life. So if you replace the word in the verse, you get:

A wise woman buildeth her life.
Life/house can include family, personal relationships, relationships with family.

The second part of the verse explains that the consequences reach beyond just destroying the present, but also what has been constructed in the past.

This verse doesn't have to be taken as gender-specific. Could a foolish man ruin his reputation that he had built his entire life with a single foolish act? Have you read the paper or watched the news lately? Yes.

Foolishness is in the opposite direction of wisdom.

Seek knowledge and you will gain wisdom.

Book of Proverbs 14:1

Book Of Proverbs 13:1 A Wise Son...

2011-12-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

Book of Proverbs 13:1 - A wise son heareth the doctrine of his father: but he that is a scorner, heareth not when he is reproved.

There is a bit of a trick to the wording in this Proverb. The phrase, "A wise son heareth the doctrine of his father" brings up the question, which father?

Are we talking about our heavenly Father or an earthly father?

It could mean both.

However, regardless of the positioning of the father or Father, the second part of the verse sums up the consequences.

"...but he that is a scorner, heareth not when he is reproved."

If you look at the dictionary definition of scorn, you find this:

the feeling or belief that someone or something is worthless or despicable; contempt

That is a very intense feeling. And those feelings create a barrier from the truth. Anger will block you from the Word. Even when you are being corrected for a transgression. You will not absorb it or process it in a positive manner.

Let go of your anger. And you will hear the truth.

Book of Proverbs 13:1

In The Beginning There Were Proverbs and Wisdom

2010-07-16T11:45:00.000-04:00

In the beginning there were Proverbs and Wisdom. That's all that was needed. Then man discovered food and other diversions. We need to return to our roots and seek wisdom.

The path to wisdom is through knowledge and understanding.

Knowledge and understanding are taught in The Book Of Proverbs in The Bible.

This blog will take a verse or two from The Book Of Proverbs and try to bring the lesson(s) into a modern day setting.

The Book Of Proverbs contains 31 chapters. An exercise that will lead to Wisdom is to study one chapter a day, corresponding to the date of the month. On the fourth day of the month, you would study Chapter 4 of The Book Of Proverbs. On the 20th day of the month, you would study Chapter 20 of The Book Of Proverbs.

From experience, I have found that it is much easier to focus on one, two or three verses for that particular day, rather than twenty or thirty verses. That is the approach this blog will take - one to three verses per day will be analyzed.

Join me daily as we work toward gaining wisdom through the knowledge and understanding offered in the timeless Book Of Proverbs.

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