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Monthly Archives: November 2013
Proverbs 27 — Wounds from a friend
I remember a time in my life when I was still walking with the Lord, and I was still going to church, but I had started to neglect fellowship in a small group. My small group had broken up amicably … Continue reading
Proverbs 26-27 — Living with a fool, living like a fool.
In these two chapters, we see how we should deal with fools, and how to avoid acting like one. In this passage, the Hebrew word that is used for “fool” means a person who is stupid and arrogant. They insist … Continue reading
Proverbs 25 — Winning favor in the eyes of men
I should say right off that it shouldn’t be our top priority to win favor in the eyes of men (or women). Our top priority should be to please God. But I titled this as such because of what the … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged faithfulness, finding favor, humility
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Proverbs 24-25 — Revenge
I once heard Bill Cosby give a comedy routine on Revenge. And he told a story of how when he was a kid, he plotted revenge against a kid that threw a slushball at him, and how his plan went … Continue reading
Proverbs 24:11-12 — When we fail to warn the lost
Solomon writes some very poignant words here in these verses. Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive … Continue reading
Proverbs 24 — Building our house
What kind of house are you building? No, I’m not talking about your literal house. I’m talking about your life. What kind of life are you building? That’s what Solomon addresses here in chapter 24. He says, By wisdom a … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged building our lives, faith, house, planning, strength
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Proverbs 23 — What we pursue
In this chapter, we see warnings concerning what we pursue in life. Solomon starts by saying, When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged alcohol, gluttony, sex, wealth, What we pursue
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Proverbs 22 — A good name
How do others see you? It’s an issue that Proverbs brings up more than once. We saw this in chapter 10, and we see it again here. Solomon writes, A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged a good name, discipline, generosity, prudence, reputation, wisdom
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Proverbs 21:1, 30-31 — Remembering who’s in control
When we look at this world, it’s easy to wonder if God is still in control. In verse 1, Solomon writes, The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged control, gospel, Our mission
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Proverbs 21:5, 20 — Being wise with our money
America is a very credit driven society. Japan, where I live, is much less so. One of the major cultural differences I’ve found here is that at grocery stores and supermarkets, the usage of credit cards is quite minimal. Probably … Continue reading
Proverbs 20-21 — Facing our Judge
It’s so easy as we go through life to forget that this life is not all there is. There is a life to come after we pass out of this one. And on the day that we leave this life, … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged day of judgment, need for a Savior
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Proverbs 19-24 — Lazy
When I was a kid, I could be very lazy, particularly about my schoolwork. I remember nearly missing out on my 4th grade school trip to the Big Island on Hawaii because I wasn’t doing my schoolwork. I also got … Continue reading
Proverbs 18-19 — Who (or what) we put our trust in
Who or what do you put your trust in? Yourself? Your money? Or God? That’s what Solomon addresses time and again in Proverbs. He writes, The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged fear of the lord, trusting God
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Proverbs 18-19, 21 — Blessing your husband
I don’t write many things addressing wives very often. Most admonitions I write concerning married couples, at least up until this point, have been directed primarily at men. One key reason for this is that God seems to put more … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged blessing, husbands, nagging, wives
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Proverbs 18 — Before we speak
The proverbs are loaded with sayings about our speech. I had a friend who once admitted avoiding Proverbs because he knew God would convict him for the things he let come out of his mouth. (It didn’t matter, God threw … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged guard our lips, power of the tongue
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Proverbs 17-19 — True friends
I’ve been fortunate over the course of my life to have found some really good friends. People who have been there for me during the good times and bad. Several years ago, I was reminded of just how important such … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged adversity, fair weather friends, loyalty
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Proverbs 17 — Even when it works…
I’ve mentioned before that some of the proverbs express truths that God doesn’t necessarily approve of. Proverbs 17:8 is an example of this. A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds. At … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged bribery, illegal downloads, justice, white lies
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Proverbs 16-17 — How to build relationships…and tear them down
In this passage, we see some important principles for building and maintaining our relationships. One of the key issues is watching what we say. Solomon writes, A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged arguments, patience, relationships, words
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Proverbs 16 — Aligning our will with God’s
Often times, we try to invite God to join in with what we’re planning. But one thing that is crystal clear from this passage is that this the wrong way to go about living our lives. We shouldn’t be inviting … Continue reading
Proverbs 15 — Pleasing the Lord
How do we live lives pleasing to our Lord? Solomon writes in verse 3, The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. We can’t hide from God. Not only does he see all … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged accepting correction, humility, pleasing God, sacrifice
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Proverbs 15 — Being wise in our speech
Proverbs has a lot to say about being wise in our speech, and we see a lot of it here. It starts with verse 1. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (1) Often … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged apologies, healing words, perverse speech
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Proverbs 14:9, 23, 30 — At peace with others and within yourself
A few more passages strike me as I read this chapter. First, Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. (9) All of us are human. All of us make mistakes and hurt other … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged peace with others, peace within ourselves
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Proverbs 14:20-21, 31 — Despising our Maker
How often do we despise God? “Despise God,” you may ask. “I don’t despise God.” And yet when we look down on those God has created, we do despise him. That’s what Solomon reiterates several times in the Proverbs. He … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged despising others, Despising our maker, God's image
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Proverbs 14 — Think!
“Think!” I’m sure many of us have heard that sentence punctuate the end of a scolding when we were kids. We do something stupid, and after railing at us for what we did, our parents tell us, “Think next time!” … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged considering our paths, foolishness, rash actions, wisdom
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Proverbs 13:24 — Disciplining our children
We’ve often heard the proverb, “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” This isn’t a direct quote from the Bible, but the idea is certainly repeated fairly often. In Proverbs 13:24, it says, He who spares the rod hates his son, … Continue reading
Proverbs 13:20 — Walking with the wise
One of my pastor’s favorite passages is this one, He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. (20) He points out that it doesn’t say that a companion of fools becomes foolish, although … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged influence, walking with the wise
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Proverbs 13 — Pride
A lot of themes are repeated over and over in Proverbs, and one of them is the danger of pride. How does pride hurt us? It hurts us when we refuse to listen to rebuke. Rebuke can be painful, but … Continue reading
Proverbs 12:18, 25 — Words that wound; words that heal
These are two verses from chapter 12 that really struck me, and I felt deserved a blog to themselves. The first comes from verse 18, which says, Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged healing words, sharp words, wounding others
1 Comment
Proverbs 12 — Blunt pieces of wisdom
You’ve got to love the bluntness of some of these proverbs. Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. (1) It is a theme that you see throughout the Proverbs. That to be truly wise, you … Continue reading
Posted in Books of Poetry, Old Testament, Proverbs
Tagged correction, finances, marriage, overlooking offenses
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