Proverbs – Page 5 – Be Still…

Proverbs 22:17-29 – Anger Management

You’re seeing it right. Smack dab in the middle of this Chapter, we see a new list of “30 Wise Sayings.” These are all designed to teach us so we will trust in the Lord. Solomon’s words are meant to help us navigate this life and avoid the common problems that often plague us and keep us separated from God. Today’s selection is particularly helpful.

We all know angry people. What counsel do we have? “Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.” That’s pretty harsh. Don’t befriend or even associate with angry people. I suppose it’s true that we often take on the characteristics of those we hang around with. We start talking with an accent or using phrases we hear our friends use. It’s a natural occurrence. If we want to avoid negative behaviors, it makes sense that we should stay away from people who have them.

Proverbs 22:1-16 – Is Being Lazy Okay?

Read Proverbs 22:1-16

Today I would love a rainy day with no plans so I could just curl up with a good book and spend the day watching Netflix. Does that mean I want a “lazy” day? Absolutely. But I certainly wouldn’t want to do it every day. I have a lot of drive and ambition cursing through my veins which makes it hard to just sit still for very long. I’m sure if I had the “perfect” lazy day, I would soon be up doing something useful.

Today’s verse is “The lazy person claims, ‘There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!’” I had to write about this one because it just made me giggle. I’m not sure only a lazy person would fear a lion in the yard, but what might someone with motivation for success (opposite of a lazy bum) have said? Something like – “There’s a lion out there, where’s my gun” or “How do I divert the lion’s attention so I can go where I want to go?” The lazy person is trapped. The motivated person has options.

Proverbs 21:22-31 – We are Not God

Read Proverbs 21:22-31

“God is God and I am not,” is a saying we would repeat in our recovery ministry. Why? Because it is important to understand and accept the infinite distinction between God and his creation. We have been given the ability to reason and make choices, but God has the ultimate say and control. He is the one to be revered for his deeds, not us. We can not take credit for what God is doing. We need to know our place is to follow God and not the other way around.

The proverb in verse 30 is pretty clear on this. “No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord.” God is sovereign. He is the supreme ruler. There is nothing that can stand against him. We may think we’re smart, but we need to remember where our wisdom comes from. Even the most learned scholars only have merely a fraction of the wisdom of God.

Proverbs 21:11-21 – The Great Pursuit

Read Proverbs 21:11-21

Did you picture a movie scene with one car in hot pursuit of another? Screeching tires and dust billowing all over?! There is no question, you see a definite intention to catch up with the other vehicle. It’s not just for fun, it’s serious. Or perhaps you thought of some of your own pursuits, a college degree, a career, wealth, fame.

Solomon has some great wisdom for us in verse 21. He says, “Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.” Have you ever thought about pursuing righteousness or unfailing love? In some translations, unfailing love is referred to as loyalty. As I understand it, the word used for “pursue” here is stronger and more intentional than just a whim or something we’d “like” to have. We are to chase or follow, full of energy and definite intention. We are not to just search for but to conquer and overtake. This is serious business. Why righteousness and unfailing love?

Proverbs 21:1-10 – Do What is Right & Just

Read Proverbs 21:1-10

Don’t you love reading a few proverbs of wisdom every day? It’s so refreshing to see so many different ideas being covered. Some really hit home and cause me to re-evaluate my choices. I’m guessing if I read this same passage a month from now a different proverb would speak to me (though I certainly never hope to be a quarrelsome wife)!

Today let’s focus on verse 3 which reads, “The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.” Interesting when you think of all the passages that talk about sacrifices as a way to atone for sinfulness. It’s a chicken and the egg phenomena. If we don’t misbehave and do wrong and unjust things, we don’t need sacrifices anyway. God would rather we lives our lives in a way that is pleasing to him, and it will also be pleasing for us. But even when we give it our best, we still sin. It’s in our nature.