Righteousness Is No Joke

 

Proverbs 10:23 Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool,
    but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
24 What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
    but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,
    but the righteous is established forever.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
    so is the sluggard to those who send him.
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
    but the years of the wicked will be short.
28 The hope of the righteous brings joy,
    but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

We've all known people whose lives are blatantly sinful. They live with no thought of God and ae without hope. Then there are those who "acknowledge" God and laugh off their wickedness They are indeed foolish and revel in it. All of us need the same thing: righteousness. We do not have it on our own. God offers and provides it in Christ. He brings the change we all need. He gives us the desire to do what is right and the hope, joy, and fulfillment we all need and desire. Don't try to laugh off your sin. It will only haunt you.

Ageless Wisdom Is Watching, Cheering Us on...

 

Proverbs 8:
25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
    before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
    or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above,
    when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30     then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of man.

As we continue to listen to wisdom personified, we are reminded that she has always been around, watching us from the creation of the world.  She is cheering us on, reminding us of what God has told us and taught us and how much He cares for us.  Wisdom does not keep us from enjoying life; rather she guides us into the abundant life God gave us to enjoy.

It's Deeper than You Think...

 Proverbs 7:24 

And now, O sons, listen to me,
    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
    do not stray into her paths,
26 for many a victim has she laid low,
    and all her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
    going down to the chambers of death.

As we look at Solomon's call to his sons (and all young men by extension, we find that his warning is more than a physical and emotional one.  A close look at this chapter reveals that this tempting woman of foolishness, who leads one away from wisdom, is also very involved in idol worship, having come from worshipping a pagan god (verse 14). Solomon knew what he was talking about, as we find he himself had been led astray from God through his many wives and concubines from pagan peoples.  It's all wrapped up together.  Satan's attacks are not merely physical and emotional; he is aiming to draw us away from the true and living God. Be on your guard in every situation, relationship, and encounter.

Don't Get Burned!

 Proverbs 6:25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
    and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
26 for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,
    but a married woman hunts down a precious life.
27 Can a man carry fire next to his chest
    and his clothes not be burned?
28 Or can one walk on hot coals
    and his feet not be scorched?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife;
    none who touches her will go unpunished.

Proverbs is full of practical wisdom for daily life, including relationship advice.  These principles come from the heart of an all-wise God, who gives not only commands, but warnings against breaking those commands.  Such is the case of relationships. It begins with a glance that turns to a stare, then goes deeper into the mind and heart. It is ensnaring. As the old saying goes: "It is playing with fire."  Don't go there. You'll only get burned.  God has made a safe haven for intimacy between husband and wife. Anywhere else and people get hurt. 

Stay on the Straight Path

 

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you crooked speech,
    and put devious talk far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet;
    then all your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
    turn your foot away from evil.

A recurring theme in Proverbs is looking at life as a path to walk.  It's not that the pathway is always easy or straight like a freeway, but that it is the safe place to stay.  It avoids things to trip over, fall into, and to which we can become prey.  Wisdom calls like a father to the son: "Keep your heart on the right path: following Christ, focused on obedience, living for good."

The Security of Wisdom

 

Proverbs 3:21 My son, do not lose sight of these—
    keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be life for your soul
    and adornment for your neck.
23 Then you will walk on your way securely,
    and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror
    or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
26 for the Lord will be your confidence
    and will keep your foot from being caught.

Like with the Psalms, we often like to pick and choose verses from Proverbs without reading the whole chapter or context. We love verses 5 and 6 of this chapter but fail to go any further. This whole chapter is full of wisdom, which gives much more than direction. It will give us security - the kind of security which will allow us to rest easy, even in the stormiest of nights.

Rebuked by Wisdom

 

Proverbs 1:

24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,

    have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.

The book of Proverbs masterfully personifies Wisdom as a counselor who beckons us to listen, learn, and respond to her counsel.  The problem is: we are often too stubborn to head her voice. Wisdom can rightly respond: "I told you so."  In this except Wisdom sounds almost mean, until we look at the context. Wisdom has been crying out, begging us to listen.  Since we will not, she knows that the only way we will learn is to reap a harvest of hurt and learn the hard way.  She rebukes out of truth and love.  Will we heed her voice as she calls to us today?