Giving Thought...

16 

How much better to get wisdom than gold!

    To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

17 

The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;

    whoever guards his way preserves his life.

18 

Pride goes before destruction,

    and a haughty spirit before a fall.

19 

It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor

    than to divide the spoil with the proud.

20 

Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,

    and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

21 

The wise of heart is called discerning,

    and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

22 

Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it,

    but the instruction of fools is folly.

(Proverbs 16:16-22)

Here we are in the middle of the middle chapter of the book of Proverbs, and God, through the writer calls on us to "give thought to the word."  In every decision and action we take, to draw upon the Wisdom of God's Word to make the wise choice; in every statement we make to weigh well the words we use, and the attitude with which we speak them, to turn ourselves and others toward what is good and right.  "Pride goes before a fall." How often have we heard that statement, or whispered it under our breath, hoping someone else will fall and hurt as badly as they have hurt us.  I have seen this verse literally in action: someone sticking their nose up in the air in pride, then falling on their face.  It was not pretty.  It never is.  But may we also not be the one to trip someone up with our words and have him or her fall; that's not pretty either.