Proverbs 16:1-33
V1: "We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer."
We live in a society that is all about planning for things. We plan our daily, hourly, and sometimes down to the seconds in our agendas. The truth is that at the end of the day, we can plan for things, but whatever God has orchestrated and laid out for us is what is going to go. His way and His plan are always better than ours, and it is scripted with our success in mind, so as long as we trust that, we are good to go!
V2: "People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives."
We as people oftentimes will only focus on the outside characteristics of people. God sees the hearts of individuals and examines our true motives. More times than not, it is what is inside that matters even more so than what is outside.
V3: "Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed."
When we submit and commit our actions, steps, and plans to the Lord, we have hope in knowing that they will be successful. As long as God is in them, and we commit to seeking His insight and counsel, we will not fail.
V4: "The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster."
Nothing catches God by surprise. No struggle we have to face, no dark day, no low valley, or tough moment catches God off guard. If anything, those stages of life are orchestrated together for His great plan. God promises to use those days of disaster as part of His great purposes and plan for us.
V5: "The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished."
The main people the Lord detests and opposes are those who are proud. For all of the trouble they'd chosen to sow, all they will reap is trouble and punishment.
V6: "Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil."
Sin is a burden that is too great for us to get rid of and cover-up on our own. The only thing that atones for our sin is the unfailing love and faithfulness that Jesus gave us when He bridged the gap between us, sinful people, and our loving and perfect Heavenly Father.
V8: "Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest."
In our end days, nothing materialistic and Earthly will last. If anything, all our possessions and treasure will fade away and do us absolutely no good in eternity. What matters are the virtues that make us look like Jesus, making our faith in Him so much more important than what the world has to offer? Things like Godliness and humility are what impact our lives not just here on Earth, but forevermore!
V9: "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."
This verse cuts straight to the point: we can make plans, but the one who is really in control of it all is the Lord. After all, He is the one determining our steps.
V16: "How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!"
Gold and silver are rare and precious substances that are worth a lot and have a very high value. The Bible says that wisdom is far better than gold, and good judgment or correction than silver. This comes to show just how valuable these attributes and gifts from the Lord are! Not even silver or gold can compare to the great worth gold and silver have.
V17: "The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe."
The path of honor and virtue promises to lead us away from sin. When we follow that right path, we have a hope of being safe and protected from all evil and we will not fall or fail.
VS 18-19: "Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud."
Pride, haughtiness, and anything that seeks to glorify oneself leads to destruction and a fall. Humility is what lifts us up. It is when we are selfless and put others above ourselves that we will then be raised up and honored by the Lord. Approval from man does not satisfy us, and if anything, all it does is put us down. Wisdom tells us to live humbly.
VS 20-23 Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful. The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive. From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive."
The people who listen to God's instruction and trust in Him will prosper in all areas of their lives and be joyful. Wisdom helps us to obey the Lord and trust that He is in control and knows what He is doing.
A heart that is saturated in Godly wisdom produces a mind focused on Godly wisdom. A mind focused on Godly wisdom fuels wise speech. The words of the wise have a great effect on all of those who listen.
V24: "Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."
Not only do our words bring life, they also bring sweetness to our souls, and good health to our bodies. This makes it all the more important when we choose what we say. We have a choice to speak kind and life-giving words over ourselves and others, and in the end, it benefits us!
V25: "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death."
The path that seems glamorous, enticing, and right, at its root reaps nothing but destruction and death. It is the way that is hard, narrow, and burdensome that reaps a great reward: an eternity with Christ. Always remember that the harder path God has laid out for us is so much better than the easy trap the world wants us to fall into.
VS 27-28: "Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze. A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends."
The opposite of good is bad: trouble, harsh words, strife, and gossip are some things that produce nothing but bad fruits in our lives...
V29: "Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path."
Sin, even though it is bad, is very enticing to us. Oftentimes, strife, anger, violence, and other actions that are not of the Lord may look appealing, but all they do is mislead us about what is right. They take us off of the right path that the Lord has laid out for us to follow and then put us on a path that is harmful to us.
V32: "Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city."
Patience and self-control are fruits of the Spirit. The Bible says that it is better to be filled with those fruits than have power or control here on Earth over Earthly things. At the end of the day, the only things that matter are the things that have an impact on the kingdom, and that is what we should pursue.
V33: "We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall."
This short little verse is packed with so much wisdom. If you really think about how dice rolling works, and all of the probability and chance involved, and then apply that metaphorically to our lives, it is amazing. Sure, we can plan things and events and lay out our day in and day out the way we want things to go, but the one who is really in control is God. He is the one who determines the way things play out. We might throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.
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