PROVERBS 19:1-25
V1: "Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool."
No matter how many earthly and materialistic riches we may gain, one of the most important things to have is honesty. Honesty is so much more valuable to us as believers than riches are. It is better to be a poor person but an honest one than to be rich, foolish, and dishonest.
V3: "People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord."
When things don't go our way, our first instinct is to blame God for whatever went wrong. Yes, God is the one in control of our lives and He is the one who orchestrates everything behind the scenes, but the truth is this: sometimes, it's our fault. Oftentimes, our foolish and fleshly desires take the reins of our lives, causing things to go wrong. It's not God's fault, but instead ours. Since we can't blame God for problems we bring upon ourselves, we can at least seek after Him with hearts postured towards repentance and surrender.
V4: "Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away."
I live by this motto: not everyone in your corner is there to cheer you on. As harsh as that may sound, it is true! This verse speaks of fake friends who are only in it for the money, and then, as soon as times of lack arise, they dip. Good and godly friends will stick beside us no matter what, and it is those people we should seek to have in our corners.
VS 5 and 9: "A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape/will be destroyed."
We serve a just and faithful God. Whenever His children are wronged, He promises to be in their corner and advocate for them as any good father would. He promises us that any false witness or liar that has plotted against His beloved will not go unpunished, or run away unscathed, but instead, justice will be served and they will be destroyed.
V11: "Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs."
Wisdom leads us to have self-control even in those testing times. People with good sense know how to control their anger and they are respected because of how they forgive and overlook others' wrongdoings.
V16: "Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death."
Even though there are many rules and commandments the Lord has laid out for us to follow, we need to understand that those are set in place for our well-being. If we keep His commandments, we will live. If we despise and reject them, we are promised death.
V17: "If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you!"
One of the greatest commandments Jesus gave to us, His followers, was to love others. A way we show love is through having a servant's heart. This passage of Scripture speaks of a great blessing attached to helping those in need: the Lord promises to repay us for all we've sown! This means that nothing we do ever goes overlooked in His sight and that He sees everything, even the little things/
V21: "You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail."
As much as we strive for control and for things to go the way we want them to, the simple truth is that we are not in control. God is, and whatever He says or orchestrates goes, and that's final.
V23: "Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm."
If we want to live lives free of harm and pain, all we have to do to be secure is fear the Lord. Fearing the Lord leads to life everlasting, something we could never achieve on our own.
V25: "If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser."
The way that we take correction and discipline matters: if we truly take it to heart and make an effort to fix whatever it is we've done wrong, we will be filled with more wisdom. The people who let discipline sit only in their minds, and make no change whatsoever are okay with living in foolishness and learning and gaining nothing at all.
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