further training in stupidity

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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further training in stupidity

Proverbs 13:1-25 (JDV).

Proverbs 13:1 A son gets wise from his father’s correction, but a mocker doesn’t listen to rebuke.
Proverbs 13:2 From the fruit of his mouth, a person will enjoy good things, but treacherous people have an throat for violence.
Proverbs 13:3 The one who guards his mouth keeps his throat; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.
Proverbs 13:4 The throat of the idler craves, yet has nothing, but the diligent is fully satisfied.
Proverbs 13:5 The righteous hate lying, but the wicked bring disgust and shame.
Proverbs 13:6 Righteousness guards one whose road is straight, but wickedness undermines the sinner.
Proverbs 13:7 One person pretends to be rich but has nothing; another pretends to be poor but has abundant wealth.
Proverbs 13:8 Riches are a ransom for a person’s throat, but a poor person hears no threat.
Proverbs 13:9 The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is put out.
Proverbs 13:10 Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, but wisdom is gained by those who take advice.
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it.
Proverbs 13:12 Hope delayed makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:13 The one who has contempt for instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.
Proverbs 13:14 A wise person’s instruction is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 13:15 Good sense wins favor, but the road of the treacherous never changes.
Proverbs 13:16 Every sensible person acts knowledgeably, but a fool displays his stupidity.
Proverbs 13:17 A wicked envoy falls into trouble, but a trustworthy courier brings healing.
Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to those who ignore correction, but the one who accepts correction will be honored.
Proverbs 13:19 Desire fulfilled is sweet to the throat, but to turn from evil is detestable to fools.
Proverbs 13:20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:21 Disaster pursues sinners, but good rewards the righteous.
Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
Proverbs 13:23 The uncultivated field of the poor yields abundant food, but without justice, it is swept away.
Proverbs 13:24 The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him corrects him diligently.
Proverbs 13:25 A righteous person eats until his throat is satisfied, but the stomach of the wicked is empty.

further training in stupidity

Stupidity comes naturally to humans. We do not have to work at it. But if we want further training, here are some helpful hints:

Train your ears not to listen to rebuke (13:1), to despise the word (13:13), and to ignore instruction (13:8).
Train your mouth to always be open (13:3).
Train your body for violence (13:1), bringing shame and disgrace (13:5).

LORD, forgive us for acting stupid. Give us the wisdom to listen and follow your truth.

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save the comeback

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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save the comeback

Proverbs 12:1-28 (JDV).

Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.
Proverbs 12:2 One who is good obtains favor from Yahveh, but he condemns a person who schemes.
Proverbs 12:3 No one can be made secure by wickedness, but the root of the righteous is immovable.
Proverbs 12:4 A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a wife who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.
Proverbs 12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are just, but advice from the wicked is deceitful.
Proverbs 12:6 The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush, but the speech of the upright rescues them.
Proverbs 12:7 The wicked are overthrown and are destroyed, but the house of the righteous will stand.
Proverbs 12:8 A man is praised for his insight, but a twisted mind is despised.
Proverbs 12:9 Better to be disregarded, yet have a servant, than to act important but have no food.
Proverbs 12:10 The righteous cares about his animal’s throat, but even the merciful acts of the wicked are cruel.
Proverbs 12:11 The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense.
Proverbs 12:12 The wicked desire what evil people have caught, but the root of the righteous is productive.
Proverbs 12:13 By rebellious speech an evil person is trapped, but a righteous person escapes from trouble.
Proverbs 12:14 A person will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the work of a person’s hands will reward him.
Proverbs 12:15 A fool’s road is right to his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.
Proverbs 12:16 A fool’s displeasure is known at once, but whoever ignores an insult is sensible.
Proverbs 12:17 Whoever speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deception.
Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue, only a moment.
Proverbs 12:20 Deception is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.
Proverbs 12:21 No disaster overcomes the righteous, but the wicked are full of misery.
Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are repulsive to Yahveh, but faithful people are his delight.
Proverbs 12:23 A smart person conceals knowledge, but a foolish heart publicizes stupidity.
Proverbs 12:24 The diligent hand will rule, but laziness will lead to forced labor.
Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up.
Proverbs 12:26 A righteous person is careful in dealing with his neighbor, but the roads of the wicked lead them astray.
Proverbs 12:27 A lazy hunter doesn’t roast his game, but to a diligent person, his wealth is precious.
Proverbs 12:28 There is life in the right path, and a road in whose pathway there is no death.

save the comeback

Tracy Ainsworth writes “While Proverbs 12 speaks to many issues, it has much to say about wisdom and communication. Accepting correction is wise. Interestingly, verse 23 says sometimes a prudent man conceals knowledge – in other words, one doesn’t have to loudly trumpet everything one knows or believes!” (Maranatha Devotions, October 7, 2018).

Sometimes the smart way to reply is to not reply, even if you have a comeback. Many of us have been rescued from harm by knowing when to shut up.

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in the long run

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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in the long run

Proverbs 11:1-31 (JDV).

Proverbs 11:1 Fraudulent scales are detestable to Yahveh, but an accurate weight is his delight.
Proverbs 11:2 When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of traitors destroys them.
Proverbs 11:4 Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath, but righteousness rescues from death.
Proverbs 11:5 The righteousness of the blameless clears his road, but the wicked person will fall because of his wickedness.
Proverbs 11:6 The righteousness of the upright rescues them, but traitors are trapped by their own desires.
Proverbs 11:7 When the wicked person dies, his expectation comes to nothing, and hope placed in wealth vanishes.
Proverbs 11:8 The righteous one is rescued from trouble; in his place, the wicked one goes in.
Proverbs 11:9 With his mouth the ungodly destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge, the righteous are rescued.
Proverbs 11:10 When the righteous thrive, a city rejoices; when the wicked die, there is joyful shouting.
Proverbs 11:11 A city is built up by the blessing of the upright, but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked.
Proverbs 11:12 Whoever condemns his neighbor lacks sense, but a person with understanding keeps silent.
Proverbs 11:13 A gossip goes around revealing a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.
Proverbs 11:14 Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.
Proverbs 11:15 If someone puts up security for a stranger, he will suffer for it, but the one who hates such agreements is protected.
Proverbs 11:16 A gracious woman gains honor, but violent people gain only riches.
Proverbs 11:17 A kind man does his throat a kindness, but a cruel person brings ruin on his flesh.
Proverbs 11:18 The wicked person earns an empty wage, but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward.
Proverbs 11:19 Genuine righteousness leads to life but pursuing evil leads to death.
Proverbs 11:20 Those with twisted minds are detestable to Yahveh, but those with a straight road are his delight.
Proverbs 11:21 Be assured that a wicked person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will escape.
Proverbs 11:22 A beautiful woman who rejects good sense is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.
Proverbs 11:23 The desire of the righteous turns out well, but the hope of the wicked leads to wrath.
Proverbs 11:24 One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor.
Proverbs 11:25 A generous throat will be made fat, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.
Proverbs 11:26 People will curse anyone who hoards grain, but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.
Proverbs 11:27 The one who searches for what is good seeks favor, but if someone looks for trouble, it will come to him.
Proverbs 11:28 Anyone trusting in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.
Proverbs 11:29 The one who brings ruin on his household will inherit the wind, and a fool will be a slave to someone whose heart is wise.
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes throats away.
Proverbs 11:31 If the righteous will be repaid in the land, how much more the wicked and sinful.

in the long run

Wisdom will prove itself right in the long run, and foolishness will prove itself wrong. The incidents where people seem to be profiting from wrongdoing are just temporary exceptions. When we look at the eternal results, we see that living righteously is good practical advice. Every decision we make is going to fall into one of the two categories. Look at the big picture.

LORD, help us to see the wisdom of living right.

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evidence of wisdom

Posted on November 10, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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evidence of wisdom

Proverbs 10:1-32 (JDV).

Proverbs 10:1 Solomon’s proverbs: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grieves to his mother.
Proverbs 10:2 Wicked treasures do not profit anyone, but righteousness rescues from death.
Proverbs 10:3 Yahveh will not let the righteous go hungry, but he pushes the wicked away from what they crave.
Proverbs 10:4 Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 10:5 The son who gathers during summer is prudent; the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful.
Proverbs 10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Proverbs 10:7 The remembrance of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
Proverbs 10:8 A wise heart accepts commands, but foolish lips will be destroyed.
Proverbs 10:9 The one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever twists his roads will be found out.
Proverbs 10:10 A sly wink of the eye causes grief, and foolish lips will be destroyed.
Proverbs 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all transgressions.
Proverbs 10:13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of the one who lacks sense.
Proverbs 10:14 The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool hastens destruction.
Proverbs 10:15 The wealth of the rich is his fortified city; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.
Proverbs 10:16 The reward of the righteous is life; the wages of the wicked is punishment.
Proverbs 10:17 The one who follows instruction is on the path to life, but the one who rejects correction goes astray.
Proverbs 10:18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
Proverbs 10:19 When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is prudent.
Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the righteous is pure silver; the heart of the wicked is of little value.
Proverbs 10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.
Proverbs 10:22 Yahveh’s blessing enriches, and he adds no painful effort to it.
Proverbs 10:23 As shameful conduct is pleasure for a fool, so wisdom is for a person of understanding.
Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked is terrified of will come to him, but what the righteous desire will be given to them.
Proverbs 10:25 When the destructive wind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever.
Proverbs 10:26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so the idler is to the one who sends him on an errand.
Proverbs 10:27 The fear of Yahveh prolongs life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
Proverbs 10:29 The road of Yahveh is a stronghold for the honorable, but destruction awaits the malicious.
Proverbs 10:30 The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not remain on the land.
Proverbs 10:31 The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
Proverbs 10:32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, only what is perverse.

evidence of wisdom

How can one judge the degree to which he or she has gained wisdom? Look at the results of the decisions you make. Specifically, do your decisions make other people glad, or cause them to worry or fear? Those closest to you will tend to be happier if you are living the kind of life that fits into God’s purpose. No matter what kind of religious beliefs you profess, laziness, hypocrisy, and violent words and actions will cause harm to those closest to you. Love, commitment, and genuineness will bring them peace and joy.

LORD, give us the wisdom to live your way, to positively touch the lives of others.

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choose the wise life

Posted on November 9, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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choose the wise life

Proverbs 9:1-18 (JDV).

Proverbs 9:1 Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars.
Proverbs 9:2 She has slaughtered what needed to be slaughtered; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
Proverbs 9:3 She has sent out her female servants; she calls out from the highest points of the city:
Proverbs 9:4 “Whoever is morally naive, enter here!” To the one who lacks sense, she says,
Proverbs 9:5 “Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine I have mixed.
Proverbs 9:6 Leave inexperience behind, and you will live; go straight on the road of understanding.
Proverbs 9:7 The one who corrects a mocker will bring abuse on himself; the one who rebukes the wicked will get hurt.
Proverbs 9:8 Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke the wise, and he will love you.
Proverbs 9:9 Instruct the wise, and he will be wiser still; teach the righteous, and he will learn more.
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of Yahveh is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:11 Because by me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
Proverbs 9:12 If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit; if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.”
Proverbs 9:13 Folly is a rowdy woman; she is gullible and knows nothing.
Proverbs 9:14 She sits by the doorway of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,
Proverbs 9:15 calling to those who pass by, who go straight ahead on their paths:
Proverbs 9:16 “Whoever is morally naive, enter here!” To the one who lacks sense, she says,
Proverbs 9:17 “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten secretly is tasty!”
Proverbs 9:18 But he doesn’t know that the ghosts are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

This interesting passage depicts the life of wisdom and the life of folly as two women, both calling out for a relationship with a morally naive young man. The women are not different in their outward appearance or even their age. They could be identical twins in that respect. No, the difference between them is how they choose to catch their prize. Folly only offers bread and water and appears to have stolen that. She lures her man by offering him something for nothing. Wisdom built her own house, slaughtered her own cattle, and sent out her servants to buy everything she needed from the proceeds of her own hard work. Wisdom is the Proverbs 31 wife.

Both wisdom and folly are options, and both are appealing. But wisdom takes more work, and sometimes people opt for unrighteous living out of laziness. They are not equal in their result. The unrighteous life leads to spiritual death and the likelihood of an early physical death.

LORD, give us the courage to choose the wise life.

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falling for innovation

Posted on November 8, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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falling for innovation

Proverbs 8:1-36 (JDV).

Proverbs 8:1 Doesn’t wisdom call out? Doesn’t understanding give her voice?
Proverbs 8:2 At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she is standing.
Proverbs 8:3 Beside the gates leading into the city, at the main entrance, she is crying out:
Proverbs 8:4 “People, I call out to you; my cry is to the children of Adam.
Proverbs 8:5 Learn to be smart, you who are morally naive; develop common sense, you who are foolish.
Proverbs 8:6 Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right.
Proverbs 8:7 Because my mouth tells the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
Proverbs 8:8 All the words from my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse.
Proverbs 8:9 All of them are clear to the perceptive, and right to those who discover knowledge.
Proverbs 8:10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.
Proverbs 8:11 Because wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can equal it.
Proverbs 8:12 I, wisdom, share a home with smartness and have knowledge and discretion.
Proverbs 8:13 To fear Yahveh is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, the evil road, and perverse speech.
Proverbs 8:14 I possess good advice and sound wisdom; I have understanding and strength.
Proverbs 8:15 It is by me that kings reign and rulers enact just law;
Proverbs 8:16 by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges.
Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me.
Proverbs 8:18 With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth, and righteousness.
Proverbs 8:19 My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest is better than pure silver.
Proverbs 8:20 I walk in the ways of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
Proverbs 8:21 giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me and filling their treasuries.
Proverbs 8:22 “Yahveh acquired me at the first of his road, before his works of long ago.
Proverbs 8:23 I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the land began.
Proverbs 8:24 I was born when there were no watery depths and no springs filled with water.
Proverbs 8:25 Before the mountains were established, prior to the hills, I was given birth —
Proverbs 8:26 before he made the land, the fields, or the first soil on the land.
Proverbs 8:27 I was there when he established the heavens, when he laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,
Proverbs 8:28 when he placed the skies above when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,
Proverbs 8:29 when he set a limit for the sea so that the waters would not violate his command, when he laid out the foundations of the land.
Proverbs 8:30 I was a skilled craftsman beside him. I was his delight every day, always rejoicing before him.
Proverbs 8:31 I was rejoicing in his inhabited world, delighting in the children of Adam.
Proverbs 8:32 “And now, sons, listen to me; those who keep my roads are fortunate.
Proverbs 8:33 Listen to instruction and be wise; don’t ignore it.
Proverbs 8:34 Anyone who listens to me is fortunate, watching at my doors every day, waiting by the posts of my doorway.
Proverbs 8:35 Because the one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from Yahveh,
Proverbs 8:36 but the one who misses me injures his throat; all who hate me love death.”

falling for innovation

Occasionally, you will hear someone talk about “old school.” It refers to the old way of doing things, which, depending on who uses the term, may be a good thing or not. Solomon says that wisdom is old school. In fact, it is the oldest. When God was creating the world, he used wisdom. It makes sense for us, as creatures, to live our lives by the same resource that our creator used to begin them.

LORD, forgive us for falling for innovation. Teach us how to live by your wisdom.

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countless victims

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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countless victims

Proverbs 7:1-27 (JDV).

Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words and treasure my commands.
Proverbs 7:2 Keep my commands and live and guard my instruction as you would the pupil of your eye.
Proverbs 7:3 Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Proverbs 7:4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your relative.
Proverbs 7:5 She will keep you from a forbidden woman, a foreign woman with her flattering talk.
Proverbs 7:6 At the window of my house I looked through my lattice.
Proverbs 7:7 I saw among the morally naive, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense.
Proverbs 7:8 Crossing the street near her corner, he strolled down the road to her house
Proverbs 7:9 at twilight, in the evening, in the dark of the night.
Proverbs 7:10 A woman came to meet him dressed like a prostitute, having a hiding heart.
Proverbs 7:11 She is loud and defiant; her feet do not stay at home.
Proverbs 7:12 Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
Proverbs 7:13 She grabs him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him,
Proverbs 7:14 “I’ve made fellowship offerings; today I’ve fulfilled my vows.
Proverbs 7:15 So I came out to meet you, to search for you, and I’ve found you.
Proverbs 7:16 I’ve spread coverings on my bed– richly colored linen from Egypt.
Proverbs 7:17 I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Proverbs 7:18 Come, let’s drink deeply of lovemaking until morning. Let’s feast on each other’s love!
Proverbs 7:19 My husband isn’t home; he went on a distant road.
Proverbs 7:20 He took a bag of silver with him and will come home at the time of the full moon.”
Proverbs 7:21 She seduces him with her persistent pleading; she lures him with her flattering talk.
Proverbs 7:22 Surprisingly he follows her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding toward a trap
Proverbs 7:23 until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird darting into a snare — he doesn’t know it will cost him his throat.
Proverbs 7:24 Now, sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words from my mouth.
Proverbs 7:25 Don’t let your heart turn aside to her roads; don’t stray onto her paths.
Proverbs 7:26 For she has brought many down to death; her victims are countless.
Proverbs 7:27 Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.

countless victims

Once again, Solomon warns his sons of the danger of sexual sin. He observes a scenario where a man is lured into a trap by a wife who makes it so easy for the man to cheat with her. He says that she has destroyed countless victims. They did not feel like victims. They thought they were in complete control of the situation. So does the ox, the stag, and the bird. Lust blinds men, making it possible for them to willingly enter the trap. The wages of sin is death.

LORD, open our eyes to the reality that our sinful nature wants us to ignore.

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trapped

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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trapped

Proverbs 6:1-35 (JDV).

Proverbs 6:1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor or entered into an agreement with a stranger,
Proverbs 6:2 you have been trapped by the words of your mouth trapped by the words from your mouth.
Proverbs 6:3 Do this, then, my son, and free yourself, because you have put yourself in your neighbor’s power: Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor.
Proverbs 6:4 Don’t give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
Proverbs 6:5 Escape like a gazelle from a hunter, like a bird from a hunter’s trap.
Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, you idler! Observe its roads and become wise.
Proverbs 6:7 Without leader, administrator, or ruler,
Proverbs 6:8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest.
Proverbs 6:9 How long will you stay in bed, you idler? When will you get up from your sleep?
Proverbs 6:10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest,
Proverbs 6:11 and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.
Proverbs 6:12 A worthless person, a wicked man goes around speaking dishonestly,
Proverbs 6:13 winking his eyes, signaling with his feet, and gesturing with his fingers.
Proverbs 6:14 He always plots evil with perversity in his heart; he stirs up trouble.
Proverbs 6:15 Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly; he will be shattered instantly, beyond recovery.
Proverbs 6:16 Yahveh hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to him:
Proverbs 6:17 arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Proverbs 6:18 a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil,
Proverbs 6:19 a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.
Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep your father’s command, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching.
Proverbs 6:21 Always bind them to your heart; tie them around your neck.
Proverbs 6:22 When you walk here and there, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you.
Proverbs 6:23 For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective correction is the road to life.
Proverbs 6:24 They will protect you from an evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a wayward woman.
Proverbs 6:25 Don’t lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.
Proverbs 6:26 For a prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread, but the wife of another man goes after a precious throat.
Proverbs 6:27 Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?
Proverbs 6:28 Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet?
Proverbs 6:29 So it is with the one who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
Proverbs 6:30 People don’t despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his throat when he is hungry.
Proverbs 6:31 Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much; he must give up all the wealth in his house.
Proverbs 6:32 The one who commits adultery lacks sense; whoever does so destroys his throat.
Proverbs 6:33 He will get a beating and dishonor, and his disgrace will never be removed.
Proverbs 6:34 Because jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
Proverbs 6:35 He will not be appeased by anything or be persuaded by lavish bribes.

trapped

The essence of wisdom is knowing the right way to live so that you can avoid trouble. Wisdom is designed to keep is from getting trapped.

But what do you do after you have already made a mistake or two? Is it hopeless? No, but it is serious. Solomon advises his sons if they are ever caught in a trap, they should seek freedom immediately, and keep seeking it until they are free. They should not just sleep on it, and hope everything turns out alright. It is in that context that he asks them to consider the ant compared to the sluggard. When we have made our bed (so to speak), the last thing we should do is just lie in it.

LORD, give us the wisdom to seek freedom from our traps, keep working at it until we are free, and stay away from future traps.

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wormwood road

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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wormwood road

Proverbs 5:1-23 (JDV).

Proverbs 5:1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; bend your ear to my understanding
Proverbs 5:2 so that you may maintain discretion and your lips safeguard knowledge.
Proverbs 5:3 Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her words are smoother than oil,
Proverbs 5:4 in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a double-edged sword.
Proverbs 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps head straight for Sheol.
Proverbs 5:6 She doesn’t consider the path of life; she doesn’t know that her roads are unstable.
Proverbs 5:7 So now, sons, listen to me, and don’t turn away from the words from my mouth.
Proverbs 5:8 Keep your road far from her. Don’t go near the door of her house.
Proverbs 5:9 Otherwise, you will give up your vitality to others and your years to someone cruel;
Proverbs 5:10 strangers will drain your resources, and your hard-earned pay will end up in a foreigner’s house.
Proverbs 5:11 At the end of your life, you will lament when your physical body has been consumed,
Proverbs 5:12 and you will say, “How I hated correction, and how my heart despised it when I was corrected.
Proverbs 5:13 I didn’t obey my teachers or listen closely to my instructors.
Proverbs 5:14 I am near complete ruin before the entire community.”
Proverbs 5:15 Drink water from your own cistern, water flowing from your own well.
Proverbs 5:16 Should your springs flow in the streets, streams in the public squares?
Proverbs 5:17 They should be for you alone and not for you to share with strangers.
Proverbs 5:18 Let your fountain be blessed and take pleasure in the wife of your youth.
Proverbs 5:19 A loving deer, a graceful doe — let her breasts always satisfy you; get lost in her love forever.
Proverbs 5:20 Why, my son, would you lose yourself with a forbidden woman or embrace a strange woman?
Proverbs 5:21 Because a man’s roads are before Yahveh’s eyes, and he considers all his paths.
Proverbs 5:22 A wicked man’s violations will trap him; he will become tangled in the ropes of his own failure.
Proverbs 5:23 He will die because there is no correction and be lost because of his great stupidity.

wormwood road

Two possible paths of sexuality. One leads to a lifetime of joy with one spouse, no sorrow, no shame. The other leads to shame in the assembly, the torment of body and mind, and early death. The problem is that the first option looks and sounds so tempting. The wise father’s advice is to stay away from the front door – don’t look, don’t click, don’t surf. Keep your way far from her.

LORD, give us wisdom to stay away from temptation.

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rules of the road

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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Photo by JACK REDGATE on Pexels.com

rules of the road

Proverbs 4:1-27 (JDV).

Proverbs 4:1 Listen, sons, to a father’s correction, and pay attention to know understanding,
Proverbs 4:2 because I am giving you good instruction. Don’t abandon my teaching.
Proverbs 4:3 When I was a son with my father, tender and precious to my mother,
Proverbs 4:4 he taught me and said: “Your heart must hold on to my words. Keep my commands and live.
Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding; don’t forget or turn away from the words from my mouth.
Proverbs 4:6 Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you; love her, and she will guard you.
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is first – so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding.
Proverbs 4:8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
Proverbs 4:9 She will place a garland of favor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”
Proverbs 4:10 Listen, my son. Accept my words, and you will live many years.
Proverbs 4:11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom; I am guiding you on straight paths.
Proverbs 4:12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; when you run, you will not trip.
Proverbs 4:13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
Proverbs 4:14 Keep off the path of the wicked; don’t go straight on the road of evil ones.
Proverbs 4:15 Avoid it; don’t travel on it. Turn away from it and pass it by.
Proverbs 4:16 Because they can’t sleep unless they have done what is evil; they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone trip.
Proverbs 4:17 They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
Proverbs 4:18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
Proverbs 4:19 But the road of the wicked is like the thick darkest; they don’t know what makes them stumble.
Proverbs 4:20 My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings.
Proverbs 4:21 Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
Proverbs 4:22 Because they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body.
Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, because it is the source of life.
Proverbs 4:24 Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously.
Proverbs 4:25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
Proverbs 4:26 Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your roads will be established.
Proverbs 4:27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.

rules of the road

When you are learning to drive, some of the advice you get sounds very much like Solomon’s wisdom for his sons. You need to turn the headlights on when it gets dark so that you can see and avoid all possible obstacles. You must pay attention to what is ahead of you, not straying your gaze to the right or left. You need to learn the rules because they will keep you safe.

The road we are on in life is an adventure, but without following the rules of wisdom, it can be a dangerous trap.

LORD, give us all the wisdom to be good drivers in life.

Posted in discernment, self-control, wisdom | Tagged | Leave a comment