Day 21
Proverbs 14:1-17
Pr verbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands. 2 Those who walk uprightly fear the Lord, but one who is devious in conduct despises him. 3 The talk of fools is a rod for their backs, but the lips of the wise preserve them. 4 Where there are no oxen, there is no grain; abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. 5 A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. 6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for one who understands. 7 Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not find words of knowledge. 8 It is the wisdom of the clever to understand where they go, but the folly of fools misleads. 9 Fools mock at the guilt offering,
Where wisdom and life intersect…….
Week 5
but the upright enjoy God’s favor. 10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. 11 The house of the wicked is destroyed, but the tent of the upright flourishes. 12 There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. 13 Even in laughter the heart is sad, and the end of joy is grief. 14 The perverse get what their ways deserve, and the good, what their deeds deserve. 15 The simple believe everything, but the clever consider their steps. 16 The wise are cautious and turn away from evil, but the fool throws off restraint and is careless. 17 One who is quick-tempered acts foolishly, and the schemer is hated.
Ready: Prepare your heart for today’s passage by asking God to show you how to build your house with wisdom. Read: FOOL: a person who lacks judgment, common sense or understanding. Read today’s verses focusing on wisdom and foolishness. V. 1 “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” V. 3 “The talk of fools is a rod for their backs, but the lips of the wise preserve them.” V. 7 “Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not find words of knowledge.” V. 8 “It is the wisdom of the clever to understand where they go, but the folly of fools misleads. V. 9 “Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy God’s favor.” V. 16 “The wise are cautious and turn away from evil, but the fool throws off restraint and is careless.” Reflect: Proverbs speaks often about heart. In this chapter the wise sage is speaking about the heart’s pain. V. 10 “The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.” V. 13 “Even in laughter the heart is sad, and the end of joy is grief.” To the outside observer the heart can hide it’s pain and appear joyful, but sooner or later the grief and pain will have to be faced, and it will manifest. “Sorrow forms the unchanging background of the occasional, distracting moments of merriment. Life begins with a baby’s cry of discomfort and dissatisfaction; it ends in a dying gasp and grief. In the interim laughter is tinctured with heartache and in the end sorrow follows hard on the heels of joy. ‘Since humans die, joy inevitably ends in grief.” Bruce Waltke, A part of wisdom is understanding the heart and grief. No one gets through this life with our heartache, and loss. Reflect on what wisdom has been teaching you about your heart in terms of grief. Repent: FOLLY: a foolish idea or act. V. 8 “It is the wisdom of the clever to understand where they go, but the folly of fools misleads”. Repent for acts and ideas of folly. Especially repent of those acts of folly where you have misled others. PERVERSE: a deliberate and obstinate desire to sin often in spite of the consequences. V. 14 “The perverse get what their ways deserve, and the good, what their deeds deserve.” Our deeds are met with the reward that they deserve. Repent of any deliberate sin. SIMPLE: having or showing very little intelligence or judgment. V. 15 “The simple believe everything, but the clever consider their steps.”Repent of being simple minded and not using evaluation and discernment. QUICK TEMPERED: easily made angry, volatile. V. 17 “One who is quick-tempered acts foolishly, and the schemer is hated.” Repent of times when a quick temper led you to act foolishly. Rejoice: “A faithful witness does not lie.” Meditate on this truth from v. 5. Proverbs has been a faithful witness to you over these past few weeks. Thank God for what He has been teaching you about wisdom and life through your study.