Proverbs 14: 10

The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy.

I once knew a man that almost committed suicide. He was college age and had partied until there was no party left in him. He was at the end. He was in his dorm room with his gun ready in hand. He looked down on his night stand and picked up a Gideon Bible. Right then and there, his heart broke and God brought him up and used him in a mighty way. He went on (and is still) a great youth worker. He's shared Christ with literally hundreds of teenagers. I just saw him a couple of months ago. He was driving a beat up car, and him and his wife were loading the trunk with something for some youth event.I watched from a distance a bit...remembering him as I first met him some 25 plus years ago. He's aged, but his countenance shows happiness.  I stopped him, told him who I was and gave him a hug for being such a man of God.

 This man's heart was at the most bitter, lowest of low spots it could be...but God was able to bring him up out of that mess to do great and mighty things!

God knows our heart like no one else. He knows our lowest lows and highest highs. I have something that  I say all the time to my children as people tend to judge me about my past. When I am in the midst of judgment, I just say to myself and my children, "God knows".  My heart is best left in His hands.

Perhaps for your quiet time today you can think of two times in your life---one being one of your lowest, most bitter, moments when you felt you just couldn't go on...and the other being a time when you felt so happy you just bubbled and couldn't contain it.

Thank God for both and share even if you would like.

--Tonya--

P.P. Hold up a week!

We have at least two more joining us, and maybe 4. We are taking a week off for them to catch up! Isn't this exciting?!

Keep walking that path fellow Pilgrims!

--Tonya--

Proverbs 14 : 7 - 9 I'm outa here!

Now, before you jump to a conclusion, I'm not leaving the study! These three verses just give us three examples of foolish things --- things to avoid. I'm not saying you have to jump on your horse and race away, so let's look at all three and see what they mean.

In verse 7, Solomon warns us to leave the company of foolish people: those who don't have "lips of knowledge," those who are foolish and deceive themselves, and those who think sin is a laughing matter.

First, a foolish person may have conversation that is not profitable nor edifying. (Eph. 4:29) If that person's words are corrupt, or a bad influence on us, then we need to leave that person's company.  We can ask gently and kindly that the person "clean up" their conversation, but if they will not, then sometimes the best witness we can be is to graciously leave their company.

Second, foolish people often deceive themselves. It is important for us to understand our "way" and Solomon means our course in life --- our pathway. It's been said in many hymns and songs that we are travelers, and so we need to avoid distractions like being critical of others, and being busybodies. We should  instead observe and avoid obstacles, and stay on our path. Foolish people think they are on the right path, but they deceive themselves, like the man who built his house on sand. Another who deceived himself was the man who gave no gratitude to God for his bumper crop, but congratulated himself on his prosperity and said he'd just build bigger barns.

Lastly, there are foolish people who make light of sin, and who mock Christians for their desire to avoid it. They rush into sin, they laugh about it, and encourage others to be wicked as well. In Isaiah it even says that they "call good evil, and evil good." (Is. 5:20)  The second part of the verse says "among the righteous there is favor" and I believe that means favor in two ways: the righteous have favor with God, because they repent and ask Him to forgive --- they have favor with man, because they try not to hurt or offend, and ask forgiveness when they do.

I think it's always good to be positive instead of negative, so personally, I think I'm going to strive to have good conversation, to pay attention to my pathway, and do my best to have favor with God and with the people around me! Whoa --- that's a tall order . . . I'm awfully glad the Holy Spirit is here to help me! How about you?

Proverbs 14 : 6 Scorners and Searchers

There are a lot of examples of scorners in the Bible, alongside the examples of wise, righteous men. Let's look at our verse for today:

"A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth."

What exactly is scorn? Webster gives us some synonyms: disdain, disrespect, derision, even mocking. Do you recall when Christ allowed himself to be taken prisoner, and came before Herod? Herod was really pleased that Pilate had sent Him over --- do you know why? Herod had heard of His miracles, and hoped that he would get to see one in person! When Jesus didn't comply, he showed his scorn and mocked Christ, and sent Him back to Pilate.

Nowadays, you may hear someone say something scornful. They may suggest that they will do or say a certain thing, if they see some sign that would be from God. Or they may ridicule portions of the Bible that they don't understand. They'll say that the verses can't possibly be true, or couldn't really have happened.

Solomon is saying here that a scorner will be unable to understand the things of God. Things in the Scripture can be very difficult for them, but for those who delight in the Word, and are willing to learn, and be enlightened, the same verses can be so very clear and plain to them. Jesus told us this in Matthew 13:11, when "He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." Now, if they repented of their attitudes and truly changed, and wanted to learn, they would be like the others Jesus spoke of: "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear."

When we don't understand the things that are divine, the course we should follow is to ask God to show us, and enlighten us. With prayer and study, the Scriptures will become plain to us, and be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

Proverbs 14 : 5 A breath of hot air

Here's our verse today . . .

"A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies."

This verse is so simple. It kinda conjures up old movies or television shows where the person on the witness stand is definitely lying -- come on, you know you've watched them! Earlier in the plot, you saw someone do something, and now here they are telling lies about it. But wait! The wily attorney saves the day by rooting out the truth, and exposing the lies. Justice is served, and happy endings are all around.

I thought it was interesting that "utter" in the verse has a root that means "to puff, or blow with the breath" . . . not just talk, or speak. Have you ever seen someone who is caught in a lie? They huff and puff, and get really defensive, and sometimes lie more just to cover up the first one! And a false witness is sometimes a person who is a habitual liar -- one to whom lying comes "as easy as breathing." As easy as exhaling, or blowing with the breath, according to Solomon.

I guess that's another good reason for us to heed Paul's instruction in Eph 4:25  "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another."

Proverbs 14 : 4 The principle of increasing returns

Translating that "accountant speak" above, I could say, "Giving just a little can get you a lot."

Here's the verse: "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean; but much increase is by the strength of the ox."

(Aren't they cute?)

Just as the parables spoken by Jesus made sense to his listeners, so this proverb would have made profound sense to Solomon's readers.

Here's why: Israel was primarily an agricultural society --- most of the people made their living from the crops they grew and the animals they raised. The word that is translated "crib" here could also be written as "manger" --- the feeding trough for the animals in the stable. A Hebrew farmer could relate to that, and to the fact that there was more to do than just load up the manger when the oxen were hungry, and clean it out so crud didn't grow in it after they ate. (Eww.)  That farmer would also know that other jobs must be done, like mucking out that stable (eww again) and perhaps using the dried manure for fuel, for applying to his fields, or selling it to another farmer. The oxen could also produce milk on occasion, and they were the heavy equipment of the day. When you wanted to thresh wheat, plow a field, or move a boulder, you yoked your team of oxen and got 'er done. So, in plain language, "if you don't have any oxen, you don't have to clean out the stable, but if you do have some, you can make some money and avoid starving."

Work a little, get back a lot.

Now, I think there's a pretty good lesson there for us. Let's think about it this way --- has anyone ever told you that if you are a Christian, you will be on easy street? Problems will fly out the window and money will fly in? Well, that's not what I heard, nor what I've experienced. How about you?

But, I have found that the more I work at it, trying to be like Christ would have me be, then the more I get. By working at it, I mean studying my Bible, confessing my sins, thanking Him for His blessings to me, and trying to help others. And what do I get? I think Paul said it pretty well.Check out the verses below, and see if you agree. And feel free to add something that you feel I left out, in a comment!

Colossians 1:13-14              Galatians 5:22

Proverbs 14 : 3 Okra and Hickory Switches

 "In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them."

When I began to study this verse, I looked in my Bible, and in some commentaries. I realized that there were two teachings that could come from this one verse.  Why? Well, the word "rod" in this verse means "twig" or "stem" but can also have the meaning of a "rod" that beats or (in the Olde English) smites someone.

Well, it stands to reason that you can't have a stem or twig without roots to support  and sustain it, right? I started thinking (of course, my hubby says that is dangerous, but hey, let's live dangerously) about my garden. This time of year, the okra has finally petered out, and it's time to pull it up and plow everything under until spring. That's all well and good, except that okra has some pretty strong roots! Some of those plants take every bit of strength that I have, to pull them up out of the ground.

That reminds me of a couple of verses that fit in right here . . . since this rod, or stem is pride, Prov 29:23 tells us that a man's pride will bring him low, and Heb 12:15 tells us about a root of bitterness that can spring up in our heart and needs to be uprooted. I'm thinking that both pride and bitterness can have some pretty strong roots, and just like the okra in my garden, can be very difficult to pull out! But, pull them out we must, or we'll not be able to conquer them.

The reason I added "hickory switches" to the title is for the second possible meaning of rod in this verse. Years ago, it was a common practice (a hateful one, but common) to break a hickory switch off and use it on an unruly or disobedient child. (Personally, I think that is way worse than Tonya's method she has told us about -- switches make welts! Someone told me once that he grabbed the switch from his mother's hand -- she didn't use those anymore after that.) There are a lot of verses that speak of a rod of correction, or instruction. I'm sure that you can probably call them to mind; I don't need to list them. The proud and foolish person, who uses his/her mouth in a prideful, arrogant way, will ultimately be corrected by their own words. They may also be corrected by others who they've hurt with their haughty words and attitude.

Well, either way you look at this verse, I don't think any of us want to emulate the proud or foolish person. We'd rather be like the wise person in the second half of the verse: to guard our lips and speech, and not fall into the traps of pride and arrogance. By using some discretion, or wisdom, we can avoid the pitfalls our mouths can get us in!