This month is flying by - it is already the last week of January.
If you look at today's chapter you will notice that the first 16 verses have to do with admonishments concerning the foolish. I looked up the word fool in Webster's dictionary and he said a fool is a person lacking in judgment. And to be foolish is someone marked by a loss of composure. As you read these verses you certainly don't say to yourself "I wish I was foolish". In fact, you find yourself say "I hope I'm not foolish". Often, in Proverbs, a fool and a lazy person is one and the same.
Vs 11 and 13 describe both - The fool returns to his mistakes/foolishness/sin like a dog returns to his vomit (now that is a picture!!!). And the lazy person convinces himself there is danger (a lion in the road) just so he doesn't have to get out of his house. When I read these descriptions I hate to admit it, but I do see myself - at times - displaying some of these thoughts and actions. But when you hear them put like this, it makes you want to change and not do those things again. But I must admit, these verses are not just written to those "terrible sinners" but include all of us at one time or another. That's why it is important to read these chapters over and over again. At some time it will begin to sink into your head and heart and bring change!!!
The next verses and even into the 5th verse of chapter 27 deal with wisdom in Verbal Communication. A lot of Proverbs is on the tongue and our speech!! We must need it!!! I know I do.
One that always strikes me is verses 18 & 19 - it is like we are shooting a deadly weapon at a friend when we crack a joke at them or lie about them and then say "I was only kidding"! This kind of thing tends to make us look good - when we joke about other and make people laugh at them - but it is as if we are trying to kill them - their spirit.
Lord forgive me for the hurtful things I have said in a joking manner - trying to be funny or liked by others. Make me think before I speak and aware that my words can "kill".
What spoke to you today as you read this chapter???
2 comments:
The verses that spoke to me were verses 20&22 ..."When you run out of wood, the fire goes out; when the gossip ends, the quarrel dies down." Having done some camping in my lifetime and having built campfires and having a wood-burning fireplace, I know that one way to put fire out is to stop throwing logs on the fire! Another is to pull the burning logs apart so they stop "feeding" each other. How many quarrels could have ended sooner if gossip had stopped being thrown on the "fire" or we had separated ourselves from the "burning logs" (gossip)? Sometimes we think that hearing gossip won't affect us. But gossip will taint the way we view a situation or a person. Gossip is a weed seed that will need to be pulled up from the garden of God's Word in our hearts.
vs. 22, "Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you want junk like that in your belly?" A belly full of candy, cheap or not (except Dove dark chocolate!!! JK), does not promote healthy growth in us! It will produce growth ... unwanted pounds on our hips or around our middle, as well as health issues. If we want to be physically healthy, we need to eat foods containing nutrients our bodies need. So, too, if we want to be spiritually healthy, we need to put good food (God's Word) into our soul (our mind, will & emotions) and our spirit man. Just as we cannot escape injury if we touch fire, we cannot go unpoisoned by gossip.
What you posted, Pastor Susan, about verses 18 & 19, about speaking about people in a joking manner - that is something i have been working on not doing for a long time, it seems! constantly asking God to guard my tongue and alter my sense of humor!
I like the verse about eating pie. Yum. Confirmation as i read it this afternoon that the little Hostess fruit pie i bought at the gas station this morning is ok?!!! haha just kidding ... verse 15: "A shiftless sluggard puts his fork in the pie but is too lazy to lift it to his mouth." I have no problem putting the forkful of pie in my mouth (reason for buying new pants at Target the other night). BUT (no pun intended), i know there are other things - like spiritual food, for instance - that are right before me, that are not difficult to ingest... but i don't always get them in my spirit b/c i'm lazy or have excuses. Lord, please forgive me and thank You for always having Your nourishing table set before me.
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