Proverbs 13
Scripture – vs. 1 “Intelligent children listen to their parents; foolish children do their own thing.”
Vs. 13 “Ignore the Word and suffer; honour God’s commands and grow rich.”
Vs. 25 “An appetite for good brings much satisfaction, but the belly of the wicked always wants more.”
Observation – Too many wisdom sayings! How do I keep them in my head? The young Jewish students must have had some memorizing techniques. Anyway, I’ve chosen the first, middle and last verse of Proverbs 13 to look at today.
Sing-song contrasts. Each saying has two parts with contrasting cause & effects concepts.
· Causes… listen vs do their own thing, ignore the word vs honour commands, appetite for good vs belly of the wicked.
· Effects… Intelligence vs foolish, suffer vs grow rich, satisfaction vs wants more.
Practical. Each saying can be applied to everyday ordinary life. Wisdom is practiced in the small things as well as the large decisions.
Application – I don’t post witty sayings on Facebook, I struggle with church sign quotes, and I don’t display inspirational posters in my study. I’m skeptical that life is as simple as cause & effect actions. But is that what Proverbs are? Are they daily reminders of an intentional life of common sense and faithful obedience? I love reading Proverbs from the Bible, why don’t I like them when splashed on neon signs or framed on a wall?
I suppose if I want to find Proverbs outside of the Bible I want to read them in others lives and hopefully even my own. God help me.
Prayer – Lord of wisdom, help me to value common sense and to follow your Spiritual-sense that you have placed within each of us through Jesus.
Lloyd Letkeman
Lloyd is married to Carol and the two of them are Regional Mission Mobilizers – Prairie Region for Mennonite Bretheren Mission.