Category: proverbs
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Shame and Joy
7The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.–Proverbs 28 It almost seems impossible that Jesus didn’t have this proverb on his mind when he gave his famous parable about the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Let’s use that passage to illustrate. A father had…
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Three Sharpeners
17Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.–Proverbs 27 I am no blacksmith, nor am I a chemist, so I will not pretend to be able to dispense key metallurgical wisdom about this process. I do however want to apply the metaphor to some key wisdom for your life. 1. Have a 3AM friend. Nothing…
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A Fool and a Rebuke
10A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.–Proverbs 17 This proverb is almost comical in its absurdity. But it serves to highlight the foolishness of the fool and the sense of the wise. How foolish must that fool be? My goodness! And that’s the point. A rebuke…
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Basic Sovereignty
33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.–Proverbs 16 They cast a lot, or a type of dice, back in the day to secure answers to questions. I grew up hearing things like, “Heads, we do this. Tails, we do that.” Same principle. But this verse is a…
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Intentional Speech
28The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.–Proverbs 15 I played a season on my college’s improv team. I was encouraged by friends who were current team players to try out, and I had just enough Chris Farley-esque physical comedy skills to make an…
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The Great Balance
29Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.–Proverbs 14 Like many proverbs, here there is one of those playground things I grew up calling a “teeter-totter”. One one side is slowness to anger with his friend understanding. On the other side is a hasty temper and…
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What Do You Pursue?
6Leave your simple ways, and live,and walk in the way of insight.”–Proverbs 9 In the book of Proverbs, you are heeding the call of one of two ‘women’–Lady Wisdom or Madam Folly. Those of us who follow Jesus already understand these. But, frankly, every person is a disciple of another. In some way or fashion.…
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How a Cheesecake Taught Me Discipline
5O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.–Proverbs 8 Four categories here. 1. The word simple is othertimes translated naive. 2. Prudence means using the mind to discipline life. 3. The word fool is othertimes translated stupid. 4. Sense is literally the Hebrew ‘understanding of heart.’ So the ones who are living the undisciplined…
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Be Attentive
24And now, O sons, listen to me,and be attentive to the words of my mouth.25Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;do not stray into her paths…–Proverbs 7 My thoughts: Another sexual chapter. This time the married woman is pursuing the man. Adultery is still wrong. Sin is still sin. And once again, the…
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Lessons from a Cave
23For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life…–Proverbs 6 I have journeyed in the Mark Twain caves in Hannibal, MO. I could not even imagine how dark and scary they would be without light tracks running the walls. They were a great…
Joel M Bradshaw 