Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

1 The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD,

But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.

3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,

But the lips of the wise will preserve them.

4 Where no oxen are, the trough is clean;

But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.

5 A faithful witness does not lie,

But a false witness will utter lies.

6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,

But knowledge is easy to him who understands.

7 Go from the presence of a foolish man,

When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,

But the folly of fools is deceit.

9 Fools mock at sin,

But among the upright there is favor.

10 The heart knows its own bitterness,

And a stranger does not share its joy.

11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown,

But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12 There is a way that seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death.

13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,

And the end of mirth may be grief.

14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways,

But a good man will be satisfied from above.

15 The simple believes every word,

But the prudent considers well his steps.

16 A wise man fears and departs from evil,

But a fool rages and is self-confident.

17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,

And a man of wicked intentions is hated.

18 The simple inherit folly,

But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

19 The evil will bow before the good,

And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20 The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,

But the rich has many friends.

21 He who despises his neighbor sins;

But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?

But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

23 In all labor there is profit,

But idle chatterleads only to poverty.

24 The crown of the wise is their riches,

But the foolishness of fools is folly.

25 A true witness delivers souls,

But a deceitful witness speaks lies.

26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,

And His children will have a place of refuge.

27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,

To turn one away from the snares of death.

28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,

But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.

29 He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,

But he who is impulsive exalts folly.

30 A sound heart is life to the body,

But envy is rottenness to the bones.

31 He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,

But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness,

But the righteous has a refuge in his death.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,

But what is in the heart of fools is made known.

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,

But sin is a reproach to any people.

35 The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,

But his wrath is against him who causes shame.

1. So let’s start with (v. 12) we read “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death”
   1.    To many times we see a choice and ask ourselves weather we see any fallout from our choice. But the problem is we should be asking ourselves if our action will honor God. We seem to choose our action based on what seems to be the right choice but forget to stop and pray and ask Christ for strength and wisdom in all matters.
2. In (v. 19) we read “The evil will bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous”
   1. I see this verse as insight to the Day of Judgment when all men that are found wicked will bow down at the feet of Christ. They will testify that He is the king of kings and will acknowledge punishment as just (Rev. 20:9).
3. And we will finish today with (v.34) “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people”
   1.    I like how Ellen White addresses this issue in her book (Education p. 175) “In the word of God only is this clearly set forth. Here it is shown that the strength of nations, as of individuals, is not found in the opportunities or facilities that appear to make them invincible; it is not found in their boasted greatness. It is measured by the fidelity with which they fulfill God’s purpose.”

 

Thought of the Day

“It’s better to be right than popular”

When the crowd is running the wrong way, it’s hard to be the oddball who runs the right way. Most of the participants in the NCAA 10,000-meter cross-country race in Riverside, California, thought Mike Delcavo was heading the wrong way. He kept waving for the other 127 runners to follow him, but only 4 believed he had taken the right turn–the turn that all the other competitors had missed.

When he was asked about the reaction to his mid-course decision not to let the crowd determine his direction, Mike responded, “They thought it was funny that I went the right way.”

First-century pagans reacted the same way to the changed lifestyle of their Christian neighbors. The apostle Peter said, “They think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you” (1 Pet. 4:4). Non-Christians still think that followers of Jesus Christ are going in the wrong direction. But actually, believers are headed for the victor’s crown and a heavenly home (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

The route that non-Christians choose may seem right to them, but it leads to eternal loss. Keep on the right path, no matter how many are running the other way.

The path we’re on determines our

Eternal destination;

One leads to everlasting life,

The other, condemnation. –Sper

Personal Reflection and Discussion

1. What do you think (v. 24) is saying?
2. What other things do you see in the text?

Prayer Activities

1. Call your Partner and discuss this devotional.
2. Continue to have a prayer list and continue to praying for them.
3. Pray with them and ask for the following;
   1. For God to help us understand what is right and wrong.
   2. For God to help us see truth behind our intentions.
   3. For the individuals on your pray list.
4. Let’s use (Luke 14:15) for today’s prayer verse.