“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths.”
6 July 2012:
Proverbs 6: 10-11; 16 – 19; 32.
16 – 19 are warnings on what God hates and 19 is just vereeee deep! Pretty hectic! But my fave just has to be 10-11:
10: “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep –
11: “So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man”.
7 July 2012:
Well, this chapter pretty much just discussed an encounter with “The Crafty Harlot”, obviously very symbolic. But if I had to choose a verse, it would have to be:
Proverbs 7: 4
“Say to wisdom, ‘You’re my sister,’ And call understanding your nearest kin”.
Oh… there was a verse in Proverbs 6 that just kept resonating within me and though it had nothing to do with work or a changed being, I just had to draw your attention to it.
Proverbs 6: 32
“Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul”
Very powerful right?! Okay then! Moving on!
8 July 2012:
Proverbs 8: 13, 17 & 35
13: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate”.
17: “I love those who love me, And those who diligently seek me will find me”.
35: “For whoever finds me finds life. And obtains favor from the Lord.”
My interpretation of verse 17? When you are having serious issues, seek Him and He will lead you to a clear solution to the problem.
9 July 2012:
Proverbs 9:10
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”.
Ahhhhhhh…… so THAT was where they got it from! Ok great! Now I know!
10 July 2012:
Ok well… this Chapter was just completely profound with LOTS of advice. Short of dubbing the whole chapter, I struggled to select the notable verses because they all just made so much sense. BUT I chose:
Proverbs 10: 4, 13, 17, 19, 22 & 26.
4: “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hands of the diligent makes rich”.
13: “Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding”
17: “He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses instruction goes astray”
19: “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise”
22: “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it”
26: “As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him”.
Enough said! Don’t think I need to say more.
11 July 2012:
First HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my absolutely FAB mum!!! Wishing her lots of God’s guidance, blessings and FUN today & alwayz… 😀
Great! SO our proverbs for today:
Proverbs 11: 1, 24 – 26.
1: “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight”.
24 – 26:
24: “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.
25: “The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.”
26: “The people will curse him who withholds grain, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it”
12 July 2012:
This one also has a lot of notable verses but I struggled to keep it down to:
Proverbs 12: 1, 8, 11, 14, 18, 24 & 27.
On the subject of hard work & the benefits of heeding correction.
1: “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid”.
8: “Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant, Than he who honours himself but lacks bread.”
11: “He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding”
14: “A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him”.
24: “The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labour”
27: “The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession”.
13 July 2012:
On the importance of guarding your tongue, hard work & correction:
Proverbs 13: 3, 4, 11, 16, 18, 19a, 20 & 24
3: “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction”
4: “The soul of the lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.”
11: “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labour will increase”.
16: “Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool lays open his folly”
18: “Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honoured”
20: “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.”
But my absolute FAVE is: 19a
19a: “A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul” – YES! It sure is! 😀
14 July 2012:
Proverbs 14: 4, 6, 7, 12, 17, 21, 23, 26, 29, 30, 31 & 33
4: “Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.”
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.”
17: “A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated”
21: “He who despises his neighbour sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he”.
26: “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge”
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 who has mercy on the needy”.
33: Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, but what is in the heart of fools is made known”.
My FAVE:
23: “In all labour there is profit, But idle chatter only leads to poverty”
… so for those who like to gist and gossip during work hours…..
15 July 2012:
Proverbs 15: 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 27 & 32
1: “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger”
2: “The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness”
5: “A fool despises his father’s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent”.
7: “The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so”.
8: “Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die”
12: “A scoffer does not love one who will correct him, Nor will he go to the wise”
14: “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness”.
16: “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure with trouble”
19: “The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway”
31: “He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding”.
My FAVE?!
22: “Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counsellors they are established”
Also remember though that “too many cooks spoils the broth”. So clearly this has to be done with wisdom.
16 July 2012:
Proverbs 16: 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26 & 32.
Quite a lot right?! Ok you’ll understand why I’m spoilt for choice soon enough…
1: “The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord”
3: “Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established”
7: “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
8: “Better a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice”
9: “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps”
18- 19:
18: “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall”.
19: “Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
22: “Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly”.
25: “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death”.
26: “The person who labours, labours for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on”.
32: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city”
See?! Which one would you have picked huh?!
17 July 2012:
Proverbs 17: 5, 10, 12, 14, 18, 27 – 28.
This chapter and, in fact the subsequent ones made me burst into laughter at their description of “fools”… whoever they are… Enjoy the reference verses.
5: “He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished”
10: “Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool”.
12: “Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly”.
14: “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts”
18: “A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes surety for his friend”
And my absolute favorites on watching your tongue! 27 – 28:
27: “He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit”.
28: “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive”
The question now though is… “Who is a fool?!” What is the biblical definition of a fool? Clearly one who is devoid of understanding… I’m thinking… Or is it someone who has no clue how to hold his tongue?! Food for thought!
18 July 2012:
Proverbs 18: 6 – 7; 9, 10, 15, 17, 20 & 21
6: “A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows”
7: “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul”
9: “He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer”
10: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe”
15: “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge”
17: “The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him”
My absolute favorites on the power of the tongue:
20: “A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled”
21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit”.
Simply confess it, believe it and it will be yours! Tried, tested & trusted! Works every time!
19 July 2012:
Proverbs 19: 5, 11, 15 , 17, 21 & 24
5: “A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape”
8: “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression”
15: “Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger”.
17: “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given”
21: “There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel – that will stand”
My funniest verse in this Chapter:
“A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again”
Goodness! Can someone be that lazy?! Lol… (I know I know… it is not meant to be taken literally but still…)
20 July 2012:
Proverbs 20: 3-4, 5, 13, 17, 19, 21, 24 & 27
3: “It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel”
4: “The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing”
5: “Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out”
13: “Do not love sleep lest you come to poverty; Open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread”
17: “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel”
19: “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips”
21: “An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning Will not be blessed at the end”.
24: “A man’s steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?”
25: “The spirit of a man id the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart”.
21 July 2012:
Proverbs 21: 3, 4, 17, 23-25
3: “To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”
4: “A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin”.
17: “He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich”
23: “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles”.
24: “A proud and haughty man – ‘Scoffer’ is his name; He acts with arrogant pride”
25: “The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labour”
Well at least NOW we know who a scoffer is. “arrogant pride”… hmmnnn…
BUT! My absolute FAVE…
5: “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty”.
22 July 2012:
Proverbs 22: 1, 3, 13, & 15
1: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold”
3: “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished”
13: “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!” – (lol! I’ll hold my peace… Was about to make a funny remark on this one).
15: “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him”
My absolute FAVE: Verse 29:
29: “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men”.
23 July 2012:
Proverbs 23: 4-5; 9, 12-13, 17, 21, 23 & 29 – 35
I love verse 4:
“Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!”
5: “Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven”.
9: “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words”.
12: “Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge.”
13: “Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die”
17: “Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;”
21: “For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.”
23: “Buy the truth and do not sell it, Also wisdom, and instruction and understanding”
29 – 35 is pretty long but it is a serious warning to those who drink. It pretty much says stay away from drinking!
24 July 2012:
Proverbs 24: 6, 10, 23, 29 & 30 – 34
6: “For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
10: “If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small”. (Yup! You have to keep pushing on).
23: “These things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgement”
29: “Do not say: ‘I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work'”
30 – 34: Very key!
30: “I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;”
31: “And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down”
32: “When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:”
33: “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest;”
34: “So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man”.
My absolute FAVE!
25 July 2012:
Proverbs 25: 6-7, 8-10, 11-12, 14, 16, 17, 21-22, 28
On humility:
6: “Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great;
7: For it is better that he say to you, ‘Come up here,’ Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen”
On patience & wisdom:
8: “Do not go hastily to court; For what you will do in the end, When your neighbour has put you to shame?
9: Debate your case with your neighbour, And do not disclose the secret to another;
10: Lest he who hears it expose your shame, And your reputaiton be ruined”
On correction:
11: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver,
12: “Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear”
On boasting & greed:
14: “Whoever falsely boasts of giving Is like clouds and wind without rain”
16: “Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit”
On moderation:
17: “Seldom set foot in your neighbour’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you.”
On giving:
21: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22: For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you”
And my favourite:
28: “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls”
26 July 2012:
Proverbs 26: 14-16; 17, 20 & 27
14: “As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed.”
15: “The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.”
16: “The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly.”
17: “He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.”
20: “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.”
27: “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.”
27 July 2012:
Proverbs 27: 1, 2, 5, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23-27
1: “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth”
2: “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips”
5: “Open rebuke is better Than love carefully concealed”
14: “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him”. (Lol… this is pretty funny! All them people screaming “k’aro o ji’re” at like 5am in the morning – take note!)
17: “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend”
18: “Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit; So he who waits on his master will be honoured”.
19: “As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man”
21: “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is valued by what others say of him”
23: “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds;
24: “For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations.
25: “When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,
26: “The lambs will provide your clothing, And the goats the price of a field;
27: “You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food, For the food of your household, And the nourishment of your maidservants”
28 July 2012:
Proverbs 28: 9, 13, 19, 21, 23
9: “One who turns his ear away from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination”
13: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy”
21: “To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress”.
23: “He who rebukes a man will find more favour afterward Than he who flatters with the tongue” (Yes but please this does not mean you go around just “rebuking” anyone anyhow).
And my fave! Verse 19:
19: “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But h who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!
29 July 2012:
Proverbs 29: 11, 15, 17 & 20
First! A Happy Birthday to my sister!!! Wishing her lots of fun today and always… and of course lots of God’s guidance, blessings, wisdom and understanding always!
And then Proverbs…
15: “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother”
17: “Correct your son and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul”.
20: “Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” [:-(]
And my fave and perhaps most controversial at the same time:
11: “A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back”
Ok! So does this mean we have no right to express ourselves?! No! I think it is more a case of being slow to anger. But how about if not expressing yourself just really eats you up inside and the only way to let go is simply by venting all?! I know that is how I am able to cope with all the challenges around here, else bottling it all up means 1. You never get your work delivered by your vendors and 2. You just end up stressing and hurting yourself with all that pent up emotions. But then that’s just me! The Bible obviously holds more weight.
30 July 2012:
Proverbs 30: 5-6, 7-9; 15-16 & 24-28
5: “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him
6: “Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar”
15a: “The leech has two daughters, Give and Give!” (Lol! Nice one!)
15b: “There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, “Enough”:
16: “The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water – And the fire never says, ‘Enough’!”
24: “There are four things which are little on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise:
25: “The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26: “The rock badgers are a feeble folk, Yet they make their homes in the crags;
27: “The locusts have no king, Yet they advance in ranks;
28: “The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, And it is in kings’ palaces”.
And my absolute favourite which doubles as a prayer: Verses 7-9:
7: “Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die):
8: “Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches – Feed me with the food allotted to me;
9: “Lest I be full and deny You, And say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God”
31 July 2012:
Proverbs 31: 3-5, 9, 10, 25, 28 & 30-31
3: “Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings
4: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
5: “Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.”
9: “Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and the needy”
And for the women in our lives:
10: “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies”.
25: “Strength and honour are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come”
28: “Her children rise and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:”
And of course my fave… Verses 30 – 31:
30: “Charm and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31: “Give her the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates”.
Excellent! And that’s a wrap folks! THE perfect wrap to an excellent month and an excellent Book. It was a long one but I definitely learnt a lot, even more so now than the first time I read it.
Hope you all had a great month! Here’s wishing you a very pleasant month of August and the very best for the rest of the year!
Cheers!
