Prov 18:7
A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

Matt 12:36
But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

We must be careful, not only in what we do but also in what we say. When we squeeze out toothpaste from the tube, it is almost impossible to put it back, so are our careless words. We may be able to apologize for those careless words, but we can’t put them back in our mouth.

Prov 17:28
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” Mark Twain.

Ponder this verse for the day.
 

Prov 16:24
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Prov 20:25
It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.
Too bad Jephthah didn’t have knowledge of this proverb when he made his rash promise.

Judg 11:31-32
whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands.

Judg 11:34-35
When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break."

The following proverb is a great companion piece to the admonition for parents in Deuteronomy.
Prov 6:20-23
My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,

Deut 6:6-9
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Do we take to heart these Scriptures? Do we impress them on our children? Do we bind them on our heart? Do His words guide us? Are His words so much a part of our lives that they guide us even when we sleep?

Prov 12:25
An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.

Often carrying a burden will weigh down a person. We have an obligation as Christians to cheer up that person. We can do this in many ways; a kind word, a telephone call, a card in the mail, an email message, a hug, a pat on the back, a favorite Bible verse, etc.

Is there someone you need to cheer up today?
 

Prov 3:9-10
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

What a great promise for us. If we honor God with our wealth we will benefit from His good promises. He doesn’t want our leftovers.

He wants our best.

After all He gave us His best!

Prov 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

What a great plan God has for us. We learn from each other. Two strong believers together get better. Can't think of a better reason to be in Bible study with fellow believers.

What great promises for the righteous! Their roots are deep. They can weather the storms of life. In addition, our salvation secures our eternal home forever.

Prov 10:30a
The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

Prov 12:3
A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

Prov 12:7
Wicked men are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm.

Prov 12:12
The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes.

Prov 10:25
When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

The Hebrew word for stand is "amad" and means "to remain, endure, be secure". The Hebrew word for firm is "kuwn" and it means "established, unmoving, steadfast, enduring". It seems as if the two words mean nearly the same thing. And then when you add the word forever to it, it's very clear that the righteous will remain and endure for all eternity. What a great promise!

Prov 22:17-18
Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.
If only we would have words of wisdom ready to witness to everyone we meet.

Prov 1:5-6
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
Even though we are wise (which means we have salvation through Jesus - see yesterday's blog entry) we must continue to keep seeking after our understanding and knowledge of Him. We can do this through His Word.

Prov 10:27
The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
If we live our lives in awe of the Lord, we want to obey His commands. When we obey His commands, we are living wisely. As a result we will not abuse our bodies; we will eat properly, stay away from harmful substances, and get plenty of exercise and rest. This can result in living a longer and healthier life.

Prov 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
How about starting each day with these words, "Lord, here's today. What would you have me do?"

Prov 17:24
A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
Substitute "salvation through Jesus" in place of "wisdom". We keep Jesus in view. We keep our eyes on the prize. (1 Cor 9:24) We don't let our eyes wander to the left or to the right, but keep our focus on Him. (Deut 28:14)

Prov 24:3-4
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
Again substitute "salvation through Jesus" in place of "wisdom".

1 Cor 3:11
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the foundation. We build on that foundation. We fill the rooms with rare and beautiful treasures by what kingdom work we do for Him.

1 Cor 3:12-15
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
What rare and beautiful treasures have we, as Believers, filled the rooms with lately???

Oh Boy! Where to begin??? Proverbs 8 - even if you’ve read it before, we urge you to read it again! 

Wisdom – “where the paths meet, she takes her stand.”

Many paths meet; truth and falsehood, evolution and creation, moral and immoral, righteousness and foolishness, godly living and worldly living, prudence and folly, bad decisions and good decisions, etc.

Wisdom is the distinguishing factor as to which path we take. Only wisdom that comes from God gives us the ability to judge which is the right path. 

Wisdom is the first of God’s creation. It is with wisdom that everything was created. Seems as if wisdom and Jesus go hand in hand.

Prov 8:22-23
"The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.

Prov 8:30-31
Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

Prov 3:19
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;

Read Proverbs 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 9 substituting the following for wisdom.
Wisdom is "knowledge of Jesus as personal Lord and Savior (salvation, redemption)".

Here is our summary of those verses in Proverbs, substituting Jesus for wisdom: Jesus calls out. Jesus takes a stand. Jesus is more precious than rubies. Nothing can compare to Jesus. Jesus is the craftsman. Jesus will enter your heart. Jesus will save you from the ways of wicked men. Blessed is the man who finds Jesus. Jesus is a tree of life. By Jesus the Lord laid the earth’s foundations. Jesus calls aloud in the street. Get Jesus. Do not forsake Jesus. Jesus is supreme. AMEN and AMEN! 

Now contrast wisdom and folly using Jesus in place of wisdom and Satan in place of folly. Paints quite a picture doesn't it?

Solomon was given much more than just a discerning heart. He was very familiar with a multitude of scientific information. He knew lots of "stuff".

Notice how many daily provisions were required for Solomon and his table. 30 head of cattle among many other things. 

Many believe that the Queen of Sheba took back much more than just monetary gifts from King Solomon. A few months after her return to her home she gave birth to a son.

2 Chr 9:12
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.


Psalm 72 ends today's reading very well with:
Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.

Imagine what our earth would be like if it were filled with His glory! It begins with the Believers being filled with His glory - His Holy Spirit.