In The Word
Read: Proverbs 19:1-20:13
On Life and Conduct
19 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
Than a person who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And one who hurries his footsteps errs.
3 The foolishness of a person ruins his way,
And his heart rages against the Lord.
4 Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor person is separated from his friend.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who declares lies will not escape.
6 Many will seek the favor of a generous person,
And every person is a friend to him who gives gifts.
7 All the brothers of a poor person hate him;
How much more do his friends abandon him!
He pursues them with words, but they are gone.
8 One who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
One who keeps understanding will find good.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who declares lies will perish.
10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a slave to rule over princes.
11 A person’s discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the quarrels of a wife are a constant dripping.
14 House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And a lazy person will suffer hunger.
16 One who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But one who is careless of conduct will die.
17 One who is gracious to a poor person lends to the Lord,
And He will repay him for his good deed.
18 Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire his death.
19 A person of great anger will suffer the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
So that you may be wise the rest of your days.
21 Many plans are in a person’s heart,
But the advice of the Lord will stand.
22 What is desirable in a person is his kindness,
And it is better to be a poor person than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life,
So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.
24 The lazy one buries his hand in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 Strike a scoffer and the naive may become clever,
But rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 He who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.
27 Stop listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked swallows wrongdoing.
29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And beatings for the backs of fools.
On Life and Conduct
20 Wine is a mocker, intoxicating drink a brawler,
And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.
2 The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
One who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
3 Avoiding strife is an honor for a person,
But any fool will quarrel.
4 The lazy one does not plow after the autumn,
So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.
5 A plan in the heart of a person is like deep water,
But a person of understanding draws it out.
6 Many a person proclaims his own loyalty,
But who can find a trustworthy person?
7 A righteous person who walks in his integrity—
How blessed are his sons after him.
8 A king who sits on the throne of justice
Disperses all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart,
I am pure from my sin”?
10 Differing weights and differing measures,
Both of them are abominable to the Lord.
11 It is by his deeds that a boy distinguishes himself,
If his conduct is pure and right.
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The Lord has made both of them.
13 Do not love sleep, or you will become poor;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Our reading today addresses the character of an individual. I’ll never forget the time I decided I would run for public office. I was young and had this idea that I could make a difference; but with no prior experience, money, or name-recognition, no one gave me much of a chance to win. To everyone’s surprise though, I made the run-off and with that came money and help. I remember the party I was affiliated with was so excited they sent a campaign manager who could help me since I couldn’t afford one in the beginning. At our first meeting we got to know one another; he asked about my past and then asked a question I had never thought of, or considered, something I had taken for granted all my life. He asked, “I notice you are not Senior, or Junior, but the Third. Is there anything in your family history that would be an embarrassment? You have the same name.” At that moment I understood how important a good name is, and what type of name I wanted to leave my children.
Proverbs 20:7 says, “A righteous man who walks in his integrity, How blessed are his sons after him.” Have you ever considered the decisions you make and how they will effect generations to come? Sometimes we make choices for short-term gain not realizing the impact they could have on our children’s futures. Life is hard enough without our children bearing the identity of someone who gave away their integrity. Though I didn’t win that election, at least I was able to run! My family had left a legacy to be proud of! Will you?