In The Word
Read: Proverbs 15:24-16:33
24 The path of life leads upward for the wise,
So that he may keep away from Sheol below.
25 The Lord will tear down the house of the proud,
But He will set the boundary of the widow.
26 Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,
But pleasant words are pure.
27 He who profits illicitly troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 Bright eyes gladden the heart;
Good news refreshes the bones.
31 One whose ear listens to a life-giving rebuke
Will stay among the wise.
32 One who neglects discipline rejects himself,
But one who listens to a rebuke acquires understanding.
33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,
And before honor comes humility.
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
16 The plans of the heart belong to a person,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord examines the motives.
3 Commit your works to the Lord,
And your plans will be established.
4 The Lord has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Be assured, he will not go unpunished.
6 By mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing,
And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
7 When a person’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,
He causes even his enemies to make peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.
9 The mind of a person plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
10 A divine verdict is on the lips of the king;
His mouth should not err in judgment.
11 A just balance and scales belong to the Lord;
All the weights of the bag are His concern.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,
Because a throne is established on righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And one who speaks right is loved.
14 The fury of a king is like messengers of death;
But a wise person will appease it.
15 In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.
16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
17 The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;
One who watches his way protects his life.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the needy
Than to divide the spoils with the proud.
20 One who pays attention to the word will find good,
And blessed is one who trusts in the Lord.
21 The wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
22 Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it,
But the discipline of fools is foolishness.
23 The heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
25 There is a way which seems right to a person,
But its end is the way of death.
26 A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his hunger urges him on.
27 A worthless person digs up evil,
While his words are like scorching fire.
28 A perverse person spreads strife,
And a slanderer separates close friends.
29 A person of violence entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.
31 A gray head is a crown of glory;
It is found in the way of righteousness.
32 One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In Proverbs 16:1-9, we begin to understand that in all man’s plans and preparations he is only advancing God’s plans and design. Verse 1 states “the plans of a man”; and, in verse 9, “the mind of man plans” makes man believe he is in control, but both are answered, “The Lord answers and directs.” Proverbs 16:33 reads, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” I’m glad to know that God has this world on His schedule, in His plans, and in His decisions!
We have two choices: we can commit our works and plans to the Lord to be established (Proverbs 16:3), or we can be proud of heart, setting store by our own plans which are an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 16:5). The proud man is listed as one of seven abominations, listed by the Lord in Proverbs 6:17; the proud man is assured judgment. In Proverbs 16:18, it says, “Pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” We need to evaluate our plans and ways. Proverbs 16:2 says, “All the ways of man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives.” That’s the proud part: “all the ways of a man”; not some ways, all of them! Have you ever stopped and weighed decisions based on your motives? Would this action bring men’s approval? Would it make you look better than everyone else? I choose to commit my plans to the Lord because, as we see in Proverbs 16:7, when these plans are pleasing to God, He makes even our enemies to be at peace with us. I choose peace!