“A generous man will prosper, but he who refreshes others will himself by refreshed.” Vs 25

The concept seems almost counter-intuitive: give to receive.

Not plunder and defeat, not hoard your treasures like a greedy dragon, but to be generous.

Having been blessed by knowing many generous people, I have learned that generosity is not just a finance or money aspect.

I read and listened to a lot of fairy tales as a child, and the good and beautiful princess was generous in that she shared with others whether it was food or joy or love. She was helpful and kind. Generosity is being helpful and kind. It is sharing your blanket or jacket with someone who is cold. It is sharing your food with someone who is hungry. It is allowing a vehicle to turn and pull in front of us because we’re all stuck in the slow traffic and trying to get somewhere. Generosity is the gracious spirit of encouraging and refreshing someone who might not be having the best of days, because we all have had bad days in which a small blessing creates a big impact, even if it’s just a smile.

Perhaps you’ve noticed a slight change in the writing style with chapter 10. Chapter 10 through 22 is known for its “one-liners” for chapters.

There are a couple of poetry patterns with parallelisms to keep in mind as we seek to understand the wisdom in these generalities.

1. Synonymous: the 2^nd half of the proverb underscore and embellishes the message of the first half
2. Antithetical: part of the proverbs contrasts one thought with its opposite

There are so many excellent “one-liners” in these chapters, feel free to encourage others with which one speaks and encourages you today.

As I seek to have words that edify and uplift myself and others, I am drawn to vs 20-21 on my Proverbs journey.

“The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgement.”

I probably should add in vs 19 in that not all words should be spoken at all times with

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”

So my prayer today (and most days): May our words and actions bring glory to God. May our words be timely, rewarding, and nourishing. And may we have the wisdom to know the difference.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Vs 10

With this verse, it is important to remember that “fear of the Lord” does not mean terror or fright that something bad is going to happen. It is a respectful and reverent relationship with God.

The aspect of my relationship with God, my relationship with wisdom and knowledge, my pursuit in reading Proverbs and the Bible, reminds me that each day adds to itself. Each chapter, each task, each bit of understanding, adds to itself as the days progress. These things are not cram sessions that happen overnight. They require patience and day to day consistency.

Much like writing a book or a blog, much like acquiring an education, or keeping a home clean, or watching a child grow, or caring for a garden, or developing a healthy relationship with a spouse, parent, sibling, or friend.

The older I become, the more my goals become more long term and habitual. These goals require patience and consistency. They are not accomplished in big swoops like a race or a sprint, but persistent little steps that keep trudging along.

And in this How-To book of Proverbs and life, I find it so important and comforting to remember that none of this wise living…not a single step…is taken without God…the same God in the beginning as in the end, and every step in between.

Throughout Proverbs are three types of problem people:

1. The Simple
2. The Fools
3. The Mockers

What do these mean and what are the differences?

1. The Simple live without much thought, and they are too lazy to change.
2. The Fools are smarter than The Simple, but they have made a conscious decision to live by their own wits, independent of God and of advice.
3. The Mockers rebel against God and make their prideful position known to everyone.

If we think about these as people we’ve tried to help:

1. The Simple is the person who isn’t even aware of a problem. Even if we tell them there is a problem…even if we give them the resources and assistance to address the problem…they simply shrug and say “I just don’t feel like it.” They don’t care enough to take help, and they don’t care enough to change anything even for their own good.
2. The Fool is the person who we can give all the advice, resources, and aid in the world, but they don’t want help. By their perspective, they are smarter and wiser than anyone. Their way is the best way, and they don’t want to hear otherwise. They do not want to admit that they might be mistaken or that another way might be better.
3. The Mocker is the person who we don’t even want to help because even suggesting help will only end in heartache and headache. Like The Fool, their way is the best way in their perspective. However, further than the fool, this is the type of person that will go out of their way to belittle and degrade the poor soul who even tried to help this person just to prove how “right” they are.

I wish I could say I’ve never been any of these people at any time in my life, but if I am painfully honest with myself, I know that is not true. I have been too lazy to address a problem or change. I have been too smart for my own good. And I have been that jerk who treated someone else poorly because I didn’t agree with them (and they ended up being right after all).

I have yet to meet a person who survived childhood and adolescence without being one or all of these at some point.

My hope and my encouragement is that we learn to recognize these attitudes within ourselves, and then quickly give ourselves a major attitude adjustment.

I also hope that we may heed Proverb’s advice and be very careful around these attitudes in other people so that we are not poorly influenced and slip back into the same attitude ourselves.

May you be blessed and may God bless you with kindness, discernment, and mercy.

My focus is brought to the words of wisdom and their gifts in this chapter.

The Simple gain prudence from wisdom. Prudence is careful good judgement that allows someone to avoid danger or risks. We also call this common sense, which is sadly not as common as we would like it to be. Wisdom and prudence help The Simple to be aware and think about their actions and thoughts.

The Foolish gain understanding which helps expand their knowledge base to realize that there are possible better and wiser ways and paths. They learn to not be limited to just their own knowledge base, but to observe, learn, and understand others.

Please check out The Three Problem People of Proverbs to better understand the difficulty with The Simple and The Foolish and how these gifts of wisdom help these qualities to learn and grow.

May you be blessed as the words of wisdom are right, true, and just. They are not wicked, crooked, or perverse. May our words reflect wisdom and not their opposites.

Keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. (Verses 1-3)

The apple of the eye is also known as the pupil or center of the eye. When we look at the back of the eye, the center of the retina maintains a ratio of sight receptors (rods and cones) for increased acuity for the center of vision and decreased acuity for peripheral vision (this is why we can see movement in our side vision, but not necessarily have well defined details). The apple of the eye is to be the center and focus of the vision. It is our goal, our aim, and the fine detail of attention.

Also, if we think about our body’s adaptation to protect the eyes, we see that our whole body is tuned to protect the pupil from harm. Our eyelids reflexively close to protect the pupil when something comes too quickly towards our face. Our tear ducts bathe the eye in fluid to cleanse the eye and decrease irritation. Our nerves measure and gauge the pressure in the eye.

If wisdom is to be the center of our attention, the apple of our eye, we should use as much care to protect wisdom’s teachings as our body’s care to protect our eyes.

May we focus on these teachings, and may we be careful to follow/apply them in our lives. And may we be reminded to do so every time we blink as something flies towards our face and as we tear up with seasonal allergies or cutting onions.

My attention for today was brought to verses 16-19, the 6 things the Lord hates and 7 that are detestable to Him. As I prayed and pondered on these verses, my brain and hand listed a little chart to help see the connection of what is not good and pleasing, why these particular things make this list, and what we ought to be/aspire to be.

Perhaps these things spoke to you in a different way. Please share your encouragement and wisdom below.

Verse 21 states that our ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all of our paths. If the Lord examines our ways and our paths, we should also be mindful and reflective of ourselves along this journey.

The next two verses discuss that the evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.

Often (and recently), I find myself getting stuck by poor choices and lack of discipline. As I reflect on my own folly, I find that I really struggle with procrastination…even though I know it makes life more difficult (and stressful and panicky). I know I should just do what I need to do and be done with it; however, my poorer set of coping skills tend to lack discipline and want to finish a more enjoyable or even a more quickly rewarding task than the task I really need to do.

I am still seeking the wisdom in learning not to procrastinate in the hopes of having better time management and less stress, but I share this with you to encourage you to be aware of where you struggle so that you can be humbled and able to better work with that struggle. And be blessed that God is watching as he is with us always, in our coming and going, in our waking and sleeping. May God guide, guard, and direct us.

As we read about wisdom and are learning the need for obtaining wisdom, verse 7 tells us that the beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

This is a very active statement. Wisdom may come to us, but we also need to be actively pursuing wisdom. This speaks to me in that often times, I feel unready to start a pursuit, and tend to procrastinate as I wait for the perfect time or mind frame or whatever else I think I need to obtain prior to pursuing the very basic aspect of life and well-being.

Wisdom is a very basic aspect of life and well-being. Verse 11-12 explain the way of wisdom that leads us along straight paths. When we walk, our steps will note be hampered and when we run, we will not stumble.

We might not be able to start as strong and swift as we eventually want to be, but we all start somewhere with the first step: starting.

I love the third chapter of Proverbs! There are some of the health benefits of wisdom with longevity, peace, success, and even good sleep! Verses 3-6 hold a special place in my heart as they are inscribed on my husband’s wedding ring.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.

Perhaps because I was thinking of my husband…perhaps because I recently turned 30, but I was reminded of my husband’s longtime question of what Jesus did between that gap in his life of 12 in the temple to 30 when he started his ministry…especially since most of our memories so far have been in those formative years of 12 to 30 years old.

The answer: Luke 2:52

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

May this chapter also bless you!