13:3 - Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. There is something about holding your tongue that is powerful. It seems like any time I get in a spot where I am frustrated there is this overwhelming urge to just say what I think and tell them the whole thing. It feels like being honest. Even when the time is right it seems like speaking with consideration and not letting the full thought come out at once is beneficial. Pacing the content of what you have to say is incredibly helpful in being hear by others.
13:4 - A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. I have to remember this promise. There are many times I feel like I am working like a dog and I wonder if it is worth it, but God had promised that those who work hard will be satisfied by the outcome of that work. Many of us are doing things that take us to the very limit of who we are and what we think we can handle. We get pressed, but not crushed. Compressed, but not destroyed. We need to remember in those moments that God has made a promise that we will be satisfied at the outcome of our great efforts.
13:10 - Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. The first part of this verse really stuck out to me. Anywhere there is strife or fighting there is pride. Fighting cannot exist without pride from at least one source. The next time you get in a fight look at your heart and see where you are trying to be right or trying to be better or trying to control something. Those are all aspects of pride.
13:11b - ...whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. Get rich quick schemes do not end up helping anyone. Consistency is generally more effective than one big clump. When it comes to finances, we would do well to put some back little by little over time rather than trying to save (or fix) everything all at once. Some people save too much at once and miss the opportunities God has for them and others don't save anything and then try to do it all at once.
13:12 - Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
13:24 - careful to discipline - We are reminded that it isn't discipline that saves the child, but careful discipline. There is a HUGE difference.
14:4 - Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests. - If you aren't sure what this verse is talking about, insert the word worker where oxen is. It means that where no one is present to work and harvest and do the dirty jobs that need doing, you will not prosper. Whether it is the bank account or the number of people in church or LIFE Group or at a certain team meeting, no workers means no harvest.
14:6 - The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. - I need to figure out how to live better so that knowledge comes easier.
14:9a - Fools mock at making amends for sin, - You no this to be true if you have ever gone up to someone and apologized to them and they look at you like you are some kind of weirdo. Of, if you have told a friend or coworker that you need to apologize to someone and they tell you to forget about it, that it will only make things worse. God has taught throughout the Scriptures that seeking to fix the wrongs we create with each other is wise and it honors Him. So what of the world looks at us like we are foreigners and strangers - that's what we are any way.
14:10 - Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. I have seen the truth of this in people who have lost loved ones, combat vets who come home torn up inside, those who have gone through a traumatic time at work. We can offer a certain amount of compassion, but we have to be careful when we say "I know exactly what you are going through." We don't. We can say, "I went through something similar." but each heart knows its own grief and so we would do better to hear them, share our story and then ask them how we can help them.
14:23 - All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. - But talk is easier than hard work, isn't it? It is easier to plan than to do. It is easier to discuss and strategize than it is to carry out. I have seen many good people who can talk all the good in the world, but who stumble at the carrying it out stage. We need to work hard to take what we know to be true and to live it out in a way that honors God.
I hope you have a great day and that you seek Jesus with a real effort. He sure does love you and would love to see you drawing closer to Him.
Love, Michael
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