Wise Up: Proverbs 11
Proverbs 11 (NIV)
1 The Lord detests dishonest scales,
but accurate weights find favor with him.
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,
but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.
7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them;
all the promise of their power comes to nothing.
8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and it falls on the wicked instead.
9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,
but through knowledge the righteous escape.
10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
12 Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,
but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.
13 A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
14 For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but victory is won through many advisers.
15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,
but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.
16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,
but ruthless men gain only wealth.
17 Those who are kind benefit themselves,
but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.
18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
19 Truly the righteous attain life,
but whoever pursues evil finds death.
20 The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,
but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.
21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
but those who are righteous will go free.
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
25 A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
26 People curse the one who hoards grain,
but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.
27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,
but evil comes to one who searches for it.
28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,
but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives.
31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
There is a lot of good advice in this chapter but verse 2 states that a humble person will gain wisdom. As I look back on my life I find that the Christian men I respect the most are also some of the most humble and wise.
The word humble or humility is used 59 times in the bible. The authors understood the importance of this concept and repeatedly warned us to be humble. I pray to God that his Spirit will fill me and lead me in a humble lifestyle that is pleasing to Him.
Verse 25.
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
God is speaking to me about generosity. Both mine and others. As a member of the body of Christ, am I participating as a generous member? Over that past 8 years I have been both on the giving and receiving end of generosity. Generosity is not my natural state. I want to self-preserve and make sure we “have enough” (of what, I’m not sure). Generosity often has to do with the position of my heart, of my attitude.
I’m aware that when I’m not living generously I am missing out on the blessing God has for me in living this way.
Jesus is the ultimate example of generosity. I am so blessed. I’m praying that my heart and attitude would remain full of generosity because of my understanding of what God did through Jesus.
Proverbs 11 is full of so many great reminders.
Vs. 13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
This is a great reminder to me. I want to be a trustworthy person. I do not want to be known as a gossip.
Vs. 16a A kindhearted woman gains respect. I want to be a kindhearted person.
Vs. 25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. This verse goes along so well with this weekend’s message. I love the visual of our generosity being refreshing to another person. Being generous is one great way that we can be the hands and feet of Jesus. I want to be a generous person.
Have a great week Sunridge.
with humility comes wisdom.
So true, so easy to understand, so hard to execute!!
v.12 A man who lacks judgement derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.
v.13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
It seems like verses 12 &13 are speaking about the same thing, the ability to be a good secret keeper and not a gossip. God puts a high value on something so simple & basic. I believe it defines a good amount of a persons character. Finding a trust worthy friend/person is rare treasure. Lord, please help me to be that girl!