Being The Conductor of Your Life III

Thursday, August 4, 2022

11 God loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken;

    good leaders also delight in their friendship.

12 God guards knowledge with a passion,

    but he’ll have nothing to do with deception.

13 The loafer says, “There’s a lion on the loose!

    If I go out, I’ll be eaten alive!”

14 The mouth of a prostitute is a bottomless pit;

    you’ll fall in that pit if you’re on the outs with God.

15 Young people are prone to foolishness and fads;

    the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.

16 Exploit the poor or glad-hand the rich—whichever,

    you’ll end up the poorer for it.

-Proverbs 22:11-16 The Message

11 He who loves purity of heart

    and whose speech is gracious will have the king as his friend.

12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

    but he overthrows the traitor’s words.

13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!

    I shall be killed in the streets!”

14 The mouth of forbidden women is a bottomless pit;

    he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.

15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

    but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,

    or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

-Proverbs 22:11-16 ESV

Verse 12 study: The Lord is the truth, the guardian of the truth. “Knowledge” refers to someone who has knowledge by living right and speaking the truth. To live God’s way takes discipline, determination, and hard work. God protects and rewards those who make the commitment to follow him.

Verse 13 study: The humor and irony, the proverb is mocking the lazy people’s excuses for avoiding work. This proverb also says this is an excuse the lazy will use to not work. It sounds silly to use that excuse, but in reality, that’s how our excuses sound. Don’t pardon laziness. The responsibilities you have, take it and get to work.

Verse 14 study: God’s wrath is used because of a fool’s destruction.

Verse 15 study: Generational curses are hard to break because of the nonsense of human life. A rod can be used for many disciplinary actions, such as physical punishment. Discipline should be used as an educational tool until the child learns self-discipline.

Young children will do foolish and dangerous things. They don’t understand the danger and consequences behind their actions. Using common sense and wisdom are not just good examples to set. The wisdom a child learns should be taught knowingly. Just as God corrects us when we are wrong to make us better, parents must discipline their children to understand the difference between right and wrong.

11 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
    or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
    as a father the son in whom he delights. -Proverbs 3:11-12 ESV

Verse 16 study: Oppression of the poor and the favor of the rich lead to poverty.