Little Red Blog of Wisdom

Proverbs 16:26 The hungrier you are, the harder you work.

Sometimes I need to be hungrier than I am so I will be motivated to work harder.

Proverbs 14:28 Rulers of powerful nations are held in honor; rulers of weak nations are nothing at all.

You would think that every ruler would be held in honor.  But there have certainly been leaders that didn’t deserve the title.  These rulers are not honored, but are shamed for their weakness.

Proverbs 13:11 Money wrongly gotten will disappear bit by bit; money earned little by little will grow and grow.

Wrongfully gained money may not just mean receiving money for wrong-doing.  Perhaps ill-gotten gain can also be categorized by gaining too much too quickly.

I’m sympathetic toward the millions whose homes are being foreclosed due to the economy (and perhaps unwise management in many cases).  Even folks like Evander Holyfield and Ed McMahon are having their homes foreclosed. 

I know we should beware wrongly gained money, but the point I take today from this proverb is a positive one, “Trust in earning your money little by little.”  God says it will grow and grow…in other words it’ll get “appreciated” more and more.

Proverbs 12:18 Sharp words cut like a sword, but words of wisdom heal.

Today as many others I have had trouble communicating with my family.  It’s so easy to use words like a bomb rather than balm.

James 3 rightly says “It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! 6The tongue is like a spark.(5)”  “if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body.(2)”

Proverbs 11:12 It’s stupid to say bad things about your neighbors. If you are sensible, you will keep quiet.

We have a new business in town.  The were featured in a newspaper article, and we hope the best for them.  But then the next week the same business owner was in the paper again.  She was complaining about a yearly town festival that had just happened.  What she said about the town and the people running the festival did not make me want to become a customer.  It’s hard enough trying to run a business in our small town, but saying bad things about your neighbors… well that was “stupid,” as the CEV translates it.

Proverbs 10:3 If you obey the LORD, you won’t go hungry; if you are wicked, God won’t let you have

what you want.

If it is not right for us, no matter how hard you try, the Lord won’t let you have it.

Proverbs 7:22 Right away he followed her like an ox on the way to be slaughtered…

This image is one to be meditated on, “like an ox on the way to be slaughtered.”  I’ve heard a similar saying, “like a sheep to the slaughter.”  We think of the sheep as doe-eyed and innocent, and for it to be headed willingly into it’s death trap seems wrong.  But the image of the ox connotes compliant strength.  The ox moves strong and purposefully to his death.  He can see where’s he’s headed, but he will not turn away, although he most certainly could break free.  It reminds me of the verse that says that God will always give you a way of escape.  You can break free from deathly temptation if you will.

Proverbs 6: 16There are six or seven kinds of people the LORD doesn’t like:

17Those who are too proud or tell lies or murder, 18those who make evil plans or are quick to do wrong…

It dawned on me this morning that the Lord hates those who are proud just as much as those who murder.  The same goes for those who are quick to do wrong.  I’m often too proud and I know that I am one who is quick to do wrong.  I may not be a murderer as far as the law is concerned, but I am guilty in God’s eyes.

Proverbs 2:19 Visit her, and you will never find the road to life again.

This proverb is talking about the adulterous temptress. She calls men to her and once they descend to her home they are snared. Romans says that God has given people over to their sins. Elsewhere Paul describes being ensnared by sin. It is a real danger to go so far into sin that you’ll never turn away.

Proverbs 30: 1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.
The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.

What more can be said???  Actually a lot more.  Agur doesn’t just say “I’m weary,” and no more.  He goes on to describe GOD in His might.  When I am weak, He is strong.