Today, I am reading and commenting on  Proverbs 9-13.

The writer tells us that both wisdom and folly invite the simple, the gullible, those inclined to evil, to come to them.  Wisdom offers discipline and hard work leading to insight.  Folly offers stolen water and secret pleasures.  Wisdom tells us that those who mock others and the wicked get angry when told that they have made, or are about to make, a mistake, while the wise welcome such advice.  In fact, the wise welcome being rebuked.  Those who seek righteousness listen to those who seek to correct their behavior, even when their behavior did not need correcting.  Wisdom recognizes that they can always gain more wisdom and listen to the advice of others, even when that advice seems foolish.  The wise embrace discipline and being disciplined while the foolish resent being corrected.  The writer also tells us that we find in others what we seek in them.  If we look for good in others, we will find it, but if we seek evil, we will find that.  In part this means that people will tend to respond to what we expect of them.  If we expect people to respond with goodness, and treat them accordingly, most of the time they will do so.  On the other hand, if we expect people to respond maliciously, they often will do so.  More importantly, if we expect people to be good, we will usually find ourselves around those who are good, while if we expect people to be evil, we will usually find ourselves around those who do evil.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Proverbs 9-13.

Both Wisdom and Folly sit in places of prominence and call to every passerby, “Let all who are simple come to my house!”  So, since both advertise themselves and call to us, how do we tell the difference?  Well, the writer informs us that righteousness and wisdom go hand in hand: righteous acts display wisdom, wicked behavior displays folly.  Further, the wise accept instruction and correction, while the fool resents anyone who makes them aware of their mistakes.  Further, the writer says that Folly promotes dishonesty and deceit.  The writer goes on from there to list a bunch of proverbs which help us act both wisely and righteously.  He tells us that the wise choose their words with care and think before they speak, while the fool allows their emotions to control their mouth.  The writer reminds us that we find what we seek.  If we seek good we will find it, and if we seek evil that is what will come to us.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Proverbs 9-13.

The wise and the righteous (but according to the proverb writer I repeat myself) welcome corrections when they make mistakes and rebukes when they do wrong.  On the other hand, mockers and the wicked (again the proverb writer says that I am repeating myself) insult those who correct them and abuse those who rebuke their wrong behavior.  Once again the writer makes clear that wisdom is there for all who will embrace its riches, but folly also calls forth offering pleasures.  The writer points out that the pleasures offered by folly disguise traps which lead to misery and death, while the riches offered by wisdom require effort and hard work. There are many valuable lessons to be learned by the various proverbs contained in today’s passage, but the one I want to highlight is that while wisdom will generally bring wealth, wealth is not what the truly wise most deeply desire.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Proverbs 9-13.

Today’s passage continues the theme that Wisdom offers itself to all who will listen.  It does not take wealth, or special privilege to learn wisdom.  Of course, the same is true of Folly.  Foolishness offers itself to any who will take it.  Folly offers guilty pleasures but hides their true cost.  We live in an age where many speak of “privilege”, but the proverb writer reminds us that it does not take privilege to be wise and those born to privilege can be just as foolish as those born at a disadvantage.  More importantly, those born at a disadvantage can reap the benefits of wisdom if they so choose.  If you choose a life of self-discipline, good judgment, and wisdom you will reap the benefits they bring, no matter how much at a disadvantage you started out in life.