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We often read Scripture as a list of “do’s” and “don’ts“. We may even read it—wrongly—as a list of good things God wants to keep from us. The truth is Proverbs reminds us Scripture is not describing ways God holds goodness back from us, but rather ways God offers the best for us. He wants to give guidelines on where true wisdom is found, as well as who is truly the judge.

Proverbs 20 can serve as a reminder of the justification that comes from Jesus and the sanctification through the Holy Spirit. Jesus justified us by dying on the cross and rising from the dead—righting our relationship with God. Sanctification is simply the process of becoming more like Christ through His Word, His Spirit, and the fellowship of believers. On our own, we could not be justified or sanctified. Instead, on our own we are led astray (v. 1), have quarrels (v. 3), are sluggish (v. 4), claim things without understanding the truth (v. 6), conduct actions with the purpose of being seen (v. 11), and more. We are foolish because we forget our dependence on Jesus.

We can do nothing apart from God. “A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How can anyone understand their own way?” (v. 24). Additionally, in John 15:1-8, Jesus talks about being a vine. When we are not attached to the vine, we can do nothing. We would be useless left to our own ways and efforts. We have to abide in Him daily and attach to Him like a branch on a vine. We cannot view Him as a well we turn to when our buckets run dry.

God sees our foolish attempts to try to do things on our own. He directs us elsewhere through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. He knows what is best for us and guides us. Even when we do not see, know or think God is working, he still does. God preserves His Word not to just tell us what to do or what not to do, but rather be reminded. We need to be reminded that it is in our foolishness that Christ justified us and continues to sanctify us. We are solely dependent upon the cross for our salvation.

We must be careful in our reading of the proverbs. They are written as poetry, not promises. They offer generally true wisdom principles, but they are more complicated than a simple to-do list. Think of a proverb like a photograph: it can show you what something looks like, but it cannot capture every facet of the scenery. Proverbs employ word pictures and comparisons to show us what is commonly true in life. Let’s look at some of the ideas that are repeated/emphasized throughout Proverbs 19. 

 There is wisdom in waiting. Self-control will keep us from rushing into sin (v. 2) and patience prevents us from overreacting in the midst of conflict (v. 11). 

Over and over again, seeking wisdom is recommended and even urged by the author. And all throughout the book we see that seeking wisdom is rewarded. Verse 8 shows that those who value understanding will prosper, and verse 20 that listening well will make us wise. 

 There is a warning against slothfulness or laziness–that in the end it leads to hunger (v. 15). And verse 24 paints a picture of a sluggard being too lazy to even bring his hand back to his mouth to eat. Slothfulness will lead to hunger and to ruin. 

 Verse 5 and 9 share almost identical wording in their warning against lying. A false witness will not go unpunished. Lying is not without consequence and so much so that it’s stated twice in this chapter. 

 The last section of Proverbs 19 makes the comparison between the features of a good life versus the description of the scoffer or mocker. The good life is in store for those who listen to instruction (v. 16), are kind to the poor (v. 17), care for and discipline their children (v. 18), acknowledge God’s rule (v. 21), and fear the Lord (v. 23). The fear of the Lord leads to life! By contrast, the characteristics of a scoffer include: disrespecting one’s parents (v. 26), not listening to sound teaching (v. 27), rejecting all notions of right and wrong (v. 28). And what follows the life of a scoffer are often beatings (v. 25, 29). This comparison is helpful in showing us what leads to life and what leads to destruction. May we be people who pursue what leads to life. 

Often we use nuggets of wisdom from Proverbs in our daily conversations and interactions with others. King Solomon in his early reign is given credit for most of these wise sayings of how to live a godly life with prudence and discipline. Proverbs 1:7 sets the tone by telling us that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” The writer of Proverbs toggles back and forth between the foolish and the wise, comparing the choices and outcomes of each. Let’s take a look at three areas addressed in this chapter: words, work, and wealth.

 Regarding words, verse 4 tells us, “The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.” What is in our heart will make its way out of our mouths. Our words will either build up or tear down; they will edify or destroy. Matthew, in his gospel, said it this way, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). What marks our words? Does quarreling, gossip, and negativity mark our speech, or do our words nourish and satisfy the soul? For the Christ-follower, we’ve been given a divine filter through the Holy Spirit Who teaches us all things, including how to use our words to make life-giving, eternal deposits into the lives of others. 

With regard to work, Proverbs 18:9 declares, “A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things” (NLT). It is easy to fall into lazy patterns of living. In the workplace, laziness can spread like cancer. On-the-job slothfulness is evidence of selfishness and entitlement, but God’s Word compares it to one who brings destruction. 2 Timothy 2:15 encourages us to “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Christians should show up with the best attitudes, be the hardest workers on the job, all while incorporating quality in their efforts to edify Christ. Do you add value to your workplace?

As to the Proverbs’ commentary on wealth, verse 11 observes, “The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety” (NLT). The Enduring Word Bible Commentary explains, “Wealth does afford a measure of protection, but the danger of wealth is precisely that it gives its possessor the illusion of greater security than it can provide” (Garrett). Instead of trusting in wealth, the wise trust that “the name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (v.10). Our trinkets and treasures often reveal where our heart is. Wealth is fleeting; God is eternal. Matthew 6:24 states, “You cannot serve both God and money.” In the end, how we live generously and use our resources to further God’s kingdom will be all that matters. 

Like most of the middle section of Proverbs, Proverbs 17 offers many small but valuable suggestions on ways to live that can produce a better life. It jumps through feasting, wealth, grandparents, friends, fathers, momma bears…oh my. It can be quite overwhelming to take in each bit of advice and carry them with you throughout the day, so let’s try to focus on one theme in this chapter and glean all we can from it.  

A primary theme we can grab from the passage is that of the peacemakers versus the troublemakers. It seems that the verses have this contrast of what a peacemaker is like, does, sounds like, etc. followed by that of the troublemaker. Even as we start this passage with, “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting and strife” (v. 1).

We can see that the peacemaker is valued. Most would rather be in a peaceful home, where all they have to offer you is the heel of the bread loaf that has been sitting out for a few days, than in the home of someone always ready to pick a fight, but has a table with brisket and sausage and ribs and every Thanksgiving side and dessert you can imagine (you know, the ones you wait all year for). We usually try to avoid those dinners at all costs. 

While we can see these contrasts throughout the passage, let’s re-read verse 9: “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” A peacemaker is someone who keeps short accounts. They are not easily offended and do not gossip about what someone has done to them or said about them. They promote love by assuming the best and/or going to that person in love to understand, not to win an argument. 

This chapter (and this entire book) is chock-full of more examples of this. Let’s hold tight to these and be examples of our Lord’s peace here on Earth.

Who runs your world? Is it your parents, spouse, teachers, coaches, boss, friends, activities, or even your cell phone? Who is really in charge of you–your time, your mind, your heart? Proverbs 16 demands an answer to this question. The answer might change your life forever.

In verses 1-9, Solomon contrasts God’s thoughts and ways with those of man. Verses 3 and 9 encourage us to give our thoughts, plans, and work to the Lord: “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established…The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” The promise is clear in these verses. We will have the support and counsel of Almighty God as we surrender our works and ways to Him. What a perfect foundation to live on, rather than one of our own strength. Each and every small act of obedience along the way is us exercising and living by faith.

Verses 10-15 echo Christ’s teaching in Luke 12:48: “Great gifts, great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities.” These verses stress the importance of leading with wisdom, justice, integrity, and righteousness. To be a truly effective leader, we must commit to wise and righteous living. We must ask for help from God in all this. Conversely, if we are being led, we must pray for those leading us. In reality, we are all both leading and following in some capacity. In either case, wisdom and integrity matter a lot to God.

Verses 16-24 explains beautifully that Godly wisdom developed in spiritual disciplines prepares our lives for His blessing. Throughout these verses, we recognize the many benefits of wisdom, such as discernment, prosperity, humility, and avoiding evil. There is nothing but good in this list. Seeking His wisdom results in deeper trust in God, His ways, and His promises. How much better our world would be if all of us searched wholeheartedly for God’s wisdom!

In contrast, verses 25-30 show how twisted hearts and motives lead to evil, destruction, strife, perversion, slander, violence, and ultimately, death. We must all heed this warning and follow the path away from choices that could dramatically harm our lives.

Finally, verses 31-33 are a beautiful summary of the results of a life of righteousness and self-control. Let’s encourage each other in the spiritual pursuit of God and His wisdom. It is a disciplined search that takes time, but it will bring strength, discernment, and peace that will positively affect our lives and those around us, now and forever.

We live in a sound-bite world. We admire and desire to be like the wise sage who, with a few words, can enrage or encourage. The one with the sharpest, smartest, repeatable, and re-postable words wins. So we think. We understand the power of words. 

The writer of Proverbs 15 understood the power of words, too. Look at the ideas, counsel, and caution we’re presented in this passage:

A soft answer turns away wrath
A harsh word stirs up anger
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive
The mouth of fools pour out folly
A tongue that heals is a tree of life
A devious tongue breaks the spirit
Lips of the wise spread knowledge
Mouth of the wicked pours out evil things
The prayer of the upright is a delight to God
A word in season is good
Gracious words are pure and pleasant
A righteous person thinks before answering

We all want to be wise. We like to think we are wise (and with the help of the Spirit, we are at times). None of us like to consider ourselves foolish or evil; yet, when we think of pain we’ve caused others, problems we’ve created, or predicaments we’ve manipulated, almost always the power of our words plays a big part. 

We need wisdom not only in what we say (the words we use), but how we say them and when we say them. We can learn from verse one an important distinction when using our words. The verse reads, “A gentle answer…”. In order for there to be an answer, it requires a question. Often we give our words without anyone asking for them. When someone comes to us with questions, our response matters. Our words have the power of life and death. 

We also need wisdom in what words we receive (the words said to us). We’d be wise to heed verse 32: “Whoever listens to correction acquires good sense.” To be wise, to hear counsel, to listen to correction requires humility and honesty. It is for our good and for our growth that God uses wise people in our lives to correct and encourage us. Let’s be people who use words wisely…both the words we speak and the words we receive. 

Proverbs 14 is separated into three main sections that tackle one topic each:

1.       Results of foolishness versus the results of wisdom
2.       Fates of the wicked and the righteous
3.       Miscellaneous topics of importance

We see in the first section of verses that wisdom produces preservation, strength, knowledge and understanding, and ultimately eternal flourishing. When we read the pros and cons of wisdom and foolishness, it is easy to say, “Well then I will just be wise!” However, it is not that easy. We see in verse 12 that, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” The reality is that what seems right to our sinful and wretched minds leads us to sin. We know from Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death.” Therefore, we can follow that following worldly foolishness (even if the world deems it to be wise) will surely lead to complete and utter destruction.

If that is the case, then how can we experience eternal flourishing? There is only one way: God’s Wisdom. We see a common theme of patience expressed in this chapter for those who are wise. Verses 15 and 16 say that fools “believe everything” and are “reckless and careless.” The wise “give thought to their steps” and are “cautious and turn away from evil.” This shows us something that can completely change our lives.

The world says “trust your instinct” and “follow your heart.” If we did this, we would be led on a straight path to death. Don’t believe the words of the world. Believe the words of the Creator of the world. Don’t follow your sinful heart, follow His pure heart. God’s wisdom may not make sense to us, or especially to the world. However, it will lead to a life that produces real fruit.

Verses 26 through 29 show us how to receive this wisdom from God. It starts by possessing a righteous fear of the Lord. We cannot fear the Lord if we don’t know the Lord and if we don’t also know the characteristics of the Lord. The Lord is loving and forgiving. He is also a righteous judge that has wiped out entire nations for sin. He is both loving and righteous. This should bring us to a rightful place of thankfulness, fear, and reverence for our great and holy God.

The final verses remind us that we do not have to do this alone. Verse 28 says “In a multitude of people is the glory of a king.” If we want to truly experience the wisdom of the Lord, not trust our sinful minds, and not fall into the temptations of the world, we must be surrounded by those who know Jesus and are pointing us to Him. This can look like a Life Group, a local church body, a friend group of fellow believers, and much more.

It’s been said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. The people we spend time with have an immense impact on who we are. How we speak, what we do for “fun,” the attitudes we adopt. Dr. David McClelland of Harvard says “[the people you habitually associate with] determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure in life.” This chapter tells us that if we walk with the wise we will become wise, but if we walk with fools we will suffer harm (v. 20). Reading through this passage, it’s important that we pause and ask ourselves “Who are we walking with?” 

There is a lot in this life we cannot control. Disease. Death. Weather. However, we can control the people we spend time with, who largely shape who we are. It is exceedingly important to take over this part of our life. Are we becoming more like Christ for being around them? Are we growing in wisdom? Are we loving more and increasing our patience? The Apostle Paul explains the same concept in 1 Corinthians 15:33 saying, “Do not be misled; ‘bad company corrupts good character.’’ Don’t miss how important it is to choose wisely the people we allow into our lives. It is formative. 

Another thread throughout this passage is that the good life isn’t found by boasting in what the world deems “success”. Society makes us believe having it all is equivalent to having money, status, and fame. The car, the house, the diamonds, the luxury vacations, a verified checkmark on social media, or successful kids with the right reputation. Yet, scripture paints a different picture. Scripture says when we have Jesus in the right place in our hearts, that is when we have it all. John 14:6 says “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”  

Sure, we can use money to pretend we have a rich life. But money without Jesus leaves us poor, miserable, and with nothing. The point is not to refrain from material riches. We need money to live and to give. Money can certainly be used for good. But we need Jesus more–His grace, His love, His compassion, His patience, His mercy, and His hope. 

He provides and He is faithful. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all of your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”. Don’t miss out on the richness of a life with Jesus all while striving for what the world will try to tell you is success. Only God can provide the enriched life we all desire.     

Proverbs 12 continues the wise sayings of Solomon as he contrasts the righteous from the wicked. In this chapter Solomon identifies differences in actions and speech between the two groups and provides several commands for the righteous. 

The wicked are foolish, sinful, proud people. They covet their neighbor. Solomon references their inability to take correction or advice. On the other hand, the righteous have a humble, teachable spirit which focuses on building a solid foundation of godliness that bears godly fruit. Our thoughts reveal our leanings toward righteousness or wickedness. The righteous replace the world’s way of thinking with God’s truth–the Bible. Shifting our daily thoughts and focus to God can change our life to a life that honors God. All of a sudden God’s Word isn’t simply a box to check or something that occupies the first thirty minutes of our day, but instead informs our entire worldview. As we go through the day, let’s be cognizant of the thoughts we have and make the choice to choose the path of the righteous.  

The next portion of the chapter references differences in speech between the righteous and the wicked. No one other than God knows our thoughts, but our spoken words are known to all. The wicked are foolish and always think they are right. This thinking and lack of self-control leads to deceitful speech and lies. Without question, the wicked say and do ungodly things. The righteous, however, speak with love, joy, and peace. The righteous are truthful and speak good, kind, and encouraging words to others.  There is no perfect human other than Jesus Christ himself, so we must acknowledge we make mistakes. The good news is that there is forgiveness in Christ and the pursuit of righteousness is continuous. Each day is a new day. Also, the righteous know to seek wisdom and understand the value of counsel. 

The last portion of Proverbs 12 provides characteristics and commands for the righteous: Work hard, be diligent, encourage others, and choose friends who lead you toward Jesus and God’s truths. Sadly, the wicked choose otherwise and are characterized as lazy, undiscerning, foolish, and engaged in unwise friendships. All of us can choose to pursue righteousness, for it is the correct path. Jesus is the path, and reliance on Him results in actions and speech of righteousness and ultimately life eternal. For Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He gives us a better way to live through Him. Let’s follow Him daily in life through faith and the pursuit of righteousness.

Proverbs 11 is a continuation in Solomon’s study of contrasts between the righteous and the wicked. Like a metronome clicking back and forth, the two opposite paths are described. What becomes clear is that wickedness is unlimited in its ability to bring destruction wherever it is fed. While the wicked man may find short term gains, ultimately “he who pursues evil will bring about his own death”. In other words, those who pursue evil will find themselves pursued by evil. The traps set for others will ensnare their own feet. Righteous or wicked, you get whatever you put into the world. 

This idea could easily be conflated with the concept of karma–that those who do good will receive what is good, and those who do bad will receive what is bad. Yet, this Proverb is more so an observation in practicalities. Wickedness is a poison wherever it appears, whether that be in families (v. 29), business (v. 6), neighborhoods (v. 9), leadership (v. 14), or any other area of our lives. Wickedness is a destroyer, and thus brings destruction to whoever wields it. This proverb, like many others that we will read in the days to come, is trying to paint us a full picture of what the righteous life (and the wicked life) really looks like.  

In the same way, the one who walks upright with the Lord brings life wherever he goes. The choice seems obvious, but the reality is that living righteously is frustrating and difficult. Like the metronome, we click back and forth between living as the righteous and the wicked. We feel caught between what the Spirit is calling us to do and what our flesh is pulling us towards. We are not alone in this struggle. Paul wrote in Romans, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Therefore, we must rely on Christ daily to guide us into wisdom and righteousness.