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Pathways Through Proverbs
Daily Devotional
February 22, 2008
Today's Reading - Proverbs 22
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Following Scripture Verses
Proverbs Chapter 22
- A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
- The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.
- A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
- By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
- Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
- Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
- The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
- He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
- He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
- Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
- He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
- The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
- The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
- The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.
- Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
- He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
- Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
- For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
- That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
- Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
- That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
- Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
- For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
- Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
- Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
- Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
- If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
- Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
- Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
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Today's Pathway:
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Solomon opens this verse by stating that the wise man forsees evil. This means that he doesn't simply act, but he thinks about the consequences of his actions before he takes them. How many times have you made a decision about something that you later regretted, and in your grief realized that if you had really thought your choice through in the first place, you never would have made it? A man takes a job because it is better for him financially, but it forces him to move to an area where there is no sound church for his family to attend. He makes money, but his spiritual life suffers. A young woman marries a man because he is appealing to her, but never gives a moment's thought as to what type of spiritual leader he will be to her and their future children. Eventually she realizes that he is not the right kind of husband, but it is too late. A teen-ager goes out with his buddies and doesn't pay attention to the fact that they may be headed for mischief, and ruins his life. I know of Christian young men who have gone to jail because of the actions of the "friends" that they were with one night, and of others who are dead because they wound up in the car with a "friend" who had been drinking. I know of Christian young people who became fornicators because they went somewhere alone with their girlfriend/boyfriend and succumbed to the temptation presented to them. A wise man always looks ahead to see if any potential problems or temptations lurk in front of him.
Once the man looks ahead, he must react properly to what he sees. The prudent man hides himself; the simpleton goes forward anyway. The wise man realizes that he should not put himself in a place of temptation; the fool assumes that he can handle it. The wise man realizes that he is susceptible to sin; the fool thinks that he is strong enough to resist. In the end, the wise man stays as far away from sin as he can, and is blessed of God. The fool gets as close to sin as he can, and receives punishment from God.
Look ahead with caution, or someday you'll look back with contrition.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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