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Pathways Through Proverbs
Daily Devotional
September 25, 2008
Today's Reading - Proverbs 25
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Following Scripture Verses
Proverbs Chapter 25
- These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
- It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
- The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
- Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
- Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
- Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:
- For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
- Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
- Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
- Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.
- A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
- As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
- As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
- Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.
- By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
- Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
- Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
- A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
- Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
- As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
- If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
- For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
- The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
- It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
- As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
- A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.
- It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.
- He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
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Today's Pathway:
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The Bible tells us that it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful (I Cor. 4:2). God demands faithfulness from His followers, and without faithfulness a man will be severely limited in what he can accomplish for the Lord.
In today's passage we see the importance of recognizing whether a man is faithful or not. If you put your confidence in an unfaithful man, there is a strong possibility that what you have asked him to do will not get done. If the task was an important one, then his failure will be as painful to you as a broken tooth would be.
This is a principle that has a great impact upon pastors and churches. Sometimes people don't understand why they don't have greater responsibilities within the church. They wonder why they have not been chosen as officers or teachers, or placed in some area of leadership. While there may be different reasons for this, one of them is that a person can not be put in charge of something if he has not proven himself faithful up until that point. Some pastors believe that if you put an unfaithful person into leadership this will cause them to become faithful. This probably does occur on occasion, but the Biblical principle is that leadership is a reward for faithfulness, not a motivation for faithfulness.
If a man can't be trusted with attendance at all the church services, how can he be trusted with a Sunday School class? If he can't be trusted to take care of the little tasks that he is given, how can he be entrusted with an officer's position? If he can't handle leading his family, how can he handle leading the church?
Choosing to place an unfaithful man in leadership is asking for trouble. When the going gets tough, he'll be going - the wrong way. Always be a faithful man, and always choose a faithful man, and you won't regret your decisions.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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