Proverbs Lessons/Questions and Favorites of the Body

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1) TRUST Pr 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean/rely not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him (as Lord/Master), and He shall direct/smooth your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil
Pr 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. The corrective to many #feelerproblems

21:1 king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord...He turns it wherever He wishes. God can change circumstances if need be to benefit me/my cause
22:4-5 Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the wicked; for there will be no prospect for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. What’s easy to fret about? {Power-sec/sig/Pleasure/Possessions} why not fret? {past, present, uncertain future}

25:28 no rule over own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. Emotional self-control or I've rolled out the red-carpet for satan
28:26 who trusts in own heart is a fool, whoever walks wisely will be delivered.  Sound-mindedness > feelings.  “Acting on your feelings is the surest way to destroy your life.” Get control over your feelings by getting control over your perceptual filters/(values)

24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small. A helpful reset for me when I was uncovering more about the terrible directions we’re headed right now as a country. If God is my source of strength, then if I faint in adversity it’s actually bad PR for Him. Need to be able to depend in a way that doesn’t get overwhelmed by all the craziness, but rather is being strengthened to endure through it

2) FEAR OF THE LORD IS GOOD AND NECESSARY FOR WISDOM! and how to get honor from God: 15:33 Fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility. 22:4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.
10:3 The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked.  30:5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.  Failing to fear God is exalting yourself. Live in fear of offending God.

3) DILIGENCE/Self Control 4:23 Keep/guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life  Anything with diligence gets my attention as it’s a trait that is very lacking in general with our current culture. I think we dabble in stuff, not diligence (root=value/love esp in matters that we don’t perceive immediately benefit us). I’m not even sure if folks know what diligence (focus/careful attention) really is and what kind of work looks like?  I’ve had to work hard to gain the trait and maintain it/strive doing the right stuff. It’s not really an optional trait to master if you want to finish well. Difference 'twn diligence and perseverance? How can we know if we are being diligent in anything vs just doing what’s required to “get by” or “enough” in our own mind https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/07/16/the-smithsonian-attacks-white-culture-and-western-civilization/

Pride keeps us from starting; laziness keeps us from finishing. How have I prepared/equipped myself to love/be of service to others?
12:11 He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding. You highlighted the     principle of "bloom where you're planted." I hadn't seen that in this verse before and it sharpens my desire to cultivate diligence and     tames my lust for adventure and "newness." A sluggard minimizes the conseq of their actions and fails to master their minutes.
16:1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.  You highlighted that we have the     responsibility to plan. I have not always embraced this Biblical responsibility. [need planning to be prudent {foresee conseq}]
19:16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.
21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.  Exhortation to plan and to     keep going and warning for a J on hastiness. You defined hastiness as insufficient consideration. #Convicted.

23:29  Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? 30 Those who linger long at the wine...35 They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink? I used to skim over these thinking “well - I’m not an alcoholic", but it was instructive to replace “wine” with the idea of escapism and any of the things in life that give me a “hit" of satisfaction. The picture at the end is really scary - eventually becoming consumed by the temporal pleasures, that you become numb to the reproofs of life (they have struck me, but I was not hurt...not feel it) and your whole purpose for living can get shifted off course (when shall I awake to seek another drink?). Regardless of what the action is, if escapism is the driving force behind it, it can easily lead to bad outcomes. I’ve heard you say before don’t train yourself to like what’s bad for you and it’s been important for me to recognize that anything on the escapism path is in fact/reality bad for me, even if to an external eye it looks harmless.

Pr 28:5 Evil men do not understand justice. But those who seek the Lord understand all.  With so many horrible things being done in the name of justice right now this was a helpful reminder for being able to pick out truth from lies. Someone may vehemently label their cause as just, but if they are evil (=opposed to God) they don’t have the ability to understand justice. It also sets realistic expectations that people knowing God is the only way to get to justice. Too bad much of America decided to remove God from our country.

4) REPROOF 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life  Seek reproof! It’s good! Alas, another one our generation seems to find it tough to embrace. We just don’t like to be acknowledge we aren’t perfect.
Helps me identify who a scoffer is (in their heart) and who is a seeker of Truth/ understanding
14:6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge is easy to him who understands  15:12 A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise. Litmus test of what’s going on with folks in their hearts.

5) ANGER tempering anger/wrath, be more patient, and work on my speech to build-up rather than tear down-destroy. v{be with)
{out of heart/values mouth speaks; we need to purify our hearts, yield rights to a Sovereign God, and value His will above ours (humility)
14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands. Make sure you’re building not destroying
12:16 A fool’s wrath is known at once, but a prudent man covers shame. 17 He  who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit. 18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.. 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,  who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 19:11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression. 18:13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him. Expl: to not hear a matter?
18:2 A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.  Checks my motives - am I seeking to understand or be understood?

6) PRIORITIES Should you pursue wisdom above temporal security? Uh, yep. Which is better? Doesn’t get much clearer:
 Learned that when you see "better," it's a priority thing; tells you what values to cultivate.
16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
18:1-2 who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment.  fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.  Seen this all too often. And, good question to ask oneself - what are you delighting in?
What can I point to in my life to demonstrate the cost I paid to "get wisdom”?

7) RELATIONSHIPS God hates lack of reciprocity (taking good and not paying back) {cf covenant loyalty and Body responsibility}
If you look to another person to meet your needs, you will have two very unhappy people.
26:4 Do not answer a fool acc to his folly, lest you also be like him. 5 Answer a fool acc to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.  This helped me over the years learn a lesson about discernment - in any given situation, there are lots of Biblical principles that could apply. These two verses back to back can't be applied together, so we have to discern which verse/principle/path God wants us to take

Parental tapes are one of the most damaging things to people spiritually.  {values, self image/identity/worth, world view}
25:4 Take away the dross from silver, and it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.   I realized you don’t remove dross from something that lacks inherent value in the 1st place. You remove it from a precious metal like silver that can be turned into jewelry, not from garbage that has no function - you throw that stuff away. God wants to purify us b/c we are worth something in His sight and He sees what the end product can be, if we allow Him. Reinforces the idea of God chastening the son He loves, but was a useful added visual for me. [Heb 12]

We have the responsibility to do the cleaning, it doesn't matter how much dross is there. God can make it fit for the palace. [1Pt 1:22]
Pr 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Helps me understand enduring, Biblical friendship.
Pr 18:1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment.   Observed this many times in folks over     the years (and myself) and it gives a warning of swinging my introvert pendulum too far.
26:23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
    Exhortation that passionate words without action or follow-thru is garbage.

8) CONSEQUENCES 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. 3:35 The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools 4:18 The path of the just/righteous is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter until the perfect day I’ve always loved this verse, but after the glory sermons it hit home even more. What am I daily doing to have a brighter path, not just staying at current lumen level? If more glory is not being gained it’s a pretty big tip off as to whether whether I’m being a just/righteous person or not

11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. One of my absolute favorites and one that has repeatedly become a filter for decision-making/ prioritizing. Choose things that produce fruit to life and win souls. Once you know that winning souls isn’t just forgiveness of sins but winning to obedience/life/victory/glory/greater degree of service/etc, it makes it pretty easy to know what to drop and what to cling to in terms of how you spend your time if there is a question. This tells you what God honors.

Pr 30:24-28 “…4 things which are little on the earth but they are exceedingly wise..” Helpful reminder that wisdom trumps outward strength/abilities and useful to look at what was wise about each one of the animals: 1. preparation 2. avoiding danger 3. ability to organize efforts without oversight 4. skillful/excellent work. Somehow these traits corresponded in my mind with some of the Pr 31 woman traits: 1/2 Prudence/foresight to make the right decisions (heart of her husband safely trusts her) 3/4 - Applying self to the execution of those decisions (seeks wool & flax and willingly works with her hands…provides for household, etc)

9) QUESTIONS Pr 24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him. - - what should our emotional state be when we see vindication on our enemies? What should we be thinking/feeling?
21:14 gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe behind the back, strong wrath What is this Pr advocating? 17:8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; wherever he turns, he prospers Is this the possessor’s self-perception? What should I be learning from this?
30:19 not understand way of an eagle in the air, serpent on a rock, ship in sea, man with a virgin. - what is so wonderful about these things that I’m supposed to share in their wonder about? Even Solomon said he didn’t understand them. So why are they in Ch 30?
Pr 18:20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Can you explain how this works? How is his stomach (a physical need) satisfied by what he says with his mouth?

You said something about this world being a proving ground for the next so we can have the virtues necessary to populate it and this is a quote from you that I recorded years ago that fleshes that out: “God is morally obligated to create the best of all possible worlds. What would be the best of all possible worlds? It would be populated by people who have demonstrated the nobler virtues, by those who chose to love when they had a choice to not love, populated by those who choose to be gracious when they had a choice to not be gracious, populated by people who choose to exercise forbearance and patience when they felt like biting someone heads off. And to demonstrate the nobler virtues, guess what, you need the opportunity to not demonstrate them. It's really rather simple. This is not the best of all possible worlds. But in the infinite wisdom of God, it's the best way to best of all possible worlds.”  -bc