Proverbs 18

 Devotions 1/18/2021

S ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:1-24‬ ‭MSG‬‬

https://bible.com/97/pro.18.1-24.msg

“Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good. 

Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth. 

When wickedness arrives, shame’s not far behind; contempt for life is contemptible. 

Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs. 

It’s not right to go easy on the guilty, or come down hard on the innocent. 

The words of a fool start fights; do him a favor and gag him. Fools are undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words. 

Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you really want junk like that in your belly? 

Slack habits and sloppy work are as bad as vandalism. GOD ’s name is a place of protection— good people can run there and be safe. 

The rich think their wealth protects them; they imagine themselves safe behind it. 

Pride first, then the crash, but humility is precursor to honor. 

Answering before listening is both stupid and rude. 

A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed? 

Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights. 

A gift gets attention; it buys the attention of eminent people. 

The first speech in a court case is always convincing— until the cross-examination starts! 

You may have to draw straws when faced with a tough decision. 

Do a favor and win a friend forever; nothing can untie that bond. 

Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest. 

Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. 

Find a good spouse, you find a good life— and even more: the favor of GOD! 

The poor speak in soft supplications; the rich bark out answers. 

Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.”

O- My observation is that God kept his promise to Solomon to make him the wisest man that was ever known.  Still yet his wisdom is but a small insignificant speck compared to the wisdom of God.  Solomon here in one chapter lays out 24 pieces of wisdom interconnected.  The flow and meter of the verses show the musicality of these proverbs.  Chapter 18 is a March to a drummer - you do this this is what happens is the cadence which is slow in meter and repetitious in the execution.  Mans tongue fail him over and over.  I good wife makes for a good life.  Loners only care for their own good and not for the team. Be generous in your gift giving, it brings the attention of prominent people.  Pick true friends who are like family.  Words can either bring death or life.

A - The application for me is to be sure I use my words to build up and not tear down that I give not wanting to receive but out of the abundance of God‘s love for me I am able to speak truth and love to give gifts of love without any expectation of reciprocation. This all starts with my relationship first with God and then with my wife. As I learn to love God like he loves me I start to understand how he loves Abby. He loves her in every way possible in words MDs in acts of kindness, in words of affirmation, through small gifts of appreciation. This life is not meant to be lived alone, because loaners care only about themselves, children of God care about God and everyone.

P-your heavenly father thank you so much for this list of Proverbs that you gave to Solomon but in a fact gave to all of us who CQ and seek your word. I pray Lord that you would give me this wisdom that you were given Solomon give me just even a small amount in which I can invest in the lives of those around me invest in learning more about you and how you want me to love others especially my wife Abby. Lord help me specifically find the right words of affirmation let me love Her lavishly the way you love her. I pray all of us in Jesus Christ name amen