Prov 17 Wisdom & Knowledge - Now and later on

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

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Proverbs 17:1-28
1A dry crust eaten in peace is better than a great feast with strife.
2A wise slave will rule over the master's shameful sons and will share their inheritance.
3Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.
4Wrongdoers listen to wicked talk; liars pay attention to destructive words.
5Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.
6Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.
7Eloquent speech is not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler.
8A bribe seems to work like magic for those who give it; they succeed in all they do.
9Disregarding another person's faults preserves love; telling about them separates close friends.
10A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.
11Evil people seek rebellion, but they will be severely punished.
12It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in folly.
13If you repay evil for good, evil will never leave your house.
14Beginning a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
15The LORD despises those who acquit the guilty and condemn the innocent.
16It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool who has no heart for wisdom.
17A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
18It is poor judgment to co-sign a friend's note, to become responsible for a neighbor's debts.
19Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who speaks boastfully F26 invites disaster.
20The crooked heart will not prosper; the twisted tongue tumbles into trouble.
21It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
23The wicked accept secret bribes to pervert justice.
24Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25A foolish child F27 brings grief to a father and bitterness to a mother.
26It is wrong to fine the godly for being good or to punish nobles for being honest!
27A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.
28Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
FOOTNOTES:F26: Or who builds up defenses; Hebrew reads who makes a high gate. F27: Hebrew son.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living Translation


~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Thinking naturally, in the here and now, for the here and now, like making decisions for instant pain relief or for gratifications’ sake or even for immediate peace are all temporary actions. They might bring a sense of relief for now, but many, many times later on they are harmful.
Proverbs are wise words written for the eternal benefit, for the benefit of the Lord, really. When one thinks eternally, lives eternally, he does not make rash decisions for just the now, but for the future and not only the near future, but for the hereafter future and for those who will come after us. His decisions don’t merely serve self, but they actually serve Gods own plans for the earth and heavens.
Knowledge - is knowing about something, wisdom - is the application of what we know.
I may know I should get up now and do a few things around the house. If I am wise I will get up and accomplish my work, even scheduling it into my day.
I may know it would be good to get a job, but wisdom does what it takes, lands the job, and keeps it with diligence. I might know it would be better to have different friends than I do, but wisdom would go find a new crowd, and surround myself with people who are wiser than I, so I would learn to look ahead and make wiser decisions in life.
When we live for right now that is what we get, right now satisfaction and blessings. They are soon over, they vanish away and we need more satisfaction. When we live eternally, the blessings never end.
Be blessed with the knowledge of the Lord today and with wisdom to apply His Truth to your and your family’s life forever.


Daily Recital Verses -
Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Prov 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.