Today Prov 22

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 22:1-29 -
1Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold. 2The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD made them both.
3A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
4True humility and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life.
5The deceitful walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will stay away.
6Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.
7Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
8Those who plant seeds of injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will end.
9Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.
10Throw out the mocker, and fighting, quarrels, and insults will disappear.
11Anyone who loves a pure heart and gracious speech is the king's friend.
12The LORD preserves knowledge, but he ruins the plans of the deceitful.
13The lazy person is full of excuses, saying, "If I go outside, I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!"
14The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit; those living under the LORD's displeasure will fall into it.
15A youngster's heart is filled with foolishness, but discipline will drive it away.
16A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.
Thirty Sayings of the Wise
17Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction. 18For it is good to keep these sayings deep within yourself, always ready on your lips. 19I am teaching you today—yes, you—so you will trust in the LORD. 20I have written thirty sayings for you, filled with advice and knowledge. 21In this way, you may know the truth and bring an accurate report to those who sent you.
22Do not rob the poor because they are poor or exploit the needy in court. 23For the LORD is their defender. He will injure anyone who injures them.
24Keep away from angry, short-tempered people, 25or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.
26Do not co-sign another person's note or put up a guarantee for someone else's loan. 27If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you.
28Do not steal your neighbor's property by moving the ancient boundary markers set up by your ancestors.
29Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than ordinary people.

Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living TranslationCopyright © 1996 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.


~ Lena’s Journalin’ ~
A Good reputation, a good name, what is that? What does that say about you? We know our names say a lot. We’ve met people and their names and the picture we get when we hear their name remains with us. That is what that means. When others think of our name, whenever our names are mentioned, how does it sound, and what goes along with it? A good reputation?
It is easier to work and get money to live, than to build a good reputable name. Why? It takes change. If I work for money, I don’t have to be kind or fruitful in character, but if/when I “work” for God, as a kingdom Ambassador, I have to change my character, often. If I do not, I do not represent Him.
So who am I working for then? God or me? God or the world? It will show by the mention of my name.
My name is the evidence of my outward witness all summed up.
Remember witness means martyr. Martyr is a dead man, a man who died for a cause. Is not the salvation of this world we have so little time to live in worth the death of my old nature and old ways of thinking and responding? Yes, it is.
A prudent person is an orchestrator. He sets stages, he sets things up with a goal in mind, or with a vision in heart. He does things on purpose so that “A” would lead to B,C,D,E,F and so forth. What does he see? Effects of evil and effects of good. He sees that and does something about it, he doesn’t only talk about it, identifying it as evil or good, he sets the stage to eliminate the evil and go all out for the good, replacement thinking and action. He foresees the danger ahead, that is speaking of hell’s fire. He does something about that both for himself, his own family and for the well being of others. He hides himself from danger, does not mean he does not face it, it means he is not found a part of it. It is NOT his life!
What exactly is humility? Bowing is a good way to describe it. It says there is One greater than I whom I trust and submit to. In our society we all desire to be right, Mr. Right, Mrs. Right, etc. Not regarding the rights and wrongs, we bow to God and those He desires to honor and esteem, whether they deserve it or not. Humility gets down from its high horse and walks, allowing another to ride. It says, yes, you are right to others, it considers who they are in the spirit, more than who they appear to be in the natural.
A big definition of humility is agreement, because God is One and desires us to be one with Him and His word. Because He says so, that’s why folks. Agreement because of unity. Compliance, because of a deep love and trust relationship with our Father.
I love the way this expresses the famous train up a child scripture. Keep that child on the pathway, by living example. To train means do it over and over and over again-Do it right, THEY will stay the faith when we do. This goes both for spiritual and for natural children.
Do we love pureness of heart and graciousness of speech? If we do we will honor God and be it in the proof of our lives. That does not ever mean, we love it when others do it to us, it means we love it enough to become it, by adaptation of character to a new way. Jesus is the WAY. His way is higher than mine. Yes we all like to be treated nicely, but do we love the attribute enough to treat others the same way? To show someone else how it is lived out?
Why does it mention a lazy person? In what context? Well, the Bible is all about God’s eternal kingdom. We’re talking first about laziness in kingdom living and witness. The time for excuses are over. God can see right through that. They are called excuses, because that is what they are, they are not valid, hold no weight concerning eternal matters.
When we stand before God and He asks us what we did with His Son and did we know the good news? We’ll have an answer which will be exposed as it is truth. Then when He asks us how long we knew and how many people did we give it to, how many did we pursue on purpose, how many did we change for and become an example to enough that they also could trust in Jesus? We cannot say, “I was tired, I had to work, I needed to take care of such and such business, I was afraid to speak, my head hurt”, etc. Those excuses will be excuses of laziness manifested. We’ll have served self, if we were found lazy. We have overcome, why have we overcome? To give life to others. Eternal life. Why get and be healed? To give life. Why get up and accomplish? Why change? This is that, reason. Eternal life, given to others.
Wisdom words - get around some kingdom people who on purpose are orchestrating His purposes. Then act like them, don’t resist them or contradict them, serve them, become as they are, as they follow Christ. Hang around the godly and get molded into a godly nation of people to show Jesus to the world God set you to live in for the time you have left.
Make the most of your time? There’s only One way to do that. It is kingdom business as usual. Kingdom can be worked and exemplified wherever you are, at home, at work, in the marketplaces. It is more of who you are than what you do. That is the evidence, your life.

Daily Repetitive Verses:

Isaiah 58:12 – in multiple translations….
The Amplified Bible
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations; and you shall be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
The Holy Bible, New International Version®
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
The New King James Version
Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
GOD'S WORD
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the foundations of past generations. You will be called the Rebuilder of Broken Walls and the Restorer of Streets Where People Live.
New Life Bible
And your cities which were destroyed long ago will be built again. You will set up the stones of the bases of the old buildings. You will be called the one who builds again the broken walls, and who makes the streets on which people live like new.