There is so much that can be said about Proverbs! Each verse could spark a blog entry of its own! So to that end, this week and next week, I will post some reflections on individual proverbs that stood out to me as I was reading through them! Hopefully this will spark some discussions of your own!
Proverbs 10:9 - Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.
I think it was Mark Twain who said, "most people don't have a good enough memory to be a liar." His point was that if you insist on maintaining a lie as a truth, you have to remember to maintain that lie every time it is challenged. It is your burden, because you are the one who needs to maintain it. But when you tell the truth, the universe is your ally and shares the burden to maintaining the truth as the truth.
This proverb reminds me that the security that I walk in, when I walk in integrity, is one that comes from God. He is my ally and will back me up when I live in truthfulness! So, will I do the often harder thing and tell the truth?
Proverbs 12:16 - Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.
Have you noticed that we often draw a distinction between being annoyed and being angry? I think that saying we are annoyed is often a less harsh substitute for saying that we are angry. But other times, annoyance becomes an entirely different thing. We heed the warning that it is not good to be easily angered, and instead open the door to be easily annoyed. We freely express our annoyance with verbal jabs and cutting remarks. This proverb causes me to question myself, are my annoyance and my anger ultimately coming from the same place? The heart of selfishness and non-love?
Just a few thoughts from the Proverbs! I pray the Lord stirs up many thoughts as you reflect on the words of this book!