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August 10 - August 24, 2024
we all make mistakes continually.
In biblical times, the word perfect often meant “mature.” The mature believer will have control over the tongue, using words to encourage others toward godliness.
People who gain mastery over their own tongue will also be strong enough in godliness to control their whole body.
This image suggests that whatever force controls one’s tongue will control the whole person—whether that is the sinful nature or the Holy Spirit.
our tongue can be controlled by the Holy Spirit, who will guide it toward godliness at all times.
Fire spreads rapidly, destroying everything in its path, and words can have the same effect.
God used the Word to create the universe, but Satan perverted the power of words when he seduced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.
Mankind was created in the image of God
Life seems to be filled with talk. The media bombards us with words, politicians prate ceaselessly about the economy and social affairs, and people debate their opinions about everything under the sun.
Each speaker’s utterances lead to actions by himself or those around him.
As we learn to speak words of wisdom, we increase the likelihood that we will act in wisdom and encourage others to live in godliness.
When we submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, He guides us in the use of our tongues, and our tongues can steer us into Christlike character.
The world teaches that we should speak our minds freely, without regard to the effects our words may have on others.
James exhorts us to “be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God”
No one wants to be lied to, and no one enjoys harsh criticism—even if the criticism is true.
One of the things that distinguish the wise speaker from the fool is that he or she “uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness”
We do well to remember, however, that we are all fools by nature.
Those who wish to grow in wisdom must store up knowledge in much the same way one stores grain in a warehouse or puts money in the bank.
The book of Proverbs addresses many areas of fleshly behavior, both warning against the dangers and admonishing the reader to instead pursue godliness and wisdom.
Solomon and the others who contributed to this book used caricatures, small word portraits of people who are controlled by carnal desires, to caution against living life according to the flesh.
a lazy person who indulges his fleshly desire for rest and pleasure.
The sluggard does not like to work but prefers to sleep long hours and eat gourmet meals.
Ironically, the sluggard simultaneously expends great creative energy in his pursuit of leisure time, dreaming up the most outlandish excuses to avoid work. The sluggard does not act in wisdom.
The Lord wants His children to mortify the flesh, put to death the passions that lead to destruction, and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit.
The authors of Proverbs frequently consider the lower orders of creation to help their readers understand spiritual principles. One such creature is the ant.
The ant provides a picture of industry and self-motivation—a stark contrast to a sluggard.
commanded to work; neither does it have to be supervised to ensure that it carries out its responsibilities correctly.
The ant looks ahead to the future, laying up stores when work is easy to provide for times when work is scarce.
the lazy person overindulges in sedentary activities.
couch potato.
excusing his slothfulness “just this once” and asking for “just a little more.”
The picture here is that poverty will overpower the lazy person, taking him captive and robbing him like an armed thief.
Likewise, when the sluggard realizes he is impoverished, it will be too late for him to do anything about it.
The course of the fool brings grief to his parents and leads him to destruction. But the way of the righteous brings joy to his mother and father and leads him to blessings.
This parental grief is perhaps most deeply felt by the mother, who plays a more intimate role in raising the child.
The sluggard seeks treasures of wickedness that bring no real profit, but the righteous gain the greatest of all treasures—eternal life.
For a while, the wicked and slothful may seem to realize their desires, but in the end God removes their accomplishments because they are evil.
The sluggard, by contrast, does nothing and thus falls into poverty.
This refers to the way righteous people—those who are diligent and studious to walk in righteousness—are remembered by others on earth and by God in heaven after their death.
Wise people listen and are teachable, and as a result they are lifted up. Foolish people, always following their own way, fall because they reject God’s commands. To be wise we must be willing to work at following God’s commands.
Those with integrity (who act on what they believe) exist without fear of some evil being discovered, while those who are perverse and have secret wickedness will not be able to hide it forever.
Laziness leads to enslavement, but the person who works with diligence will rise to roles of leadership—and the sluggard will end up working for him.
The diligent man “tills his land” and pursues whatever labor he finds for his profit.
The hardworking person does his job faithfully, regardless of what that job might be.
He “lives for the weekend,” and his focus is continually on the pursuit of pleasure and entertainment.
the reward of wise words is like the reward for physical labor.
The prudent man is a model of self-control and ignores an insult. He speaks truth and promotes justice.
But the righteous who lead by peace fear nothing, and thus have joy.
the wise person is a model of restraint and humility, speaking what he knows at an appropriate time.
The lazy man needs an overseer, who is pictured here as a slave driver.
