Proverbs 14

Bible Passage: Proverbs 14

So many things to talk about… So little time… (Just imagine if we all discuss each and every word of wisdom in Proverbs, your scrollbar is gonna be the size of an ant!)

Just the like in the previous postings, I’ll only be sharing a few verses that struck me the most, although in actual fact, all did strike me somewhat. But first I’ll like to look back at a verse in the early chapters of Proverbs.

Fear Of The Lord

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction..

Proverbs 1: 7

Remember this verse? I think we would be familiar with this. And now the verses from Proverbs 14.

He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises Him..

Proverbs 14: 2

Those who follow and obey the commandments of God and remain righteous are those who fear the Lord. And we know that the teachings of God are that of much wisdom, and we would be wise to keep His teachings in our hearts. But if we are fools, we would despise His teachings and commandments, and we would be perverse in our ways. Worse still, could this also mean that we despise God too?

Do we despise God in a direct sense? I think certainly not. But then again, if we don’t seek His wisdom, would that still mean we despise Him in another sense? Perhaps we can think about that and examine ourselves..

In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge..

Proverbs 14: 26

If we fear the Lord, if we obey His commandments wholeheartedly, then I think that we would have this confidence.. The confidence that the things we do, as in our ways would be pleasing in His sight.. The confidence that He will surely be our refuge in times of distress.. The confidence that no matter what befalls upon us, we would not waiver in our faith nor would we fear sufferings..

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to avoid the snares of death..

Proverbs 14: 27

We know that the words of God are words of life. Wonderful words of life. These are the words that will lead us to eternal life (John 6: 68). If we hear and obey them, we will be on our way towards the heavenly kingdom.

Also, the words of God are like a guide to us. A lamp to our feet, a light to our path.. We will be alerted of the hidden traps set before us by the devil. Thus, we can avoid them and not be taken away from the right path.

Just A Thought..

Well, this would be the end of my short sharing. But before ending, just a personal comment..

I’m sure as we read all the chapters, we notice that there are many recurring comparisons. But all put in a variety of ways and each are still somewhat unique.

Wisdom vs. folly..

Righteousness vs. wickedness..

Diligence vs. sloth..

Gentleness vs. wrath..

Willingness to listen vs. stubbornness to heed..

Humility vs. pride..

Contentment vs. greed..

Integrity vs. dishonesty..

The list just goes on and on…

As we continue to read Proverbs, perhaps we can always look carefully at each and every comparison and determine where we stand. It’s kinda like those survey forms where we select from a scale of “Agree” to “Disagree” for each question.

E.g.: In all labour there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty.. (v. 23)

Qn: I have been diligent and not just N.A.T.O. (No Action, Talk Only). – Agree / Disagree

I think like in most of these survey forms, if we actually do this as we study Proverbs, we’ll have a mixture of good and bad responses.

But still, let us strive in our life of faith such that we can be more on the good side in the comparisons as laid out in this book.