50 DAYS OF WISDOM - DAY 36 "Wisdom as speaking less" Proverbs 17:16-28

SALT WATER

Surf has been bad this week so riding Saturday was epic

CLEAN WATER

We have so much water available that we let it fall from the sky, we play in it & it melts away

LIVING WATER

I got to teach a class of 16 Doctoral students last year through Asbury Seminary with my good friends Dr. Ed Love and Dr. Larry Walkemeyer. I had a great time learning and sharing and it made me realize how much I enjoy teaching in its many different capacities

If you could be with us today as we look at Proverbs chapter 17, starting in verse 16, you do me a favor and subscribe and share. Every time we do that, it enables us to get the message out about salt water, clean water, and living water to more and more people.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Verse 16 says, why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom when they're not able to understand it . What it's getting at here is an inaccurate value exchange. Having money to purchase information is only useful if you have the humility, which is the foundation of wisdom, to be able to interpret the information that you're purchasing. So money doesn't translate into having the ability to purchase information that you'll understand unless you have humility. You've heard me talk many times about humility being the foundation for our growth and for everything that God wants to do in our life. If you have everything else but you're lacking humility, you're really missing the point.

And so look at verse 17. Here a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for a time of adversity. This verse defines brotherhood and friendship as the person who will be there for you during the most difficult parts of your life. Those are who your real friends are. So make note.

Verse 18, one who has no sense shakes hands and pledge and puts up security for a neighbor. So we don't want to cosign for other people's debts. Don't do that. Look at verse 18. Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin, but whoever builds a high gate invites destruction. So if you love quarreling, you love fighting, you love arguing, sin is never far behind. We want to make sure that we avoid situations in people that are constantly cantankerous and quarrelsome and argumentative.

Look at verse 20. One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper. One whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble. So the Bible teaches that God looks for your heart, that he wants to honor your heart, and the intention behind your decision making. The intention behind your decision making should be to please the Lord. But those who perverse fall into trouble. Why? Because the intention of their heart is not pure. It's not bent towards wanting to make God proud.

Verse 21, to have a fool for a child brings grief. There's no joy for the parent of a godless fool. Children that are compliant, that are obedient, that are wisdom, are the joy of a parent. It's a child's job and the quality you want to foster in your children is one of humility, one of obedience, one of dependency upon God, and one really of just being compliant.

Verse 22, a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Having joy, having a cheerful attitude will bring life to the people around you. The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice. You don't have to get around systems of power for too long to understand that bribery is usually used in many instances and in many circumstances for people to get what it is that they want. Bible doesn't teach bribery.

Verse 24, a discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. The fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth because they can't focus on wisdom. Once you make attaining wisdom the utmost goal of your life, you quit looking around for other things to take your attention.

Verse 25, a foolish son brings grief to his father, but in bitterness to the mother who bore him. So again, the Bible teaches us to lean towards wisdom to steer away from foolishness.

Verse 26, if imposing a fine on the innocent is not good, surely to flog honest officials is not right. The Bible teaches justice and equity in all situations.

Verse 27, the one who has knowledge uses words with restraint. Person who has knowledge isn't going to speak as much, they're going to listen more. And whoever has understanding is even tempered. When you have understanding you learn to see both sides of a dispute or a disagreement. And then lastly, great verse, even fools are thought wise that they keep silent and discerning if they hold their tongues. So if you speak less, listen more, you'll be learning more and you'll be doing other people a favor by not giving advice that you don't know what you're talking about.

So much gold here in Proverbs. I'm so glad you could join with me again as we just take a practical look at these scriptures. They really hit us where they live, where we live every single day. Thank you so much. Until next time, I hope you have a beautiful day.