Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Year 2, Day 318: Proverbs 27

Tomorrow

As often happens in these chapters, I love the opening verse.  We are not to boast about tomorrow, for we do not know what the day holds for us.  At first I thought that this was rather depressing advice.  It seems like the author is advocating for us to not be excited about the future.  Then I realized that there is a difference between excitement and boasting.  So long as we are excited in hopefulness of what God may bring and not boasting in what we are demanding God to bring then I think that we’re okay.

The Goodness of the Open Rebuke

The next verse that really caught my eye is verse 5.  Better is open rebuke than hidden love.  I had to really ponder this one for a while before I decided whether or not I truly agreed with it.  In the end, I have to say that I did agree with it.  I believe this proverb is more about communication and community than it is about contrasting rebuke and love.  What the author seems to be saying is that it is better to be in a relationship where people have the trust to be open even about the negative things than to be in a place where people can’t even talk openly about the things we love.  Community is built upon openness with one another.  Community is built on trust.

Being Full Without Over-indulging

As a person who loves to eat, Proverbs 27:7 really hit home as well.  The person who is full has no want; the person who is hungry wants anything that will satisfy.  Remember Proverbs 25:16?  If you find honey, eat only your fill.  Otherwise you will vomit it all up.  This proverb truly seems to be advocating a similar line of thinking.  Keep yourself lean and hungry.  Keep yourself ready and willing to hear God’s Word wherever it may be found.  Don’t let yourself get to the point of saying, “I’ve had enough God for now.”  Spiritually pace yourself so that you are always anticipating the next big thing that the Lord will do in your life.

People Who Quarrel

Proverbs 27:15-16 are another pair of verses that really jumped out at me today.  I know in the context it is specifically talking about a quarrelsome wife, but I’m going to open it up to quarrelsome people in general.  Ever know someone who no matter what you say wants to get into an argument about it?  Or perhaps worse, ever know someone who never seems to be able to stop rehashing the same arguments over and over?  You can’t get anything positively done in either of those circumstances!  People who are in the quarreling mindset are nearly impossible to work with because they cannot move beyond the quarrel.  They cannot agree to disagree.  They cannot choose to exist in a community and let the differences go.  Such people cause the community to sputter, stall, and eat itself alive.

Iron Sharpens Iron

Proverbs 27:17 is one of the most often quoted of the Proverbs; and it is a good one.  Iron sharpens iron.  In other words, if you want to become a good plumber, go to a good plumber and ask for advice.  If you want to be a good soldier, go and train with people who are already good soldiers.  If you want to be a godly person, hang around godly people so that they can train you in how to be godly.  You can only improve yourself if you go to people who are at least as good as you in a particular task.

One’s Heart Reflects One’s Character

Proverbs 27:19 is another good one.  The heart reflects the character of a man just as water reflects the man’s face.  Do you want to know a person?  Don’t judge them solely by what they say.  Don’t even solely judge them by what they do.  Get to know the person.  Listen to their soul.  There you will get a taste of what is truly deep within.  Good people make mistakes.  Bad people do seemingly good things for all the wrong reasons.  The only way to truly get to know a person is to get to know their spirit within.

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