Day 10 of Proverbs

Day 10 of Proverbs
June 8, 2013

Proverbs 10

This proverb describes the way of life and actions of the wise, righteous, and understanding, in contrast to the way of life of the foolish, wicked and violent : one leading to blessing and health, the other to vexation and destruction.

There are just too many great verses to write about, so I am just going to pick out a few to share here and tell you why they are important for me.

Please go ahead and enjoy chapter 10 of proverbs for yourself!

1. Verse 9. “He who walks with integrity, walks securely,……”

I think of integrity as a high calling. My prayer is to walk through this life with integrity, to the best of my ability, but you might want to ask “What is integrity?”

According to Wikipedia:

“Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions……….

The word “integrity” stems from the Latin adjective integer (whole, complete). In this context, integrity is the inner sense of “wholeness” deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others “have integrity” to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.”

Merriam Webster defines integrity as:
“1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility
2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness

A high calling indeed! One that I know for me can be fulfilled only as I walk through this life with Christ securely at the center. Christ in my life is the only way I have found to bring wholeness and completeness to a life that was broken and messy. It is a lifelong process, but He is keeping me honest with myself and with others as I go through it.

2. Verse 19-21 “The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words.
The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart. ”
(Proverbs 10:19-21 MSG)

These verses remind me of the great wisdom of my husband. One of the first things I noticed about my late husband, Jim, that seriously drew me to him, was his evident wisdom. He was often a man of few words, but the ones he actually said were solid, deliberate, and precise and always perfectly apt to the situation.

I would witness his patience in hearing all viewpoints before making his brief, powerful and commanding contribution to the conversation. I continued to see this throughout his lifetime. “Rich fare” indeed…..and blessed I was by it!

My husband was not perfect. I’m not saying that, for those of you who are wondering. He wasn’t past telling his favorite jokes and repeating his favorite stories, like anyone else, and he had his sometimes regrettable moments 😉 However, his wisdom in so many a situation was a shining thing of beauty and a treasure to behold! I thank God for him!

3. Verses 12,18, 31 and 32 “Hatred starts fights, but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.
Liars secretly hoard hatred; fools openly spread slander.
A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.
The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it. (Proverbs 10:12, 18, 31, 32 MSG)

“Hatred stirs up strife but love covers all sins”. I love the Message translation, “love pulls a quilt over the bickering”. These verses speak of the healing and encompassing quality of the wisdom of love as opposed to the divisive and destructive damage done by the foolishness of hatred.
I see that hatred is borne out of selfishness. Love brings about wholesome bonding with others.

Father, I just want to come before you now, in all of my imperfection, and thank you for the words of this proverb today and how they have ministered into my own needy soul, and to ask You to sink them deep into my memory and my life in a way that will really impact my walk through this life in relation to others and most of all to You, that You would be pleased and that others might be pointed towards You and find You in the midst of their seeking. Amen.

Blessings!!

❤ ❤ ❤