Proverbs 24
Proverbs 24:1-9:
Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
2 For their heart devises violence,
And their lips talk of troublemaking.
3 Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4 By knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is strong,
Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;
6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,
And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.
7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate.
8 He who plots to do evil
Will be called a schemer.
9 The devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
2 For their heart devises violence,
And their lips talk of troublemaking.
3 Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4 By knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is strong,
Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;
6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,
And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.
7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate.
8 He who plots to do evil
Will be called a schemer.
9 The devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
Proverbs 24:10:
10 If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. |
Everybody can skip through life when the sidewalk is smooth. But whether you’re a Christian or an unbeliever, we’re all going to experience segments of life in a pressure cooker. That’s where the rubber meets the road and you find out what you‘re made of. “You are a poor specimen if you can’t stand the pressure of adversity” (Proverbs 24:10 TLB).
When heartache, adversity, and disappointments knock on your door, that means they have arrived. And you better know what to do with them. Don’t hang out the “welcome” sign or roll out the red carpet! Adversities are uninvited and unwelcome visitors and they cannot take up residence in your life. Don’t let troubles set up camp in your heart and soul. We have to know how to hand them off to Jesus and keep them in proper perspective. Otherwise, they will get out of hand and be blown up all out of proportion. We have to deal with adversities similar to what Samson did — tie their tails together, set ’em on fire and send ‘em packin’ (Judges 15:4-5). -Carolyn Tucker |
Proverbs 24:11-13:
11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,”
Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
13 My son, eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,”
Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
13 My son, eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
Proverbs 24:14-15:
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off. 15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not plunder his resting place; |
Over the last couple of years, I have written about COVID-19 and the importance of adjusting what we do as we learn more about the virus. This is all in hopes of reducing the anxiety and fear of the unknown and bolstering hope and confidence. It is in consideration of Proverbs 24:14 that says: “Know also that wisdom is like honey for you… if you find it, there is a future hope for you and your hope will not be cut off.” -Phillip Rozeman
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Proverbs 24:16:
For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. |
Former NewSpring Church Pastor Perry Noble is assuring people who've made serious mistakes in life, such as having affairs or succumbing to drug and alcohol abuse, that "God's not done" with them and they still have an opportunity to transform their lives.
Noble said in a Facebook video on Tuesday that he has recently been finding inspiration in the Bible verse Proverbs 24:16, which states in part that "for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again."Noble, who has admitted in statements this past year that he was "deceived by sin, alcohol, and myself," which led to his firing from NewSpring, clarified that people are not righteous because of anything they have done, but "because of what Christ has done for us. " "The Bible says that although the righteous, those who are in Christ, fall seven times, they get back up." He offered encouragement to "those of us who have done something that we regret, or have fallen," and said that "if you abused drugs or alcohol for a season — I know something about that — get back up," referring to some of his own struggles. "What defeated us, does not have to define us, if we are in Christ. If you fail, get back up. If you had an affair, and just moved past it — get back up. Don't go back there, get back out of where you had fallen. If you stole money, if you embezzled money and it defeated you for so long, get back up," he continued. SOURCE: Christian Post |
Proverbs 24:17-18:
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him. |
If you are on the political right, you might view TV commentators like Chris Cuomo or Rachel Maddow as “the enemy.” In the same way, many on the political left view commentators like Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity as “the enemy.” It is no surprise, therefore, that many on the right are gloating over CNN’s firing of Chris Cuomo, just as many on the left gloated when Bill O’Reilly had to leave Fox.
But the book of Proverbs has something to say about this, stating: “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them” (Proverbs 24:17-18, NIV). Let’s remember that, in biblical times, when reference was made to an “enemy,” it was often to a mortal enemy, someone trying to defame you or destroy you. Such a person was dead set on doing you great harm, not to mention potentially hurting your family as well. Such a person wanted to kill you or, at the least, render you completely powerless and disgraced. Your downfall would be their success, your demise was their victory. And so, you prayed that God would stop them in their paths. That He would do to them what they planned to do to you. That their evil intentions would boomerang back onto them. “Bring them down, Lord!” you cried. And that is exactly what He did, throwing them down from their lofty perch. But at that moment, when He answered your prayers, it was not the time to gloat. Instead, it was the time for reverent worship, for holy thanksgiving, and for personal circumspection. It was the time for humility, not pride. Otherwise, Proverbs warned, if you fell into jubilant gloating — as opposed to thanking God for His justice and intervention — the Lord might stop dealing with the pride and sin of your enemy and turn back and deal with you. -Michael Brown |
Proverbs 24:19-34:
19 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked;
20 For there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those given to change;
22 For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin those two can bring?
23 These things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him.
25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27 Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, For would you deceive with your lips?
29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”
30 I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest;
34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.
19 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked;
20 For there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those given to change;
22 For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin those two can bring?
23 These things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him.
25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27 Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, For would you deceive with your lips?
29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”
30 I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest;
34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.