Proverbs 14:16 ESV One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A16&version=ESV] The trap of ‘just a little bit’ is a potent one. Just a little bit of sin, after all, seems so harmless. Stealing a banana at the grocery store, being just a…
Proverbs 14:15 ESV The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A15&version=ESV] Every day, you are presented with the same choice a myriad of times: do I believe what I am told or do I not? You can’t believe everything you’re told- that leads to stupidity like treating diseases with…
Proverbs 14:14 ESV The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A14&version=ESV] The contrast today is similar to, but not precisely the same as, a theme we’ve encountered often in Proverbs, as recently as verse 11…
Proverbs 14:13 ESV Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A13&version=ESV] The Bible can be a real downer. Sin, judgement, taxes… they’re all unpleasant things to confront. This verse is, honestly, among those unpleasant topics. As will become clear with an understanding of its context, though, this…
Proverbs 14:12 ESV There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A12&version=ESV] The number of utopian solutions to society is beyond counting. The number of times you’ve thought, “That’s a great idea!” is also likely beyond counting, at least if you’re given to enthusiasm.…
Proverbs 14:11 ESV The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A11&version=ESV] The idea of family heritage often gets sidelined in American culture. We pride ourselves on being individualistic; we pride ourselves on being self-made, not reliant on others for our achievements. The Bible, though, doesn’t…
Proverbs 14:10 ESV The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A10&version=ESV] No matter how well someone knows you, ultimately they are a different person. Nobody can literally feel somebody else’s happiness or somebody else’s bitterness; nobody can quite grasp the fullness of somebody else’s emotions. Sympathy, empathy, psychopathy, it…
Proverbs 14:9 ESV Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A9&version=ESV] Getting a gift you really wanted- the next book in your favorite series, two hours extra of sleep, etc.- is an occasion of joy. Most people, when they open such a gift or understand its reality, are glad, accepting…
Proverbs 14:8 ESV The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A8&version=ESV] “Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit,” says Matthew 15:14, and Christ isn’t talking about literal blind men here. He’s…
Proverbs 14:7 ESV Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A7&version=ESV] As is appropriate for a doctor’s website, today’s proverb is about an infection. This infection, however, is of the spirit, not the body. Being around fools, particularly when you listen to them, is bad for…