Daily Devotional Thursday 12th May 2022
by William Moody
Proverbs 12
12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates reproof is stupid.
2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
but a man of evil devices he condemns.
3 No one is established by wickedness,
but the root of the righteous will never be moved.
4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are just;
the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous will stand.
8 A man is commended according to his good sense,
but one of twisted mind is despised.
9 Better to be lowly and have a servant
than to play the great man and lack bread.
10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast,
but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
12 Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,1
but the righteous escapes from trouble.
14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,
and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice.
16 The vexation of a fool is known at once,
but the prudent ignores an insult.
17 Whoever speaks2 the truth gives honest evidence,
but a false witness utters deceit.
18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
but those who plan peace have joy.
21 No ill befalls the righteous,
but the wicked are filled with trouble.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
but those who act faithfully are his delight.
23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,
but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,
but a good word makes him glad.
26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor,3
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game,
but the diligent man will get precious wealth.4
28 In the path of righteousness is life,
and in its pathway there is no death.Footnotes
[1] 12:13
Or In the transgression of the lips, there is an evil snare
[2] 12:17Hebrew breathes out
[3] 12:26Or The righteous chooses his friends carefully
[4] 12:27Or but diligence is precious wealth (ESV)
Discipline brings knowledge and therefore is loved by the wise, whereas those who hate reproof are foolish (v1). The fool is wise in his own eyes, he thinks he has nothing to learn, but the mark of a wise man is that he listens to advice (v15). There is a challenge here about how open are we to learn, have we a teachable spirit?
There is a contrast between the impact of the righteous and of the wicked on others. The wicked seek to destroy whereas the righteous delight to deliver (v6). The wicked hurt with their rash words whereas the wise bring healing (v18). Are you someone who seeks to hurt and destroy, or someone who works to deliver and heal.
The contrast is not just on the impact on others, but the impact other shave on us. A fool reacts to insults and shows ho he feels whereas the wise person ignores an insult (v18). This is because the feelings of the righteous are not based primarily on the actions of others but on their relationship to God.
The idea of being in control applies also to our words (v23). Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and it must apply to showing restraint in what we say and what we don’t say. A fool has no such restraint.
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