Today’s passage: Proverbs 12
Helpful thoughts:
- The Hebrew word translated as stupid is used for animals who graze in the field. The idea is this, something is wrong, someone is trying to warn in love, and the animal just keeps grazing as if nothing was happening. Being stupid is like sharing the intellectual capacity of a brute animal.
- One repeated characteristic we see in these proverbs is this: The wicked take life and goods from others in ways they think will benefit themselves, only to find destruction. But the righteous preserve life, deliver those in need, and give themselves for the benefit of others and find life, joy and peace.
- This is also true of our words…not just our actions. (See Matthew 5:21-22)
- Verse 25 gives us a great reminder. The Bible addresses anxiety and depression, their causes and cures. This verse is not all the Bible has to say about them. It may require some diligence to find it, but its there.
Questions to consider:
- Why is it so important to choose good friends? How can you become a good friend to others? What role can and should the church play in this?
- In the contrast of verse 27, what is diligence called? If diligence is a possession, what does that mean we must do to obtain it? Is it something you just have or is it something you must obtain? What will we be if we do not pursue diligence?
- Which proverb(s) stuck out most to you? How can you put it into practice today?
Prayer:
Lord, I pray that we would be a people who are consistently pro-life. Not just in our positions on abortion and euthanasia, but also in the way we talk to and write (or post) about others. May we be a people who sit under the instruction of your word, heed the warnings and respond in faith and obedience. May we fight for the life of others, even those with whom we disagree. Thank you for giving us your wisdom! Thank you for giving us life in the righteousness of Jesus! Thank you for working in us to make us like Him!