Today’s passage: Proverbs 17
Helpful thoughts:
- People are prone give their ears to those they believe will say what they want to hear.
- Verse 9 refers to gossip. If someone has sinned in such a way to harm others and break the law, authorities need to know. There is a difference between calling the police and posting publicly on social media.
- Once water breaks through the dam, your can’t control where it will go or what damage it will do (Verse 14).
- “Makes his door high” in verse 19 refers to flaunting your wealth or success.
Questions to consider:
- How could verse 22 be a good help in parenting, teaching, leadership, etc.?
- What do many of the verses in this chapter say about justice? Should Christians support justice in the world? Why is supporting justice so difficult in this world? How might the world define justice differently and why? How might the world disagree with how injustices should be made right and why? How does understanding these differences (And heeding verses like verse 12) help us to know how or when to engage discussions more wisely?
- Which proverb sticks out the most to you? How can you put it into practice today?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for being just. And thank you for sending Jesus to pay the penalty of our sin, so that we would be declared, “Justified” before you. Lord, help us to remember that only Jesus can make things right and therefore, to long for His return. And, may we grow to become more like Him in this world…loving you and loving our neighbors. Please be with the fathers of our church. May their children look to them and see their love for Jesus, that when they glory in their fathers, they would glory in you.