Proverbs 14
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JoeUser Forums
OK, the Bible studies are back. Man, it's been so long since I've done this.... hopefully I'll remember how 
As usual, you can click where it says "Link" to go to the online text of the passage:
Link
v. 2 -- God has clearly spelled out what He wants for our lives in the Bible. Those people who believe in God but aren't willing to do what He says are basically slapping Him in the face. It's kind of like this kids' devotional I read a long time ago that talks about this girl who tells her mom she loves her but then goes out and does all kinds of horrible things that her mom would never approve of. You can't claim to love God if you don't do what He says. Real love is demonstrated by actions.
v. 7 -- There's nothing more frustrating than getting yourself hopelessly bogged down in an argument with someone who simply refuses to use any common sense.... except for possibly watching it happen to someone else. When you're discussing an important issue with someone and it becomes obvious that they won't listen to anything you say, regardless of how sensible it may be, it's best to just drop the issue and go do something else. Don't waste your time in a situation that will only tempt you to sin by getting angry and lashing out at the person.
v. 10 -- There are a lot of things in life that bring us joy or sadness way out of proportion to their actual significance. I remember the first time I saw a coyote in the wild. I was thrilled to death, but I couldn't really talk about it to any of my friends 'cause I knew that none of them really cared. It's kind of like the song "You Get Me" by ZOEgirl. A lot of what goes on in our emotions can only be understood by God, so don't even bother trying to meet your needs through other humans. Go to Him first.
v. 20-21 -- True friends will always be there for each other, regardless of the circumstances. That whole "for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer" thing kind of applies to friendship in general, not just marriage. Here God shows us His dislike for people who make friendships for no better reason than to get gain for themselves. You can tell these people 'cause they make friends with the rich guys but ignore those of lower social status. They think they can make their way in the world and get rich and famous that way, but God tells us that ultimately those who befriend the poor will have the reward.
v. 31 -- This is like Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats. You may think that some random destitute person is nothing more than a speck in the grand scheme of things and not really worth helping, but you would be wrong. Jesus tells us that anything we do for another person is effectively done to Him. That means that ignoring the poor is ignoring God, which is really not a good way to live one's life.
As usual, you can click where it says "Link" to go to the online text of the passage:
Link
v. 2 -- God has clearly spelled out what He wants for our lives in the Bible. Those people who believe in God but aren't willing to do what He says are basically slapping Him in the face. It's kind of like this kids' devotional I read a long time ago that talks about this girl who tells her mom she loves her but then goes out and does all kinds of horrible things that her mom would never approve of. You can't claim to love God if you don't do what He says. Real love is demonstrated by actions.
v. 7 -- There's nothing more frustrating than getting yourself hopelessly bogged down in an argument with someone who simply refuses to use any common sense.... except for possibly watching it happen to someone else. When you're discussing an important issue with someone and it becomes obvious that they won't listen to anything you say, regardless of how sensible it may be, it's best to just drop the issue and go do something else. Don't waste your time in a situation that will only tempt you to sin by getting angry and lashing out at the person.
v. 10 -- There are a lot of things in life that bring us joy or sadness way out of proportion to their actual significance. I remember the first time I saw a coyote in the wild. I was thrilled to death, but I couldn't really talk about it to any of my friends 'cause I knew that none of them really cared. It's kind of like the song "You Get Me" by ZOEgirl. A lot of what goes on in our emotions can only be understood by God, so don't even bother trying to meet your needs through other humans. Go to Him first.
v. 20-21 -- True friends will always be there for each other, regardless of the circumstances. That whole "for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer" thing kind of applies to friendship in general, not just marriage. Here God shows us His dislike for people who make friendships for no better reason than to get gain for themselves. You can tell these people 'cause they make friends with the rich guys but ignore those of lower social status. They think they can make their way in the world and get rich and famous that way, but God tells us that ultimately those who befriend the poor will have the reward.
v. 31 -- This is like Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats. You may think that some random destitute person is nothing more than a speck in the grand scheme of things and not really worth helping, but you would be wrong. Jesus tells us that anything we do for another person is effectively done to Him. That means that ignoring the poor is ignoring God, which is really not a good way to live one's life.