Proverbs 16
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JoeUser Forums
Sorry I didn't get this up sooner. My internet connection was down yesterday morning.
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v. 1 -- I'm not exactly sure what this verse means, but it's interesting 'cause I've had experiences that kinda sound like it. There are a lot of times when people come to me for advice/counseling, and oftentimes one of two things will happen: (1) I'll be totally clueless as to what to say to help them, but then suddenly God will give me this brilliant idea, or (2) I'll think I know exactly what to say and then suddenly find myself saying something totally different. It's kinda cool how God works all that out. Ultimately His message of wisdom gets out, no matter what we think the right thing is.
v. 9 -- This is a common situation in the life of a Christian: You have your life all planned out, and you think you know exactly what do to and when to do it in order to reach some goal. Then God steps in and wrecks everything. You think it's the end of the world. Your goal will never be reached because the whole path has been messed up. Then, eventually you discover that God has a totally different goal for you and that you better just go along with it 'cause He isn't gonna let you do anything else. Finally, you reach His goal and discover that it's a whole lot cooler than what you originally had planned for.
vv. 18-19 -- This passage reminds me of that illustration Jesus used. He talked about how stupid you would feel if you went to a banquet and sat at the head of the table and then had to be asked to move down to a lower place. And there's another place in Proverbs that says something like, "Let other people praise you instead of doing it yourself." The moral of the story is that we should assume a humble position. Then we have the possibility of being exalted publicly. But when you exalt yourself, the only direction anyone else can take you is down.
v. 26 -- This is why, for the most part, government handouts are not a good idea. They reduce the incentive to work. If people know that food only comes from work and that they'll starve before too long if they want to live a lazy life, then they'll work. This, in turn, makes society as a whole a lot more productive. It's just another example of how God's principles really do work better than the stuff we come up with on our own.
v. 32 -- This whole concept seems a bit odd at first, but it makes sense if you think about it. I've always found it very silly how people get angry and scream and roar and think that it makes them look tough. Well, it doesn't. It makes them look like wimps. When somebody makes you mad, the natural tendency is to want to hurt them. So if you react upon them violently, you're simply giving in to your natural urges. On the other hand, if you resist your natural urges and exercise some self-control, that shows fortitude and toughness. You're taking control of the situation and not letting your physical feelings get the mastery of you.
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v. 1 -- I'm not exactly sure what this verse means, but it's interesting 'cause I've had experiences that kinda sound like it. There are a lot of times when people come to me for advice/counseling, and oftentimes one of two things will happen: (1) I'll be totally clueless as to what to say to help them, but then suddenly God will give me this brilliant idea, or (2) I'll think I know exactly what to say and then suddenly find myself saying something totally different. It's kinda cool how God works all that out. Ultimately His message of wisdom gets out, no matter what we think the right thing is.
v. 9 -- This is a common situation in the life of a Christian: You have your life all planned out, and you think you know exactly what do to and when to do it in order to reach some goal. Then God steps in and wrecks everything. You think it's the end of the world. Your goal will never be reached because the whole path has been messed up. Then, eventually you discover that God has a totally different goal for you and that you better just go along with it 'cause He isn't gonna let you do anything else. Finally, you reach His goal and discover that it's a whole lot cooler than what you originally had planned for.
vv. 18-19 -- This passage reminds me of that illustration Jesus used. He talked about how stupid you would feel if you went to a banquet and sat at the head of the table and then had to be asked to move down to a lower place. And there's another place in Proverbs that says something like, "Let other people praise you instead of doing it yourself." The moral of the story is that we should assume a humble position. Then we have the possibility of being exalted publicly. But when you exalt yourself, the only direction anyone else can take you is down.
v. 26 -- This is why, for the most part, government handouts are not a good idea. They reduce the incentive to work. If people know that food only comes from work and that they'll starve before too long if they want to live a lazy life, then they'll work. This, in turn, makes society as a whole a lot more productive. It's just another example of how God's principles really do work better than the stuff we come up with on our own.
v. 32 -- This whole concept seems a bit odd at first, but it makes sense if you think about it. I've always found it very silly how people get angry and scream and roar and think that it makes them look tough. Well, it doesn't. It makes them look like wimps. When somebody makes you mad, the natural tendency is to want to hurt them. So if you react upon them violently, you're simply giving in to your natural urges. On the other hand, if you resist your natural urges and exercise some self-control, that shows fortitude and toughness. You're taking control of the situation and not letting your physical feelings get the mastery of you.