Category Archives: Proverbs

Reading:
Proverbs 22:11-20

My daughter Dora sews customized plain dresses. These are customized in the sense that the customer measures herself and provides Dora with fifteen or so measurements. From those measurements my wife Ruby makes a unique dress pattern for the customer. Then Dora sews the dress. That dress is fitted to the customer.

Now catch this:

“Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise” (17).

“For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withall be fitted in thy lips” (18).

Humble yourself, Mark, and listen to the wisdom of others.

If you listen with the intent to remember and apply, their wisdom will eventually become fitted exactly to your lips, your needs, your circumstances.

Wow! I like that!

[Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise (Proverbs 22:17)]
from Proverbs 22:17

A little bit more from Proverbs 22: Don’t Give Up!

Reading:
Proverbs 22:1-10

“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished” (3).

When I came to that verse, I thought economics and finances. As the economy “readjusts” (or outright collapses), I should do what I can to reduce my debt load. (Put that way, it sure doesn’t have any ring of urgency to it!)

Then, as I read on, I processed some of the following verses through the filter of verse one: Hide from the coming evil!

“Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them” (5).

“…The borrower is servant to the lender” (7).

“He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity…” (8).

“He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed” (9).

“Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease” (10).

[The borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7)]
from Proverbs 22:7

A little bit more from Proverbs 22: Will. Not. Depart. From.