Proverbs 14: 14-25….Be honest in your assessing; take these into consideration.

14 The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways. – You will reap what you sow!
15 The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps. – Here ‘simple’ isn’t an intellectual thing but is the antithesis of prudent!
16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless. – Look before you leap!
17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated. – Quick tempered and devising evil aren’t the same but both lead to the same type of end – hated as a fool!
18 The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. – See 15 above but taken a step further the label of ‘a fool’ is exchanged for a crown depending on your attitude!
19 The evil bow down before the good,
the wicked at the gates of the righteous. – This maybe should be true but certainly in the short term isn’t always! In the long long term? Yes!
20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
but the rich has many friends. – A sad statement of what society is often like and maybe even usually be like!
21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. – James in the NT says that ‘True religion is to care for the orphans and widows in distress’!
22 Do they not go astray who devise evil? – surely this is true even if the devisers think that they have won the day! Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness. – The laws (eg the anti-conversion laws) being passed these days seem to make doing good worthy of fines or imprisonment! But God provides the steadfast love and faithfulness.
23 In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to poverty. – I’m sure that you can think of instances where this is not true. Con men can get much gain from slick words and no work etc, but as a generalization it is true!
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the folly of fools brings folly. – Remember the old hymn ‘I’d rather have Jesus than silver and gold’? There are some crowns made of paper!
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who breathes out lies is deceitful. – Back to simple everyday truth to be lived by!

Prayer: Help me to be honest in my living and with my devotion to You shining bright!