THE WISE WOMAN
“Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him. The proud speech of a fool brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the ox. An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness pours forth lies. A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech.
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them. Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright. The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy. The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow. The backslider in heart will have the fill of his own ways, but a good man will be rewarded for his. The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps. A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a devious man is hated. The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but many are those who love the rich. He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor. Do not those who contrive evil go astray? But those who plan goodness find loving devotion and faithfulness.
There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty. The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the effort of fools is folly. A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is deceitful. He who fears the LORD is secure in confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
A large population is a king’s splendor, but a lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin. A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly. A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him. The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous man has a refuge when he dies. Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; even among fools she is known. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. A king delights in a wise servant, but his anger falls on the shameful.”
“Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him. The proud speech of a fool brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.” Foolishness versus wisdom-the foolish will tear down their own houses with their own hands while the wise build things up. When you walk in uprightness, you fear the Lord and wisdom will protect you.
“An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness pours forth lies. A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech.” Information is only as reliable as the person giving it, and sometimes those who seem most sympathetic are merely currying favor so that they can run out and gossip.
“Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.” Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that He protects the poor. Those who oppress the poor are asking for trouble.
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” The question is how much sin will a nation tolerate? At present, political candidates in the U.S. are fying for preeminence in the primary elections. But many of the candidates have personal lives that don’t bear any kind of scrutiny, let alone close scrutiny. Those of us watching can only pray that God will bring someone to the fore worthy of leading the country.
APPLICATION: Reading the first verse of this chapter, we might well ask, “Why pick on women? Men can destroy a family just as quickly!” While that statement is true, women are the ones who have traditionally been home makers. This is not to ignore those men who as single parents have successfully created safe homes for their children. Those men deserve extra crowns in glory! Being a home maker involves far more than doing the cooking and sweeping, washing dishes and clothes, and tending children.
I might belong to the last generation in which most of our mothers were stay at home moms and home makers. Most of us left for school knowing that Mom was back at the house and that if anything happened during the day, the school could call her for help. We returned home to home-baked cookies and nourishing food. For many of us, our homes were a refuge from whatever was happening at school or in the community. Now did this mean our mothers were HAPPY being stay at home moms? Not necessarily! Once my mother completed her B.A. and began teaching high school English, she was much happier and more fulfilled. After Mom led the way, many other women in our small community also went to school and became nurses and teachers and secretaries in businesses. But Mom guided us kids so that we helped maintain our home as a sanctuary from outside problems.
Robert Frost described home in his poem “The Death of the Hired Man:” “Home is the place where when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” One of the essential qualities of an effective home is peace borne out of mutual respect by family members for one another. There are women who have struggled under the burden of their husband’s alcoholism or drug abuse but who have maintained vibrant homes nonetheless. Looking back, I realize my mother struggled with the spin-offs from my father’s chronic depression. But generally, our home was a safe place and we were taught to respect one another. I never heard my mother criticize my father for his depression.
It’s very easy to destroy a home; infidelity can tear apart the fabric of a family. One set of friends incurred prolonged sexual abuse from their stepfather for years before their mother reluctantly divorced him. Obsessions such as gambling, alcoholism, drug abuse, or even workaholism can shred a family. These days, social media of all kinds presents a clear and present danger to families and must be dealt with promptly and effectively.
Years ago, Gary Smalley and John Trent wrote an incisive book entitled The Gift of Honor. Smalley and Trent pointed out that when family members honor one another, they will love one another and the family will be preserved. But in situations in which the family members fail to honor one another, the family is in terrible trouble. Children who fail to receive honor from their parents will not only fail to honor their parents but will also carry these failings into their own marriages with their own children. It was my great grandfather’s failure to honor my grandfather that helped lead to my grandfather’s chronic depression and in turn to my father’s chronic depression as well. (Even though the Smalley/Trent book is an old one, it is pure gold and well worth reading. It is still available on Amazon.)
How can we keep from destroying our own homes? Pray! Pray! Pray! God loves families; after all, He created them. And God wants your home to be a place of pleasantness and peace and encouragement. Ask God to guide you and He will gladly do it!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, our homes are in jeopardy! Help all of us to pray for ourselves, for our children, and for our spouses, that our homes will become sanctuaries of your Holy Spirit with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment