The Reply of the Tongue Is from the LORD
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD. All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD. Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be achieved.
The LORD has made everything for His purpose—even the wicked for the day of disaster. Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD; be assured that he will not go unpunished. By loving devotion and faithfulness is iniquity atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD a man turns aside from evil.
When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him. Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice. A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth must not betray justice. Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are His concern.
Wicked behavior is detestable to kings, for a throne is established through righteousness. Righteous lips are a king’s delight, and he who speaks honestly is beloved. The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it. When a king’s face brightens, there is life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold; to gain understanding is more desirable than silver. The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant speech promotes instruction. Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor, but the discipline of fools is folly. The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger drives him onward. A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends. A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good. He who winks his eye devises perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil.
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness. He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city. The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD. All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD. Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be achieved.” Want to succeed? Do things God’s way. Want to mess up? Go your own way without any reference to God. While the song “My Way” might have helped enhance Frank Sinatra’s fame; in fact, following the advice given by that song is a recipe for disaster.
“The LORD has made everything for His purpose—even the wicked for the day of disaster. Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD; be assured that he will not go unpunished. By loving devotion and faithfulness is iniquity atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD a man turns aside from evil.” Don’t be deceived; some day you will be used of God somehow. There’s a saying in the American South that “Everyone is good for something; some people merely serve as bad examples!” Follow God if you don’t want to wind up as a bad example.
“When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him. Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice. A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” “But!” you splutter, “I thought we have free will.” You do. You can follow God or try and run your life by yourself. But if you choose a wrong course, by definition, you will wind up messing up your life. “But, “ you might argue, “I see evil people doing whatever they want without any consequences.” Oh really? Just because you don’t hear about something does not mean that it is not happening.
“Wicked behavior is detestable to kings, for a throne is established through righteousness. Righteous lips are a king’s delight, and he who speaks honestly is beloved.” Face it, no ruler wants to be embarrassed by supporters. “
“How much better to acquire wisdom than gold; to gain understanding is more desirable than silver. The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to divide the spoil with the proud.” There are several laws of the Kingdom of God that repeat themselves throughout the Bible. “He who humbles himself will be exalted and he who exalts himself will be humbled.” (Matthew 23:12)
“Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant speech promotes instruction.” Ever try teaching someone who want to listen? That situation has been compared to attempting to teach a pig to sing: It only frustrates you and annoys the pig. If you are trying to instruct someone and all you get back is sass and nonsense, after awhile, you will simply quit. Why waste time and energy on someone who clearly is not interested?
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger drives him onward. A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends. A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good. He who winks his eye devises perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil.” We all know them-the gossip mongers, the purveyors of vicious rumors, and those who create unhappiness wherever they go. If you are a leader, you must try to neutralize them if at all possible; otherwise, they might completely derail your best efforts. Years ago, we lost support from one group because a few staff members chose to go on strike during a visit from that group. That ridiculous action has cost our hospital thousands of dollars in hard-to-get medical supplies group members were bringing annually.
“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness. He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city. The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” The implication here is that the righteous will live longer than the unrighteous. Now we all can point to sterling examples of vicious people who have lived a long time; perhaps God has been giving them every opportunity to repent. On the other hand, Oswald Chambers, one of my favorite Christian authors, died at the age of 43 from complications of a ruptured appendix. Bottom line: we are not God and only God knows the human heart.
Self-control is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, but why? For any of us in positions of authority, we know how dreadfully easy it is to lose our tempers and say things we bitterly regret later. Capturing a city depends on a number of people, not just on one individual. But exercising self-control is an individual matter; nobody else can help us apart from God. We must control our thoughts, our words, and our actions ourselves.
What’s this about casting lots? Is the Bible condoning gambling? We must remember that at the time this was written, casting lots was considered wise and acceptable; people were trusting that God would control the outcome.
APPLICATION: Again, this chapter of Proverbs appears to be a grab bag of wisdom; however, two themes run through it consistently. One theme is humility: those who humble themselves will be promoted. The second theme is self-control. Without self-control we are likely to gossip or to do something embarrassing or tragic. Self-control actually leads to humility. When we realize our shortcomings, we are more than willing to be humble and to be careful about our words and actions. Care with words and actions is a demonstration of self-control.
The bottom line is that when we allow God to guide us, our lives will work. When we insist on following our own plans, we can find ourselves in a mess.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You for guidance and promotion. Thank You for giving us all the fruits of the Holy Spirit. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment