Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness
“Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife. A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers. A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue. He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father. Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler! A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends. A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool. An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly. If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house. To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out. Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD. Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction. The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble. A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice. Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth. A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty. A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit. Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.”
“Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife. A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers. A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.” Forget “Lives of the Rich and Famous!” If you want true peace, you need a quiet spirit. The concept of a virtuous servant inheriting instead of a ne’er-do-well son was a shocking one, but it could happen. We must remember that God is the final tester of all hearts.
“A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue. He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.” One key law of the Kingdom of God is that the measure you give out is the measure you will receive, or “What goes around comes around.”
“Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.” One of the joys of parenthood is watching your children grow into productive adults who raise wonderful children. But as grandparents, we must pray for our children and grandchildren and for their future offspring as well.
“Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.” The Bible says a lot about acts of love, but what is meant by this verse? Are we supposed to harbor criminals? No. The offenses referred to here are the sand in your shoes, nitty-gritty irritations we all suffer from people who speak without thinking or offensive situations that we encounter. Really, what good does bringing up these hurts accomplish? When we complain about those things that offend us, we are demonstrating how petty and immature we can be. And who wants to listen to a Debbie Downer? Few things are more revolting than someone who is a chronic griper. There’s also another aspect: How do we sound to others? How certain are we that we are not offending others, particularly if we are given to complaining? As my late mother used to say, “Put a sock in it!”
“It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly. If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.” It’s amazing but true that sometimes the more deluded people are, the more they cling to their delusions in the hopes that their persistence will somehow magically transform their misbeliefs.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.” Loyalty is a rare and priceless commodity, but it’s important to make certain you are being loyal to the right people. Standing surety for a loan can leave you in debt if the debtor reneges on the loan.
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” See our earlier discussion. Joy is contagious. The late Christian author and speaker Barbara Johnson devoted one room of her home to things that gave her joy. Not only did Barbara collect joyful items but those enjoying her ministry also sent her all kinds of things. Although you might not want to have such a large collection, it’s always good to keep a mental list of those things that give you joy and to thank God for those things rather than obsessing about your problems.
APPLICATION: Once more, we have a chapter of Proverbs containing lots of great pithy sayings. As you read through this chapter, you will find that a few of the verses leap out at you while others just sit there. No problem. The verses that are speaking to you today are God’s Word for you today. Read this same chapter some other time, and it’s quite likely that the verses that were so significant today will fade into the background while other verses will claim your attention. This is the magnificent thing about the Bible; there’s always more to learn and God will continue to speak to your daily condition.
Proverbs is a handy book because there is a chapter for each day of the month. I read a chapter of Proverbs as part of my daily Bible reading, and I invariably learn something new with each reading. I highly recommend this practice because reading Proverbs always strengthens and encourages me. I hope and pray you will enjoy a similar experience.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help those who read these words to be strengthened and encouraged daily. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment