Proverbs – Day 17
Scripture: Proverbs 17
Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.
A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the Lord tests the heart.
A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;
whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
Children’s children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
how much worse lying lips to a ruler!
A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
they think success will come at every turn.
Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
A rebuke impresses a discerning person
more than a hundred lashes a fool.
Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
the messenger of death will be sent against them.
Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool bent on folly.
Evil will never leave the house
of one who pays back evil for good.
Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—
the Lord detests them both.
Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
when they are not able to understand it?
A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
and puts up security for a neighbor.
Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
To have a fool for a child brings grief;
there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.
A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
The wicked accept bribes in secret
to pervert the course of justice.
A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.
If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,
surely to flog honest officials is not right.
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.
Devotional:
Raising well-adjusted, good-hearted children takes wisdom, patience and insight beyond natural human abilities. At every age, children and parents must learn how to work with one another. The journey begins before children are born as parents-to-be prepare to love unconditionally. “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” (Ps 127: 3-5) If parents and children travel life together well, the rewards extend into grandparenthood: “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” (v. 6)
In this chapter, however, Solomon warns that “To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool” and “bitterness to the one who bore him.” (v. 21,25) He compares this to “The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful!” (Prov 23:24-25) The difference is usually a result of how much effort parents put into teaching their children. “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Prov 22:6)
One element of teaching is discipline. Like a river that swells during a storm, a child’s energy tends to spill over in all directions unless channeled in positive ways. Without debating the application of spanking, children need their parents to provide clear boundaries as to what behavior is appropriate and what isn’t. Over and over, Solomon stresses the importance and consequences of providing (or withholding) discipline: “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.” (Prov 29:17) “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” (Prov 13:24) “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.” (Prov 22:15) “A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom, but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.” (Prov 29:15)
Have you ever started (or resumed) an exercise program? The “discipline” (focused devotion) probably caused you pain the next day (or more!). In the same way, discipline doesn’t always feel good, even though it benefits the individual. If we are disciplined by parents when we’re children, it will be easier to accept discipline from the Lord as we get older.
“For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! … No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Heb 12:7-11)
Key Verse:
“Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” ~ Proverbs 17:6
Questions:
- How has God disciplined you?
- Was your reaction based, even in part, on the way you were raised as a child?
