Proverbs 14

READ CHAPTER 14 OF PROVERBS ON YOUR OWN,

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 VERSE TO MEMORIZE THIS WEEK: 

There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

What is desired in a man is kindness,
And a poor man is better than a liar.

The fear of the Lord leads to life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil. 

Proverbs 19:21-23 NKJV

EXTRA VERSES TO MEMORIZE:

*Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV) 
The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe.

*Proverbs 14:26-27 (NIV)
Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
    and for their children it will be a refuge.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
    turning a person from the snares of death.

 

 

Proverbs 14, simply put, is filled with comparisons about how to live life. Short proverbial statements filled with wonderful imagery and metaphors.

I am a 29 year old wife to a student pastor and stay at home to a 10 month old. So it was natural for me to focus deeply on verse 1:

The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands. (NKJV)

Wow! Right? But, what does that mean actually? What does that look like for me every day? Sure, things are different now than when Solomon wrote this. But the heart of this verse is timeless.

I think we can look to a few of the other verses in Proverbs 14 (of course they are all good!) to answer the question as to what it means to be a wise woman who builds her house up instead of a foolish woman who pulls it down.

Verse 3: In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
But the lips of the wise will preserve them.

How often do we let our pride keep us from doing or saying the right thing? I most certainly do in my marriage. And I know I do as a new mom. Each time we do that we are chopping down little pieces of our spiritual household. Pieces of our husband’s self-esteem. Pieces of our children’s well-being. One commentary I read said that this rod of pride grows from the root of bitterness. We end up hurting ourselves with that rod. Our words are so powerful.

Verse 15: The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.

It is so easy for us to get information about anything at any time. A wise person does not believe everything they are told. One commentary said it is wisdom to be cautious. We must pray and seek discernment in our lives daily. It does not help our households if we are wishy-washy in matters great or small.

Verse 30: A sound heart is life to the body,
But envy is rottenness to the bones.

Gosh! It is so easy to want what others have. Whether it is a small material possession you simply wish you had the money to purchase. Or a spiritual gift you wish God had given you. I often yearn to be able to sing well and sometimes I actually think it would my life easier. Silly huh? In college a girl once told me she suffered from “spiritual lust”. At first it seemed like a very inappropriate statement, but it really is very appropriate sometimes. I know we all wish we had something that we don’t have and I am certainly not saying it is bad to want things. But let’s consider if any of our “wanting” is really envy and causing decay within our homes.

 

Let’s remember the little things matter. Pride, simplicity, and envy can be little things in our lives that creep up without us even realizing it. I am so thankful these verses also highlight the opposite actions and show what wisdom we should be seeking. Praise Jesus for his mercy and faithfulness! Praise Jesus we can be aware of what we are doing wrong and seek His guidance! But, also, Praise Jesus we can know the right way to live, act, and be functioning spiritual members of our families. 

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  CODY TOUPS is the wife of 5 years to Jerrad, and former school teacher who is now a stay at home mom to a beautiful baby girl, Cally.  Jerrad is the Student Pastor at Copperfield Church in Houston, Texas, where Cody serves along side him.  You can find her blogging at http://www.thetoupstimes.blogspot.com/