Proverbs Walk Thru Chapter 22

Proverbs 22

vs 1: A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.  I think it's obvious that this verse is saying we should be investing in our eternal value and not just into material wealth which will pass away.  It's sad when we see people only care about material, superficial things, and care very little about how they treat people, or how they act.

verse 2 The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all.  One question I will have for the Lord is why were there people who had so little when others had so much?  I know God is the maker of us all, but sometimes it just does not seem fair when you see people with so little food, no shelter, and barely any clothes or shoes, and then you see people living the high life in penthouses, driving luxury cars, and full bellies.  One thing is for certain, God loves us all, He created us all, and we all need God, poor or rich.  Blessed is the man who realizes his need of God.

verse 4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.  Eternal value is found in having a humble heart and a fear of the Lord, this is what God desires of us.  He wants to bless us with a rich and full life in the simple knowledge of Him.

verse 6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.  As parents we have a responsibility to teach our children how to make decisions and learn the difference between right and wrong, so that when they are out in the world they know how to make good decisions and stay on the right path.

verse 7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.  I can't help but think of those in over their heads with credit card debt (something my husband and I thankfully do not have...only by God's grace)  It seems to be the American way to buy above and beyond what we can afford because as Americans we feel entitled to have the next best thing instead of being content with what we have.

verse 9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.  I'm praying for ways that I can reach out and bless those around me.  Having a generous spirit comes from the Lord, and it reaches out to those around us and across our world in hopes to share the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

verse 11 He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend.   I love this verse and I try to surround myself with people who have grace on their lips, me being super sensitive to what people say, I need to hear gracious things not critical.  I need to remember how powerful words are and use my words to bless others. 

verse 15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.  Discipline is not easy and it is one of the hardest parts of being a parent (that and seeing your child sick or in pain), but I'm praying that God will allow the fruit of my labor to benefit all of us as my children grow, I'm praying that the discipline I do now will allow them to have soft hearts and readily accept Christ for their own life, and see their need for a Savior.

verses 17-18 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your your heart to my knowledge; for it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; let them all be fixed upon your lips.  I'm seeing a pattern hear of listening to wise advice and watching my words.  The more I am in the Word and surrounding myself with godly people, the more my words are positive and wise.

verse 24-25 Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.   This reminds me of the verse that says "bad company corrupts good morals"  it's true that when we allow our emotions to control us we negatively affect others, so we need to make sure we choose our friends wisely and that their wrong behavior doesn't influence us.

Thanks for walking with me!