seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Proverbs 4:10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
I got the commentary from the easy English site today.
This passage returns to the idea that life is like a journey.
If we plan our journeys wisely, then we are safer. We can avoid many dangers. In the same way, if we are wise, then our lives will be safer.
We shall not walk alone. Wisdom will be our guide and our guard. Remember that this whole book is about God’s wisdom! God protects us, when we live our lives in his way. Jesus said, ‘Do not worry about clothes. Look at the flowers in the fields. The flowers do not work or make clothes. But even the wealthy king Solomon did not dress as well as the flowers. God dresses the grasses in the field beautifully, although tomorrow they will burn in the fire. He will provide your clothes also, although you hardly believe.’ (Matthew 6:28-30) Jesus explained that the same was true about food and drink. God cares for us. He will provide what we need for each day. He will lead us to our home in heaven.
As Solomon emphasises the lesson, he uses humour. He tells us to imagine the evil man. This man is a very evil man. So, he cannot even sleep until he has done an evil action. At midnight he gets up. He has still not done his evil action. He struggles to think an evil thought. The time is very late, but this man must act now. He cannot even sleep until he has completed his evil task.
The story shows us that evil things are powerful. Evil things will control us, like dangerous drugs or alcohol. We can become like slaves, to our own evil actions. God can set us free, but we must turn to him.
Solomon continues his joke. The evil man has woken. He is eating a meal. We are looking at his food. We expect to find bread or meat or vegetables. The evil man is eating none of these. This man does not want food. Instead, he chooses evil behaviour. He does not think that food will make him strong. Instead, he thinks that his evil actions will make him strong. He wants to do evil things, more than he desires his food. He thinks that evil things are essential for his life.
If we plan our journeys wisely, then we are safer. We can avoid many dangers. In the same way, if we are wise, then our lives will be safer.
We shall not walk alone. Wisdom will be our guide and our guard. Remember that this whole book is about God’s wisdom! God protects us, when we live our lives in his way. Jesus said, ‘Do not worry about clothes. Look at the flowers in the fields. The flowers do not work or make clothes. But even the wealthy king Solomon did not dress as well as the flowers. God dresses the grasses in the field beautifully, although tomorrow they will burn in the fire. He will provide your clothes also, although you hardly believe.’ (Matthew 6:28-30) Jesus explained that the same was true about food and drink. God cares for us. He will provide what we need for each day. He will lead us to our home in heaven.
As Solomon emphasises the lesson, he uses humour. He tells us to imagine the evil man. This man is a very evil man. So, he cannot even sleep until he has done an evil action. At midnight he gets up. He has still not done his evil action. He struggles to think an evil thought. The time is very late, but this man must act now. He cannot even sleep until he has completed his evil task.
The story shows us that evil things are powerful. Evil things will control us, like dangerous drugs or alcohol. We can become like slaves, to our own evil actions. God can set us free, but we must turn to him.
Solomon continues his joke. The evil man has woken. He is eating a meal. We are looking at his food. We expect to find bread or meat or vegetables. The evil man is eating none of these. This man does not want food. Instead, he chooses evil behaviour. He does not think that food will make him strong. Instead, he thinks that his evil actions will make him strong. He wants to do evil things, more than he desires his food. He thinks that evil things are essential for his life.
There are a lot of hurting and hungry people in the world. Right now... there are a lot of hurting and hungry people in our neighborhoods. I was watching the news yesterday. [I have got to stop watching.... but I get drawn in...] Federal employees and contract workers are starting to do without. I'm not going to get into who's compass is wrong at the top... but I am wondering about the compass of the humans involved.
There was a story about how the government shut down has affected one of the restaurants [more like a deli] in downtown DC. The shop owner was saying there was no one there to eat the food. I said to hubby.... "and that woman will probably take all that beautifully crafted food and drop it in the dumpster.... take it as a loss."
Why wouldn't she donate that wonderful food to those who are on furlough? What is wrong with our compass? Are we more interested in protecting our shiny coins than helping our neighbors? Yes... I do understand... the woman was going to take a loss.... I also know that whether the food goes in a dumpster or a needing families fridge is only semantics.... donations are also an expense... just like a crate of lettuce... it all shows up on the cash flow report and balance sheets.... don't cry... donate... help those in need.... those people have been supporting her business all along... but now that they don't have any shiny coins to trade... the food will rot??
We all have a compass.... Most, IMHO, never even take it out to glance at it.
There's another part of this that I seem to be leaving out.... Friends of Bill W.
I would say this to anyone who needs to hear it.... I don't care if you call your higher power Bill W or God... I don't care if you go to meetings face to face or find a meeting online.... there's a compass available to set you straight.... and it's also a GPS to keep you on track.... I'm so sorry this is happening but it is an opportunity to appreciate the journey.
