Day 19 - "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely"
Today's Reading is Proverbs 10:17-32 (NIV)
Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense. The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom. What the wicked dread will overtake them; what the righteous desire will be granted. When the storm passes, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them. The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing. The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land. From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced. The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
Questions to Consider about the Reading
- What's the difference between receiving correction well and ignoring it in your own experience?
- How can your words either nourish others or tear them down?
- What does it mean that "the blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil"?
- How do you find delight in wisdom rather than in foolish schemes?
What's One Thing God Wants You to Underline?
Ending Prayer
Lord, help me be someone who listens to correction and grows from it. I want my words to nourish others. Give me a heart that delights in wisdom rather than foolish plans. Thank you that your way is a refuge for me. Amen.