Proverbs
18 – Watch How and What You Say!
The
fool has two habits that get them in trouble: Closing the mind while opening
the mouth. Instead of being receptive to other points of view, the foolish
person wants to share only one perspective, that of their own heart. The result
is self-inflicted harm.
The
sage likens gossip to tasty truffles. Just as fine morsels of food are hard to
resist. Gossip is easy to partake of, but once taken in, it penetrates to one’s
inmost being – and always to the listener’s detriment.
Wealth
provides a measure of security, but one may falsely imagine it a strong wall or
higher safeguard against calamity than it really is. The name of the Lord is
where true strength and protection are found (2 Sam. 22:2,3).
A
gift can mean an innocent courtesy, or something given to get a desired result.
What
a person says will often return to him or her in some way, either adding to
their life or subtracting from it. Our speech has consequences.
Having
one true friend is much better than having many apparent friends. Friendship
has its risks, but the isolated person is not wise. We belong to each other,
and we need each other. We may have many acquaintances, but we have few real
friends. A person with too many friends may end up in trouble. Be a true friend
and God will give you true friends who will stick close to you throughout life.
Fools
do not make good friends for many reasons. For one thing, they like to talk so
much that they do not hear what others say. Their foolish words cause fights
and inward pain. Their impatience to speak makes them jump to conclusions, and
that creates problems. The only hope for fools is that they will stop talking
and start to listen to wisdom.
Please read the chapter listed so that you can
understand God’s Word better.
If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God
Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.
Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.
Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible
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