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Proverbs 10 (ESV)
1 The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death.
3 The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
4 A slack hand causes poverty,
but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,
but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The wise of heart will receive commandments,
but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
10 Whoever winks the eye causes trouble,
and a babbling fool will come to ruin.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
REFLECTION:
This passage is full of strong contrasts between the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the fool, the diligent and the lazy. The righteous (including the wise and diligent) will be blessed by God, and the wicked (including the ignorant and lazy) will be punished by God. At the same time, we should also understand that when we live in the world, blessings such as prosperity and stability do not necessarily come to the righteous. In fact, many righteous people will also go hungry and cold, and encounter life’s suffering and injustice. But God’s blessings are not only these external and worldly blessings. He has far more precious blessings to bestow to those who do His will. It is the integrity and abundance of our lives and our eternity. The joy and glory of being with Him. Even if the wicked can get a moment’s pride and comfort in the world, the righteous will end up better than the wicked in the end, because the righteous will have happiness, and the wicked will be ruined. There are only two roads before us, the road to blessings and the road to disaster, and there is no third road for us to choose. Think about whether you are walking on the blessed road now. Ask God to increase your faith and strength so that you can continue to work hard on this path.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to give you wisdom, so that you can understand that life is either on the road to life or on the road to destruction. Pray for God to make you understand that the road to life may be a difficult and tortuous path to the world. You will lose a lot of the so-called “blessings” of the world. May God be with you, keep walking on this narrow road and see the wicked temporarily proud and don’t feel uneasy, because the blessings you are about to get are much more precious than what you have before, even more than what you want or think.
HYMN:
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zundjUFazfg&ab_channel=musicmeetsheaven
