For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Prov. 10
“A wise heart accepts commands, but foolish lips will be destroyed.” (Prov. 10:8). I thought that was an interesting pairing. A wise heart against foolish lips. When I stop to think about it, it does seem that we never reject commands or corrections quietly. Our rejection always makes its way to our lips. So the pairing makes sense. We actually get that same pairing in reverse in verse 20. “The tongue of the righteous is pure silver; the heart of the wicked is of little value.” Again this makes sense. Because we know that what comes out of our mouth comes from our heart.
The previous verse is an interesting addendum to that thought. “When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is prudent.” (Prov. 10:19). We know that, by nature, “The heart is more deceitful than anything else” (Jer. 17:9a). So, since what is in our heart tends to come out our mouth, it stands to reason that if we don’t control that flow, things can easily get off track. No wonder James says, “if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.” (Jms. 3:2b).
Prov. 11
What do we seek in life? Do we strive for power and position? Proverbs 11:2 tells us we gain nothing from that. “When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.” That truth is right in line with my thoughts from yesterday’s reading on wisdom versus folly. Lifting ourselves up is folly. However, humbly turning from our own ways to put God in His proper place is the doorway to wisdom and the value it brings. And we know that wisdom is better than wealth, another thing people strive for in life. Why is wisdom better? Because, “Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath, but righteousness rescues from death.” (Prov. 11:4). Wisdom leads us straight to Jesus, and it is His righteousness that rescues us.
Prov. 12
“No one can be made secure by wickedness, but the root of the righteous is immovable.” (Prov. 12:3). It occurred to me when I read that verse that, because wickedness is the opposite of righteousness, we are all wicked by nature. We know that because the Bible tells us, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Rom. 3:10). Therefore, this proverb tells us that none of us can secure ourselves, no matter what we do. The righteous, then, are those who have been grafted into the true vine, Jesus. These are not just secure, but immovable. Why? Because the root of that vine is God.