Proverbs 11:13-21 — The Wise Guy

READ THIS: Proverbs 11:13-21

13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. 14 For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers. 15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe. 16 A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth. 17 Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves. 18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. 19 Truly the righteous attain life, but whoever pursues evil finds death. 20 The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless. 21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

Once again, we are met with many proverbs that don’t seem to have to do much with each other… but many of these verses focus specifically on how we interact with those around us. All throughout chapter 11, we have been seeing two types of people compared to each other. One makes wise choices, and the other does not! Let’s see the description of the wise person and how they interact with others in these verses:

  • Trustworthy (v.13)
  • Guided by advisers (v. 14)
  • Cares for strangers (v. 15)
  • Kindhearted (v. 16-17)
  • Righteous and blameless (v.18-21)
In these verses, we see that a wise person is someone who will be true to what they say and do, humble enough to receive instruction, caring and kind enough to see past their own needs, and diligent enough to pursue God and His ways. We can all grow more to look like this wise person, but luckily for us, we are loved by a God who forgives us when we fall short of this standard and modeled that standard for us through the life of Jesus!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Take a look at those 5 bullet points… which of these areas are you struggling to do well lately? Which ones do you feel like you’ve grown in lately?

2. How did Jesus model each of those 5 characteristics in His own life?
 
TRY THIS:

If you have some extra time, read Philippians 2:5-8! Think about how Jesus models trustworthiness, humility, kindness, and righteousness in these verses.

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 11, 2023 at 7:06 AM

    You could trust Jesus to do what he said he would do, He talked to God, He cared for strangers and healed them. Everything He did brought glory to His Father.

    ReplyDelete

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