Don't let the smooth taste fool ya. * Proverbs 23

Welcome Back to our study of Proverbs! Welcome and Thank You Today's Readers from: Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, United States, United Kingdom, India, Philippines, Canada, Indonesia, France, Australia, and Morocco!!! I am honored that you’re reading with us! God Bless You Bunches!!!

In preparing this post and rereading the text, I couldn't help but be reminded of Billy Dee Williams in 'way back in the day commercials' say "Don't let the smooth taste fool ya" as he completed the scene. That makes sense on a whole new level now. Let's get to it...

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Proverbs 23

V1,2,3 When dining with a rich man, be on your guard and don’t stuff yourself, though it all tastes so good; for he is trying to bribe you, and no good is going to come of his invitation.

V4,5 Don’t weary yourself trying to get rich, Why waste your time? For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!

V6,7,8 Don’t associate with evil men; don’t long for their favors and gifts. Their kindness is a trick; they want to use you as their pawn. The delicious food they serve will turn sour in your stomach and you will vomit it, and have to take back your words of appreciation for their “kindness.”

V9 Don’t waste your breath on a rebel. He will despise the wisest advice.

V10,11 Don’t steal the land of defenseless orphans by moving their boundary marks, for their Redeemer is strong; He Himself will accuse you.

V12 Don’t refuse to accept criticism; get all the help you can.

V13,14 Don’t fail to correct your children; discipline won’t hurt them! They won’t die if you use a stick on them! Punishment will keep them out of hell.

V15,16 My son, how I will rejoice if you become a man of common sense. Yes, my heart will thrill to your thoughtful, wise words.

V17,18 Don’t envy evil men but continue to reverence The Lord all the time, for surely you have a wonderful future ahead of you. There is hope for you yet!

V19,20,21 O my son, be wise and stay in God’s paths; don’t carouse with drunkards and gluttons, for they are on their way to poverty. And remember that too much sleep clothes a man with rags.

V22 Listen to your father’s advice and don’t despise an old mother’s experience.

V23 Get the facts at any price, and hold on tightly to all the good sense you can get.

V24,25 The father of a godly man has cause for joy – what pleasure a wise son is! So give your parents joy!

V26,27,28 O my son, trust my advice – stay away from prostitutes. For a prostitute is a deep and narrow grave.  Like a robber, she waits for her victims as one after another become unfaithful to their wives.

V29,30 Whose heart is filled with anguish and sorrow? Who is always fighting and quarreling? Who is the man with bloodshot eyes and many wounds? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new mixtures.

V31 Don’t let the sparkle and the smooth taste of strong wine deceive you.

V32 For in the end it bites like a poisionous serpent; it stings like an adder.

V33 You will see hallucinations and have delirium tremens, and you will say foolish, silly things that would embarrass you no end when sober.

V34 You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast.

V35 And afterwards you will say, “I didn’t even know it when they beat me up…Let’s go and have another drink!”

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Enjoy this wonderful song and have a fabulous day!

"The Blood Still Works"

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The Key to to Riches, Honor and a Long Life * Proverbs 22

Thanks for being with us for Day 22 of our Proverbs study. 

Welcome Today's Readers from:  Canada, India, Philippines, South Africa, Pakistan, Germany, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, United States, France, and Denmark.

Welcome New Readers from Vietnam, country 103!  I am so pleased that you have joined our global family. God Bless You All!

Thank you again!

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PROVERBS 22

V1 If you must choose, take a good name over great riches; for to be held in loving esteem is better than silver or gold.

V2 The rich and the poor are alike before The Lord who made them all.

V3 A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

V4  ***True humility and respect for The Lord lead a man to riches, honor and a long life.

V5 The rebel walks a thorny, treacherous road; the man who values his soul will stay away.

V6 Teach a child to choose the right  path, and when he is older  he will remain upon it.

V7 Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.

V8 The unjust tyrant will reap disaster and his reign of terror shall end.

V9 Happy is the generous man, the one who feeds the poor.

V10 Throw out the mocker, and you will be rid of tension, fighting and quarrels.

V11 He who values grace and truth is the king’s friend.

V12 The Lord preserves the upright but ruins the plans of the wicked.

V 13 The lazy man is full of excuses. “I can’t go to work!” he says. “If I go outside I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!”

V14 A prostitute is a dangerous trap; those cursed of God are caught in it.

V15 A youngster’s heart is filled with rebellion, but punishment will drive it out of him.

V16 He who gains by oppressing the poor or by bribing the rich shall end in poverty.

V 17,18,19 Listen to this wise advice, follow it closely, for it will do you good, and you can pass it on to others: Trust in The Lord.

V20 ,21 In the past, haven’t I been right? Then believe what I am telling you now, and share it with others.

V22-23 Don’t rob the poor and sick! For The Lord is their defender. If you injure them He will punish you.

V24,25 Keep away from angry short tempered men, lest you learn to be like them and endanger your soul.

V26,27 Unless you have the extra cash on hand, don’t countersign a note. Why risk everything you own? They’ll even take your bed!

V28 Do not move the ancient boundary marks. That is stealing.

V29 Do you know a hard-working man? He shall be successful and stand before kings!

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Verse 4 holds the key to riches, honor and a long life!

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Prepare and know that Victory Comes from God * Proverbs 21

Welcome to Day 21of our Proverbs Study! I am honored that you have joined us! 

Thank you and Welcome Today’s Readers from: Singapore, Brazil, Canada, Belgium, France, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Algeria, United States, Philippines, India, United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa and Grenada! I really do appreciate your reading and sharing.

PROVERBS 21

V1 Just as water is turned into irrigation ditches, so The LORD directs the king’s thoughts. He turns them wherever He wants to.

V2 We can justify our every deed but God looks at our motives.

V3 God is more pleased when we are just and fair than when we give Him gifts.

V4 Pride, lust, and evil actions are all sin.

V5 Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty.

V6 Dishonest gain will never last, so why take the risk?

V7 Because the wicked are unfair, their violence boomerangs and destroys them.

V8 A man is known by his actions. An evil man lives an evil life; a good man lives a godly life.

V9 It is better to live in the corner an attic than with a crabby woman in a lovely home.

V10 An evil man loves to harm others; being a good neighbor is out of his line.

V11 The wise man learns by listening; the simpleton can learn only by seeing scorners punished.

V12 The godly learn by watching ruin overtake the wicked.

V13 He who shuts his ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in his own time of need.

V14 An angry man is silenced by giving him a gift!

V15 A good man loves justice, but it is a calamity to evil doers.

V16 The man who strays away from common sense will end up dead!

V17 A man who loves pleasure becomes poor; wine and luxury are not the way to riches!

V18 The wicked will finally lose; the righteous will finally win.

V19 Better to live in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining woman.

V20 The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.

V21 The man who tries to be good, loving and kind finds life, righteousness and honor.

V22 The wise man conquers the strong man and levels his defenses.

V23 Keep your mouth closed and you’ll stay out of trouble.

V24 Mockers are proud, haughty and arrogant.

V25,26 The lazy man longs for many things but his hands refuse to work. He is greedy to get, while the godly love to give!

V27 God loathes the gifts of evil men, especially if they are trying to bribe Him!

V28 A false witness must be punished; an honest witness is safe.

 

V29 An evil man is stubborn, but a godly man will reconsider.

V30 No one, regardless of how shrewd or well advised he is, can stand against The LORD.

V31 Go ahead and prepare for the conflict, but victory comes from GOD.

Enjoy this video with Kim Burrell and an All-Star Gospel Ladies Group. 

What a Blessing!

Keep looking for Miracles. Keep Believing. God Bless You!

(This post is dedicated to my Mom on her birthday! 

I Love You! Happy Birthday, Mama!) 

Consequences of too much sleep? * Proverbs 20

Thank You for joining us for Day 20 of our 'Walk through Proverbs!’ Please feel free to leave comments in the section below. 

Welcome and Thank You Today’s Readers from: United States, Belgium, Czech Republic, South Africa, India, Italy, Philippines, United Kingdom, India, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands Antilles and Kuwait.

Thanks for Sharing the Love. Big Blessings to Each of You!!!

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PROVERBS 20

V1 Wine gives false courage; hard liquor leads to brawls; what fools men are to let it master them, making them reel drunkenly down the street!

V2 The king’s fury is like that of a roaring lion; to rouse his anger is to risk your life.

V3 It is an honor for a man to stay out of a fight. Only fools insist on quarreling.

V4 If you won’t plow in the cold, you won’t eat at the harvest.

V5 Though good advice lies deep within a counselor’s heart, the wise man will draw it out.

V6 Most people will tell you what loyal friends they are, but are they telling the truth?

V7 It is a wonderful heritage to have an honest father.

V8 A king sitting as judge weighs all the evidence carefully, distinguishing the true from the false.

V9 Who can ever say, “I have cleansed my heart; I am sinless”?

V10 The Lord despises every kind of cheating.

V11 The character of even a child can be known by the way he acts whether what he does is pure and right.

V12 If you have good eyesight good hearing, thank God who gave them to you.

V13 If you love to sleep, you will end in poverty. Stay awake, work hard and there will be plenty to eat.

V14 “Utterly worthless!” says the buyer as he haggles over the price. But afterwards he brags about the bargain.

V15 Good sense is far more valuable than gold or precious jewels.

V16 It is risky to make loans to strangers!

 

V17 Some men enjoy cheating, but the cake they buy with such ill-gotten gain will turn to gravel in their mouths.

V18 Don’t go ahead with your plans without the advice of others; don’t go to war until they agree.

V19 Don’t tell your secrets to a gossip unless you want them 

broadcast to the world.

V20 God puts out the light of the man who curses his father or mother.

V21 A fortune can be made from cheating, but there is a curse that goes with it.

V22 Don’t repay evil for evil.Wait for The Lord to handle the matter.

V23 The Lord loathes all cheating and dishonesty.

V24 Since The Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way?

V25 It is foolish and rash to make a promise to The Lord before counting the cost.

V26 A wise king stamps out crime by severe punishment.

V27 A man’s conscience is The Lord’s searchlight exposing his hidden motives.

V28 If a king is kind, honest and fair, his kingdom stands secure.

V29 The glory of young men is their strength; of old men, their experience.

V30 Punishment that hurts chases evil from the heart.

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Q: What are the consequences of too much sleep?

A: V13 If you love to sleep, you will end in poverty. Stay awake, work hard and there will be plenty to eat.

Enjoy this Song...

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It’s Not Easy, But It’s Not About Me by Tiffany Alexander

(First posted, January 2011)

I’ve been known to set ambitious goals, dreams that seem far-fetched even for someone who keeps her head in the clouds as much as I do.

I wake up in the middle of the night nearly every evening. There’s so much I want to do – so much that I want to accomplish – that my mind won’t relax long enough to give my body time to rest and catch up. I’m tired.

It’s not lost on me that my life would be a lot easier, and probably a lot more comfortable, if I just gave up. If I weren’t investing so many of my personal resources in trying to improve the lives of children and teens and fighting stereotypes and social injustice, I could afford that bigger house and nicer car. I could travel more, eat at fine restaurants, buy nicer clothes, have weekly spa treatments. 

All I’d have to do is admit to myself that it’s too hard. And it is. I’d have to admit that there are people who are eager to step into my shoes. And there are. I’d have to accept failure. And I can.

But I won’t do any of that.

I recognize and respect that I’ve been divinely entrusted with a vision. Giving up might lead to an easier life, but it would also mean bailing on a dream – a gift – God gave me when he woke me up on one of those restless nights.

He dropped a purpose into my life, and therefore my life isn’t about me.

On this day, the day the country has set aside to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and after the recent events in Arizona, I realize what a great honor and burden such a revelation is. God has trusted me with one of his seeds. He provides the light and nutrients, but I also must endure the storms and fertilizer required for its growth.

It’s not easy, but it’s not about me.

I realized that when I heard about the death of 9-year-old Christina Green. Born on September 11, 2001, and killed during a mentally impaired gunman’s assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, her life was bookended by tragedy. 

I couldn’t stop reading about her, how she was elected to the student council. How she yearned to learn more about the American political process. How she was one of fifty “Faces of Hope.” How she was the only girl on her Little League team.

In memorializing Christina and the five others killed in Tucson, President Barack Obama said we owe her and her memory. He commanded us to create an America that is everything she believed it could be.

Christina is gone, but her story continues to touch people. I’m grateful for the pieces of her life that weren’t about her, the pieces that Dr. King referred to as being tied in our “inescapable network of mutuality.”

We are “tied in a single garment of destiny,” he said. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Our lives aren’t about us.

I spent some time today studying some of Dr. King’s words, the familiar and the not so well known. It’s amazing how little of this man’s life was about him. That whopping drop of purpose God entrusted to him during a restless night was an awesome responsibility and an enormous burden.

He could’ve said that it was too hard. It was. He could’ve left it in the hands of others who wanted the limelight. They were there. He could’ve accepted failure. It seemed inevitable.

He didn’t do any of those things.

Thank you, Dr. King, for making your life about others.

Welcome Our Newest Contributing Author... My Dear Friend and Fellow Writer, Tiffany Michelle Alexander. In addition to working as a Editor for CNN, she is a highly imaginative and talented freelance writer. I am a completely humbled that she’s agreed to join our global family. 

Thank You for Reading and Sharing!