Proverbs 10
My son recently asked me to teach him how to wink. Of course, after a couple of failed attempts, the zeal to learn quickly faded. He did ask me what winking meant, and I replied, “That’s a good question, son.” I explained to him what it means between the two of us! “Whenever I wink at you, regardless of the circumstances or what is going on, you can trust me!”
Verse 10 struck me today: “Whoever winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin” (NIV). Obviously, not all who wink are created equal! That’s Lesson Two I’ll need to teach my son. How we decipher which ‘wink’ is which will inevitably be his follow-up question!
The 2nd half of this verse is the key: “A chattering fool comes to ruin.” Often people nervously chatter or stumble over words, or even the opposite, they are too slick and silver-tongued. This is a good indication of their true intentions. A lot of this chapter speaks of the tongue, the lips and mouth.
So, we are to listen for understanding, discern the ‘winks’, and as verse 21 says, ‘nourish others with a righteous response.’
Blessings,
Pastor Adrian
Verse 10 struck me today: “Whoever winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin” (NIV). Obviously, not all who wink are created equal! That’s Lesson Two I’ll need to teach my son. How we decipher which ‘wink’ is which will inevitably be his follow-up question!
The 2nd half of this verse is the key: “A chattering fool comes to ruin.” Often people nervously chatter or stumble over words, or even the opposite, they are too slick and silver-tongued. This is a good indication of their true intentions. A lot of this chapter speaks of the tongue, the lips and mouth.
So, we are to listen for understanding, discern the ‘winks’, and as verse 21 says, ‘nourish others with a righteous response.’
Blessings,
Pastor Adrian
Posted in Proverbs Challenge
5 Comments
This chapter hit me like a 2x4. I often hear Christians saying things like "Life on earth is just temporary. Heaven is eternal". I don't question the truth of this statement nor the hearts of those who make it, but what Proverbs seems to be telling me, clearly and emphatically, is that our lives on earth matter greatly to God. It is important to Him that we live a righteous life....inspired by our faith. When I read Chapter 10, it just lit me up. It made me want to be better....HERE on earth... and this is the reaction I've had to all the chapters. I think God wants us to take responsibility and use the gifts He has given us wisely. He knows we will fall short, but he wants us to try our best to be as much like Him as possible. It's important to Him because He loves us and wants the best for us, and He knows that righteousness is the key to our best lives here on earth. Proverbs gets pretty specific on how to do that.
I agree, Mike. I once heard that God didn't put us here to have fun, He put us here to be like Him. (Of course I'm sure He wants us to have fun also, but fun is earned.)
I agree with you Mike. The Bible is mostly written about the good and bad ways to live here on earth. I believe it's a very important piece in God's eyes. Our unique gifts are given to us to pursue and create good with. I believe that being in our human body is a way for us to experience earthly life. It's our vehicle to allow us to experience with our senses. It's actually quite beautiful.
I agree, Mike. I once heard that God didn't put us here to have fun, He put us here to be like Him. (Of course I'm sure He wants us to have fun also, but fun is earned.)
I was drawn to V 4-5. Every day has 24 hours filled with opportunities to grow, serve, and be productive. Yet so many waste time and our godly life slips from our grasp. We need to see time here on earth as God's gift and grab opportunities to live for him.
Tami, 🙌🙌