Wisdom From the ProverbsSample

Proverbs 13

There are so many wise sayings within Proverbs 13 that it's impossible to be able to communicate about all of them; however, verses 1-3 say the following:

'A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. From the fruit of his mouth, a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.'

As we have seen in previous chapters, the writer continues the father-son relationship to communicate some powerful truths to help us understand and implement Godly wisdom within our lives. Within these verses, some keywords immediately jump out:

'A wise son hears his father's instruction.' For those who are parents, there is something that we all desire that our children would hear, listen and take heed to our instruction and ultimately hear and obey the voice of God for themselves. However, from experience, it's one thing to hear; it's another thing to listen and obey.

On one occasion, my mother told me not to go outside and play as it was about to get dark. However, I didn't listen, and in defiance, I disobeyed and went out of the house without my mother knowing. I grabbed my bike and cycled down the road to my friend's house. It wasn't long before my mother turned up and found me and immediately put me and my bike into the vehicle and drove me home. This short journey and the rebuke were ones I still remember; my mum sent me to bed without any food.

Nobody likes to be corrected, but when correction is given out of a genuine heart and is received from a teachable spirit, there is always an opportunity to learn and grow.

Our words have creative power, and what we say can either build up or tear down. Verse 3 says, 'Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.'

It takes a person of character to watch what comes out of their mouth. How often have we all opened our mouths and regretted the things that we have spoken about? However, life’s circumstances come against us and when we are squeezed, that which comes from within the heart is the outward expression that comes from the mouth.

Luke 6:45 says, 'The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.'

Today, let’s determine to be Christlike, set a guard over our hearts and mouth and choose to speak life-giving words. Words that build up and encourage rather than destructive words that put others down.

Questions to prayerfully consider:

How and what is my response when I'm corrected?

Do I listen to instructions and learn = wisdom, or do I dismiss it = foolishness?