Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24:17

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

How many times have we indulged in "serves him right?"  We see something happen to someone we don't like, and smirk a little bit.  We are glad that they had a mischief, because they're wrong, and this is just that little bit extra to show it.  I'm not talking about actual punishment for wrongdoing, just those little things that happen "by chance."

However, what are are we really celebrating?  Probably just random chance, and the same exact thing could happen to us tomorrow.  I've always felt it's a mistake to put God's direct action onto most things that happen in the world (not saying He doesn't directly intervene, but I think it's a lot less frequent that some believe).

Proverbs 23

Proverbs 23:4

Do not weary yourself to gain wealth,
Cease from your consideration of it.

This has interesting timing.  Right before sitting down to read this, I was thinking about the house I'm going to purchase later this week, and how once that purchase is made, my checking account balance is going to be down to near-zero.

I don't think this verse is saying that money is bad.  However, it is saying that focusing on it is bad.  I should be responsible, which means planning ahead for the money I may need later, and what I'm going to do with it to benefit others.  But if all I do is think about making money, that's the wrong focus.

Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:19

So that your trust may be in the LORD,
I have taught you today, even you.

In my Sunday School class today, we were looking at the progression in 2 Peter 1, which started with faith, then knowledge.  Another term for faith is trust.  So then I come to this verse, and it might as well be screaming at me for the connection.

The first thing you have to do is decide who you're going to trust.  You have to know who you believe to be true, before you can do anything about it.  To a Christian, this of course means trusting Christ.  Then you have to be willing to learn what is true, so that you can do it.  You don't know what you should be doing, unless you've been taught.

Proverbs 21

Proverbs 21:2

Every man's way is right in his own eyes,
But the LORD weighs the hearts.

It's verses like these that always make me concerned about those who seem to always have it together.  The people who always have a plan, and always follow that plan, no matter what happens, to get to that specific goal.  If something gets in the way, they do what they have to in order to still reach their goal.

Are these people working against God?  Do they stop to think about what God wants for them, rather than what they want?  Or are they simply blessed to know what God has planned for them, and are following His plan to get to His destination?  Does that make those of us who aren't sure less useful to Him?

Proverbs 20

Proverbs 20:24

Man's steps are ordained by the LORD,
How then can man understand his way?

When I first read this, it sounds like a forest-through-trees issue.  God guides our steps without us even knowing it.  He can see the big picture and we can't.  If we don't have a clue where we're going, why should we try to go anywhere?

However, thinking about it a little more, I think it's more of a matter of God guiding us.  We can only see a part of the path, whereas God knows the entire route.  We should always be pushing forward, heading for that next bend or rise, to see what comes next.  As long as we keep to the path, God can take care of what comes next.

Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19:6

Many will seek the favor of a generous man,
And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts.

I've definitely seen this in my own life, from both sides.  Growing up, I had friends whose families were both better off and worse off than we were.  I know that the ones who were better off, I was more eager to go with them, whereas I tended to want the ones who were worse off to come to my place more often.  However, I'd like to think I was aware of this, and did my best to avoid exploiting the better-off's generosity.

Today, I see this with some of the people I've helped out.  They seem to think we're friends, when the only connection between us is what I can do for them.  If I were unable to help them, I'd probably never hear from any of them again.