READ: Proverbs 11
BACKGROUND: By Verse
1 – The law required that weights – used in the marketplace – be just and fair. But people didn’t always obey. They used incorrect weights to cheat others.
7 – The hopes of wicked people may be powerful – and may seem to be fulfilled – in life, but in death they will amount to nothing.
10 – This is a really interesting verse & challenging for us, I think. The main idea is that the lives of the righteous benefit the society in which they live & the deaths of the wicked benefit the society in which they lived. Are our lives a benefit to our culture?
13 – This is describing a malicious gossip or slanderer – not someone who is discreet.
18 – The labor of the wicked brings no real of permanent reward. The labor of the righteous brings a reward that lasts forever.
THINK: In October 1962, the world held its breath as the US and the Soviet Union stood at the brink of nuclear war. Premier Nikita Khrushchev had delivered nuclear missiles to Cuba, and President John F. Kennedy demanded their immediate removal. Tensions were at an all-time high.
Kennedy phoned three former US presidents to get their advice. Herbert Hoover had faced the economic problems of the Great Depression; Harry Truman had ended World War II; and Dwight Eisenhower had served as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. Each had valuable insights to share. After Kennedy conferred with all of his White House advisors, a balanced course of action defused the crisis. War was averted.
The Bible encourages us to seek the advice of wise counselors. Proverbs 11:14 states, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” The word translated “counsel” is a Hebrew nautical term used for steering a ship. The wisdom of godly advisors can help steer us in the right direction.
ASK: Am I facing a crisis? A truly wise person is open to the counsel and insight of others. Whom can I turn to for guidance? Will I prayerfully seek the advice of some godly believers today?
By: Dennis Fischer in Our Daily Bread on November 4, 2006
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