Under Gods Command
Proverbs 23:12
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
The people most likely to gain knowledge are those who are willing to listen. It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to pay attention to what others have to say. People who are eager to listen continue to learn and grow throughout their lives. If we refuse to become set in our ways, we can always expand the limits of our knowledge.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 17:27 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
Improve your image and reputation instantly! Anyone can do it, even a fool! Cut your words in half, and others will consider you a wise and knowledgeable person. What a proverb! Here is profound advice to immediately enhance what others think about you.
Hasty speech, unstudied speech, or much speech marks a fool. Closing your mouth and reducing your words will cause others to assume you are a wise and understanding person, even if you are a fool. God and King Solomon, both truly wise, guarantee it.
Speech reveals character (Pr 15:2; 29:11; Eccl 5:3; 10:12-14). Careful, deliberate, profitable, and proper speech marks a wise man. Hasty, impulsive, vain words mark a foolish and wicked man. A fool seldom says anything profitable or suitable (Eccl 10:3); but reducing his words will make others think him careful and deliberate!
It is wisdom to see and hear well, but to say little. You learn by listening, not by talking. You should not talk until necessary or profitable. Other men will presume your silence to indicate your careful observation and deep consideration of the topic and a deep search for the right thoughts and words before speaking! Has wisdom ever been so cheap?
The tongue is dangerous and easily hurts others (Pr 10:19; 18:21; Jas 3:2-12), so wise men limit words to avoid sin (Pr 17:27; Job 13:5), and they study before speaking (Pr 15:28). It is better to be swift at hearing than at speaking (Jas 1:19-20). God gave you two ears but only one mouth. Cutting your words in half will then match your anatomy.
Ah, but the fire to speak burns in some men (Ps 39:1-3). They cannot quench this fire; they cannot reduce the heat; they cannot rule the impulse; they must talk, now! What a curse to have an unruly mouth and tell everyone within hearing distance that you are a fool. Close your mouth, and even though you truly are one, none but you will know it!
This proverb does not apply to all men, as some do not speak enough. Wise men learn the balance, not too much to be foolish, enough to be a tree of life (Pr 10:21; 12:18; 15:4,23). It is this careful application of absolute Bible statements that results in truth and wisdom. If we press this rule on quiet men that seldom speak, they would never say anything.
If this rule is true for men, it is truer for women, whose adorning feature is a meek and quiet spirit (I Pet 3:3-4). A talkative woman should cut her words in half to make sure she is not despised as the odious and clamorous woman (Pr 9:13; 11:16; 27:15; 30:23). With these two inspired reasons to speak less, such a woman will cut her words to a quarter.
President Abraham Lincoln, long after King Solomon wrote his proverbs, confirmed this rule of wisdom and public decorum by his well-known words from a different angle, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
If you do not have anything necessary, profitable, or good to say, why talk? Others do not need noise to be happy or content. Silence is golden. Making conversation to fill a void is disturbing the peace and foolish talking, for which you will be judged (Eph 5:3-5). You are the fulfillment of crackling thorns that Solomon so despised (Eccl 7:4-6).
What a proverb! What practical advice from God and Solomon! Most people do not appreciate the incredible value of the Bible, for they have not read it, or they have not had teachers that read it. Thank God for inspiring a book that covers everything from creation to the effect of speech on reputation to the final judgment and everything in between.
The Lord Jesus Christ warned that you will give an account for every idle word in the Day of Judgment (Matt 12:36). So provide wisely for your future at His judgment seat and protect your present reputation by holding your peace and shutting your lips. Here is a double blessing, at least. Please God and men by reducing your words.
Though men may think you wise for your reduced speech, the living Word of God is not deceived at all. All things are naked and opened before His eyes; He discerns the very thoughts and intents of your heart (Heb 4:12-14). So it is better to forsake your foolishness altogether and seek true wisdom in your heart. You cannot mislead Him.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 16:3 –Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
There are different ways to fail to commit whatever we do to the LORD.
We must maintain a delicate balance: trusting God as if everything depended on him, while working as if everything depended on us. Think of a specific effort in which you are involved right now. Have you committed it to the LORD?
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 15:13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.
Your face shows your heart. If you are happy inside, it will show outside. If you are sad inside, it will also show outside. Others know your heart by what they can see on your face. The lessons are to choose a merry heart for yourself and to help others get one also.
A cheerful face and energetic body are wonderful things. Glowing features, dancing and happy eyes, frequent and warm smiles, and upbeat movements beautify women and enhance men. These attractive traits are cheap and easy to obtain – choose to be happy.
But a sad face and dragging body are horrible things. Clouded features, dead eyes, cold frowns, and slow, slumping movements disfigure and spoil both women and men. Such outward display shows a hurt or broken heart, for the spirit of joy and energy is wounded.
A smile is the best facial! A joyful soul enhances your appearance more than anything else. A happy face is a wonderful thing, and it is the result of a peaceful and contented heart. But a troubled heart clouds your face, as it saps your features and body of energy and vitality. Wise men guard their hearts, and they learn to perceive the hearts of others.
Women spend much time, expense, and effort to be attractive. Yet a warm and sincere smile does more than any hairdo, makeup, or accessories. A girl or woman can go from a 5 to a 9 with a smile! Cheerful eyes, a relaxed face, a pleasant smile, and contented posture are more appealing than fine clothing and perfect features. And a kind and happy smile is ten times better than a bored look, angry face, furrowed brows, or haughty stare!
Your countenance is primarily your facial appearance, but it also includes your bearing and demeanor. It is your face and body language combined. When you are happy and joyful, your countenance reflects this inner condition. And when your soul is burdened under fear, loss, trouble, or worry, your face and body reveal it as well (I Sam 1:10,18).
When you are happy and excited, whether by circumstances or choice, you have extra energy, light, and life! And this refreshing carriage is often contagious to those around you. In the same way, when you are sad and discouraged, you have little energy, power, or resolve. And this depressed appearance drags those down that are with you.
What is the lesson? A wise man will rule his spirit to keep it from breaking (Pr 25:28). If he is cast down about anything, he will not let it destroy him (II Cor 4:9). He will remember the warning to weep without it seriously affecting him (I Cor 7:30). He will choose a merry heart for his approach to life, for the continual feast it brings (Pr 15:15).
Happiness is a choice. Contentment is a choice. Love is a choice. Hope is a choice. Thankfulness is a choice. Attitude is more important than any circumstances. Ruling your spirit shows greatness (Pr 16:32), and by doing so you can maintain a merry heart for a cheerful countenance. Though self-discipline is not taught any more, you must learn it.
What is the lesson? Wise men will consider and discern the souls of others by their outward countenance. True friends are born for adversity, and they will be ready to help in a time of grief or need (Pr 17:17). It is the duty of Christians to consider when another church member might be hurting (Rom 12:15; I Cor 12:26; I Thess 5:14; Heb 10:23-25).
Wise men learn to spot the tears of a clown. Though there might be an outward smile and physical energy, they consider others carefully enough to measure their spirit better than by a superficial glance. This takes time, emotional energy, experience, and concern – the marks of real love. Do you know anyone today with a broken heart you could heal?
There is only one real heart doctor in the universe. Do you know Him? The rest know so little, and they only deal with the lump of muscle beating in your chest. This other doctor has the power to easily fill you with love, joy, peace, hope, and all sorts of other wonderful traits to enlarge your heart and energize your countenance. Do you know Him?
How do you get a merry heart? It is a choice! The gracious God of heaven expects you to be joyful for what He has done for you (Acts 14:17; Ps 4:7; Phil 4:4). If you know Him, how can you not be content and excited (Ps 73:25-26; Jer 9:23-24; Heb 13:5-6)?
With your heart in the right place, Solomon’s priorities make perfect sense (Pr 15:16-17). With eternal life as a gift of God and heaven waiting, what can get you down! And with a cheerful countenance, you give visual proof of Christianity’s superiority. Smile
Under Gods Command
Romans 1:11-13 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
A reading of the first few verses of Romans relates Paul’s ardent desire to visit Rome and the sovereign hand of God that had prevented him from getting there for quite some time. The combination of these two factors – Paul’s impassioned desire to go to Rome and God’s severing “no” resulted in his sitting down to write this letter to the Romans. This letter is a powerful exposition of the Christian faith and has helped countless millions of believers across the centuries since Paul first penned it to the group of believers in Rome.
Lets Bring it Home: Perhaps there are some “no’s” in our lives that God is planning to use greatly if we would just faithfully do what lies directly ahead of us instead of worrying about why we did’ get our way.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 12:14 – From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands reward him.
There are great rewards for good speech and actions. Will you miss them in life? Will others win them, leaving you behind? The proverb’s lesson is simple, but most forget the certain rewards for righteousness. They are too concerned with the world’s opinions of success or approval of their peers. They forget God and men will compensate the godly.
Speaking right and doing right bring rewards. The world may not exalt or reward virtue, but this true proverb gives wonderful advice. If you use your mouth for kind, spiritual, and wise words, God and men will reward you with satisfying honors. And both God and men will also surely compensate you for good works of charity, godliness, and truth.
The only speech that brings good and satisfying rewards is pure and wise speech, which the proverb implies. If you use your mouth for folly, lies, or boasting, it will bring trouble (Pr 10:6,14,31; 12:18; 13:3; 18:6-7,21; 20:17). The same is true of actions – things done with your hands. Only noble deeds bring good rewards (Pr 6:17; 10:4; 26:6; Is 3:10-11).
Good speech blesses others (Pr 24:26). But the reward here is to the speaker (Pr 13:2; 15:23; 18:20). Kings will befriend a man with gracious speech (Pr 22:11). How could Pharaoh resist promoting Joseph (Gen 41:39-45)? Jonathan resist loving David (I Sam 18:1-4)? Nebuchadnezzar resist promoting Daniel (Dan 2:46-49)? What will the King of kings do for those who speak to others about Him (Mal 3:16-18)? Read it, and rejoice!
Good deeds are the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, righteousness, and truth (Gal 5:22-23; Eph 5:9). The good works of God’s elect are the result of God’s powerful workmanship in them by regeneration (Eph 2:10). What God works in, they are to work out (Phil 2:12-13).
Bad deeds are signs of carnal Christians – self-love, coveting, boasting, pride, blasphemy, disobedience to parents, unthankful, unholy, perverted love, trucebreakers, false accusers, unruly, fierce, despisers of good people, traitors, heady, haughty, lovers of pleasures more than God, and merely a hypocritical form of religion (II Tim 3:1-5). They lose!
Good words and works are not the mere ceremony or ritual of church attendance or activities. Isaiah 58 provides a wonderful distinction between outward religious compliance and true godliness affecting your relationships with others. And the rewards listed in this passage cover an incredible range of blessings far beyond this commentary.
The Bible is God’s manual for successful living, and living His way will save you from the dysfunctional problems of this wicked world and bring prosperity and success (Josh 1:6-9; Ps 1:1-3; 19:7-11; Jas 1:25). But there are also the rewards described above. Glory!
Your goal is to be like Jesus Christ. He grew in favour with God and men (Luke 2:52). His speech was gracious beyond belief (Ps 45:2; Luke 4:22). He went about doing good (Acts 10:38). He is the example Paul followed, and we should follow Paul (I Cor 11:1).
But did He not die young, you ask? He voluntarily laid down His life, forgiving the soldiers, in the ultimate act and words for His elect. What was His reward? Promoted to the pinnacle of the universe to reign forever (Phil 2:5-11; Eph 1:19-23; Heb 12:1-3)!
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
Test your integrity or faithfulness. Can you keep a secret? Will you hide it from those not needing to know? Tattlers or gossips have no integrity – they do not have a faithful spirit. If they know damaging information about another, they must tell it, quickly and widely.
What God called talebearing here used to be called tattling or gossiping. Now it is called investigative reporting. Now it is entertainment. Newspapers, television, tabloids, and Internet sites feed on it. People read it with glee; they tingle with curiosity hearing it; they beg for more details, especially sexual ones; they cannot wait to repeat it to others.
If the least rumor or unsavory fact is found about a president’s personal life or family, it is spread far and wide and discussed to death. The same is true for business leaders, sports figures, and celebrities. The more negative the facts, that much more exciting to spread! This fascination with secrets is a sin and proves the perversity of a generation.
Family members, neighbors, office workers, and even some church members love to spread news of negative events in the lives of others. They say, “Did you know they are divorced? Have you heard the latest about him? Can you believe she did that?” And off go wicked lips and ears to discuss the private details of others that should be concealed.
This sin is an abomination to God, and He hates it. His holy ears know that spreading damaging news about others is to rape their reputations. Solomon taught here that good men with faithful spirits will not repeat private news they learn about others.
Physical rape is a horrible crime, and it should be punished severely. But talebearing may be worse, in that it can have greater consequences. Instead of hurting a person’s body for a few minutes or an emotional state for a while, it can leave permanent scars on a person’s reputation and character, the more valuable parts of a person. Consider it.
The heart of man is desperately wicked and will do anything it can to defame or injure others (Jer 17:9; Rom 3:13-18). One of the easiest ways to hurt another’s reputation is to spread private information that does not need to be told. So it is this sin that the proverb condemns.
Faithful men will hide private information they happen to learn. They will conceal such things; they will not repeat them to anyone. They will do all they can to protect the reputations of others, no matter what their personal feelings about the person might be. Such integrity and faithfulness makes a man great in the sight of God and men.
Guard your tongue, reader. Do not let it spread secrets that should be concealed. It does not matter at all whether the information is true or not. If the matter is not needed for the proper exercise of authority, then bury it. If the matter could hurt a person’s reputation, then bury it. If the matter is not uplifting or commending or helpful, then bury it.
How important is it to avoid this sin? The proverb here teaches that faithful men will not do it. Psalm 15:3 teach that a mark of eternal life is not doing it. Since God hates it and mentions it often in Scripture, all fathers must include it in their training (Eph 6:4). Great men and women, those called faithful and having integrity, work to protect others.
Jesus Christ is Faithful and True (Rev 19:11). He forgets the sins of His people forever (Heb 8:12). He would never reveal them, for it is His glory to cover offenses (Pr 25:2; Ps 103:10-12). It should be your pleasure to love others with the same compassion and commitment to protect them from damaging reports (Pr 10:12; 17:9; I Pet 4:8).
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
Test your integrity or faithfulness. Can you keep a secret? Will you hide it from those not needing to know? Tattlers or gossips have no integrity – they do not have a faithful spirit. If they know damaging information about another, they must tell it, quickly and widely.
What God called talebearing here used to be called tattling or gossiping. Now it is called investigative reporting. Now it is entertainment. Newspapers, television, tabloids, and Internet sites feed on it. People read it with glee; they tingle with curiosity hearing it; they beg for more details, especially sexual ones; they cannot wait to repeat it to others.
If the least rumor or unsavory fact is found about a president’s personal life or family, it is spread far and wide and discussed to death. The same is true for business leaders, sports figures, and celebrities. The more negative the facts, that much more exciting to spread! This fascination with secrets is a sin and proves the perversity of a generation.
Family members, neighbors, office workers, and even some church members love to spread news of negative events in the lives of others. They say, “Did you know they are divorced? Have you heard the latest about him? Can you believe she did that?” And off go wicked lips and ears to discuss the private details of others that should be concealed.
This sin is an abomination to God, and He hates it. His holy ears know that spreading damaging news about others is to rape their reputations. Solomon taught here that good men with faithful spirits will not repeat private news they learn about others.
Physical rape is a horrible crime, and it should be punished severely. But talebearing may be worse, in that it can have greater consequences. Instead of hurting a person’s body for a few minutes or an emotional state for a while, it can leave permanent scars on a person’s reputation and character, the more valuable parts of a person. Consider it.
The heart of man is desperately wicked and will do anything it can to defame or injure others (Jer 17:9; Rom 3:13-18). One of the easiest ways to hurt another’s reputation is to spread private information that does not need to be told. So it is this sin that the proverb condemns.
Faithful men will hide private information they happen to learn. They will conceal such things; they will not repeat them to anyone. They will do all they can to protect the reputations of others, no matter what their personal feelings about the person might be. Such integrity and faithfulness makes a man great in the sight of God and men.
Guard your tongue, reader. Do not let it spread secrets that should be concealed. It does not matter at all whether the information is true or not. If the matter is not needed for the proper exercise of authority, then bury it. If the matter could hurt a person’s reputation, then bury it. If the matter is not uplifting or commending or helpful, then bury it.
How important is it to avoid this sin? The proverb here teaches that faithful men will not do it. Psalm 15:3 teach that a mark of eternal life is not doing it. Since God hates it and mentions it often in Scripture, all fathers must include it in their training (Eph 6:4). Great men and women, those called faithful and having integrity, work to protect others.
Jesus Christ is Faithful and True (Rev 19:11). He forgets the sins of His people forever (Heb 8:12). He would never reveal them, for it is His glory to cover offenses (Pr 25:2; Ps 103:10-12). It should be your pleasure to love others with the same compassion and commitment to protect them from damaging reports (Pr 10:12; 17:9; I Pet 4:8).
Under Gods Command
Romans 1:1-5 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
Paul states that Jesus is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the resurrected Lord. Paul calls Jesus a descendant of King David to emphasize that Jesus truly had fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures predicting that the Messiah would come from David’s line. With this statement of faith, Paul declares his agreement with the teaching of all Scripture and of the apostles.
Paul summarizes the Good News about Jesus Christ, who (1) came as a human by natural decent, (2) was part of the Jewish royal line through David, (3) died and was raised from the dead, and (4) opened the door for God’s grace and kindness to be poured out on us. The book of Romans is an expansion of these themes.
Christians have both a privilege and a great responsibility. Paul and the apostles received forgiveness (“grace”) as an underserved privilege. But they also received the responsibility to share the message of Gods forgiveness with others. God also graciously forgives our sins when we believe in him as Lord. In doing this, we are committing ourselves to begin a new life. Paul’s new life also involved a God-given responsibility to witness about God’s Good News to the world as a missionary.
Lets Bring it Home: God may or may not call you to be an overseas missionary, but he does call you (and all believers) to witness to and be an example of the changed life that Jesus Christ has begun in you.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 10:32 The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
Think before you speak. Do your words fit the situation? Will your speech help and please those listening? A godly man knows what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. He makes sure his words and speech are acceptable to others, and they love him for it.
But a wicked man does the opposite – he impulsively lets out of his mouth whatever is in his contrary and foolish mind. He does not care what others desire or need to hear. His words offend others, so they consider him rude and obnoxious, and they avoid him.
The way you talk declares your character. The way you talk determines how influential you will be.
Of course, everyone thinks his own speech is good and right (Pr 21:2). Human pride and inborn folly presume that others love the way you talk, and pride and folly are in great supply in every child of Adam. Only by the mercy of God, learning grace and wisdom, and strict ruling of the tongue can men learn to speak in a way acceptable to others.
Speech is for the hearers – so it is their perception and opinion that counts, not yours! It is others that determine whether what you say is acceptable or not. It is your duty to learn what they expect, so you can speak acceptable words. If you think being conventional is weakness or sinful compromise, you are too foolish and selfish to learn wisdom. Paul made sure as far as he could to avoid offending any (I Cor 9:19-23; 10:32-33).
Righteous men study to answer, but fools pour out the evil in their hearts and minds (Pr 15:28,2; 16:23; 13:16; 29:11). While studying to answer includes correct facts, necessary knowledge, and a wise response to the matter at hand, consider it well that studying also means to know your audience and what they consider acceptable (Ac 17:22-31; 23:6).
Your lips only say what is already in his heart, according to Jesus (Luke 6:45). The heart of the righteous loves what is good and acceptable, so their choice of words is pleasing to God and men. But the heart of the wicked is depraved and selfish, so his speech is obnoxious and rude. Only by a change of heart will his speech ever improve. And only the Lord can change his heart by regeneration to deliver him from the power of the devil.
Speech is one of the ways you can glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, for pleasant words will be a beautiful testimony to His grace and glory (Col 4:6). Your difference from the world will be great, for they are guilty of filthiness, foolish talking, and jesting, which will soon bring God’s judgment on them (Eph 5:3-7). Let every reader learn to speak acceptably.
Under Gods command 