Proverbs 14:19-35

Proverbs 14:19-35

The life we live is our resume. If someone were to claim to be a good money manager, how could you tell? "Are they wealthy?" is the best answer to the question. How can you tell if someone is a fool? The resume of life tells the story. That is the point of verse 24.

How is it that those who are suffering for Christ have such strength and resolve? Verse 25 tells us that their confidence is in the Lord, and in Him they have a place of refuge. If we lack stability, if we are falling apart, we ought to consider where we have placed our confidence.

Where do we live mentally and emotionally? Verse 30 is a real challenge. The health of the body is the cure that comes from the emotionally sound inner person. We use the word ‘stress’ to describe so much of our lives, and at the same time we are physically ill. How much of our physical ruin is the result of what the King James Version calls “envy,” the NASB calls “passion,” and the Hebrew calls “qinah” (pronounced kee naw)? It means color produced in the face. It can mean ‘anger,’ ‘zeal,’ ‘jealousy,’ or ‘passion.’ We were not made to run on high emotions all the time, and sooner or later our bodies will pay the price.

What causes this constant anxiety with which we live? Verse 26 is descriptive of the person who is not as susceptible to anxiety. Verse 32 gives us a picture of the fragilities and resilience of two groups of people. First we see the evil person is thrust down or driven away by their evil. The word ‘banished’ is a good way to think of this concept. The word carries the implications of ‘chasing off with violence’ and the way smoke is driven by the wind. The evil person's schemes fail, and they are totally undone by that single and momentary failure. In contrast, the righteous facing the greatest challenge possible, their own death, find a refuge. Face any setback without our God, and we will experience stress and banishment and hardship. But face them in faith, and even the most difficult moment, death, we can face in peace.

“Lord, help me find my confidence in You, not in myself nor circumstances. AMEN.”