Proverbs Chapter 16

1-9


Verse 1: "We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer."
Why try and shape your life to your liking when God has a perfect, savior plan already? I, even at a young age, am beginning to see how God wants to use my life in contrast to how I would choose. I mean, I would choose one path completely to the left, and God wants me to go completely to the right. it's frustrating to come to that realization but then you stop and think about it (or "Thank you baby"), and you realize how in depth God's plan is for your life and how he has such a better view of the picture than you. Praise! Good stuff, verse 1, good stuff.

The Lord always sees your heart. When you do something good, but truly want the glory to go to you for being a good person (and we've all done that), God knows that, and you are not blessed for it. "The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished."  God doesn't always see you for your actions, but for your heart condition. "Commit your actions to the lord and your plans will suceed."
Once again, God has a plan. Even if you don't know what that is, just walk in Godly steps and work for his glory and not yours and he will reveal his truths to you.

When you are living a life pleasing to the Lord, even your enemies have peace with you. God is such a mighty shield. Just having his favor on you protects you from your pursuers. What a good God!

10-19

Solomon talks alot about Kings/Rulers here and how they are supposed to act, about how they act sometimes similarly to Hod and how just and good God is in their comparison.

Like God, a kings rule should be built upon Justice, and be a fair and trustworthy rule. Every decision a ruler makes affects everyone in the country in some way. They are the cornerstone for a nation, they have to have good morals, leadership qualities, and quite frankly, I think they should all have God with them, cause he's smart. The King has a deep wrath, he hates wrongdoing and his anger is deadly, and the wise will try to appease it. Is it saying that it's smart to kiss up to leaders above you? hmm.....?
A ruler should have humiltiy, knowing that it is not by their own works and deeds that put them in their position, but by the work of God's hands knowing where to place the right people depending on his will. Pride goes before the fall, and history shows the nations that have fallen due to pride tripping them up.

20-33

"...Pleasant words are persuasive..."
Solomon uses this phrase a few times here, teaching us that you can really get someone's attention with some persuasive speaking. They say action speaks louder than words, but that must be saying something because words can do alot. And isn't speaking an action anyway?
Parental Discresion Advised!!!:
Discresion is such an important thing. Like it's counter-part discernment, it is the base of not only knowing right and wrong, but being able to see it and have the discipline to turn down the wrong and find the right. having this one-two punch will bless us like a fountain forever!

Verse 25 is a verbatim of a verse from a chapter or two ago.
"There is a path before each person that seems right, but it leads to death."
It is so easy to be deceived in this world. The empire of sin that is our Earth is a giant trap for humans to fall into the wrong hands and slip away from Christ and to slip away from good. This is an example that the Discernment, Discresion, Discipline, combo is so important, and it's convenient that it follows the warning to have discresion right away. with God inside us, we have his x-ray vision into the heart of the people trying to lead us somewhere, whether that be somewhere good or somewhere bad. Fear of the Lord is the root of all wisdom, and wisdom is the root of all Discernment, Discresion and Discipline, and those will protect us from all evil we face. I think this is the one thing that sticks out of this chapter that Solomon was trying to get out. Without a good sense of right and wrong, as cheesey and cliched as that sounds, is the base for staying pure and close to God, then you add in discresion and discipline enough to stay away from what you know is wrong and God will bless you richly!
Brilliance, Solomon!
This is my favorite chapter so far. Loving these words so much!

-Evan