5-3-13. Proverbs 13:1-25. DISCIPLINE & WISDOM; RIGHTEOUSNESS & WEALTH – my devotional

Proverbs 13:1-25                                                                                        Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 13:18                                                                                        5-3-13

“Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”

    Dear Lord, Jesus Christ. Thank you for teaching us that we need to the flexible, elastic and dynamic as we serve the work of God. We really need to shed the “old wineskin” mentality and adopt a fresh and new approach to ministry and Christian life. Thank you for guiding me on that fresh and new approach. Help me to always be free to follow your leading in my life and family. Please guide and grow us according to your perfect will. Help us to serve your purpose in this generation. Teach me spiritual things through this passage in Proverbs 13. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

(See the entire text at the end of this daily devotional.)

Part 1: Discipline And Wisdom (1,10,13-14,18,20,24)

The following verses have to do with discipline and wisdom.

Verse 1, “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.”

Verse 10, “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Verses 13-14, “ Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it, but whoever respects a command is rewarded. ¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.”

Verse 18, “Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”

Verse 20, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”

Verse 24, “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”

If we just look at these verses we can glean some important bits of information. 1. Heed instruction. 2. respond to a rebuke. 3. take advice. 4. Don’t succumb to strife. 5. Respect a command. 6. Consider wise teachings as fountain of life. 7. Heed correction and be honored. 8. Walk with the wise. 9. Don’t be a companion o fools. (But be a shepherd for them.) 10. Discipline the next generation in the ways of the Lord. (The rod is not for striking, but for guiding as in gymnastic instruction.)

There are several ways to learn wisdom. One way is to heed instruction and advice (1,10,13-14); another is to respect discipline (18,24); another is to walk with wise people (20). Or you can live by trial and error. But if you gather wisdom using this method you will be hurt and you don’t live long enough to acquire the wisdom that God wants us to acquire.

I thank God for helping me to not live by trial and error any longer. Some people never listen to anyone, and when they are disciplined, they only become rebellious. Others never learn from life’s hard times. This is the way that I used to acquire wisdom. I never tried to learn from others. My parents did not sit me down and have those deep conversations about what I should be doing with my life. It was more like, if I didn’t do drugs and alcohol and I did well in school and worked part time, then that is all the wisdom I needed for life. But that is not true. Because this philosophy could not help me to avoid falling into sin’s trap and despairing of a meaningless life. I could not avoid the path of judgment and eternal condemnation. If I only lived by trial and error and tried to learn from my mistakes then I ruin my health, life and future before I could come to some basic wisdom that could sustain me in this world. And I may be 70 years old before it happened. I needed the wisdom of God. I needed the gospel. And I thank God for leading me to Jesus.  Now I can get the right wisdom that leads to eternal life, quickly, so that I could walk in that wisdom the rest of my days and be blessed by God.

I need to heed the instruction of the wise. I need to listen to my spiritual elders. I need to hang out with wise people so that I can be influenced by their wisdom. Acquiring the wisdom of God should be one of the priorities in my life. I pray that it may be the priority in my kid’s lives. You-tube videos and Twitter feeds do not teach true wisdom that leads to eternal life.

Part 2: Righteousness Or Wealth (6,8,11,21-23,25)

The following verses have to do with a person’s righteousness and their integrity. Living in this world, bearing the righteousness of God and living with integrity is very important for the people of God. Let’s look at the verses.

Verse 6, “Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.”

Verse 8, “A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.”

Verse 11, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.”

Verse 21-23, “Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things. ²² A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. ²³ An unplowed field produces food for the poor,but injustice sweeps it away.”

Verse 25, “The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.”

Those who live with righteousness and integrity will be blessed. Their hearts, minds, lives and families will be guarded. They will have wealth that could ransom their lives one day. They know how to grow wealth in this world. They patiently acquire it. They are rewarded with good things. Their children and grandchildren have an inheritance. They get wealth they never even worked for, for the wealth of those who reject God will go to them. The righteous have full stomachs. It is obviously better to be righteous and people of integrity.

Righteousness and integrity are related and belong to the way of wisdom. We can not be righteous on our own. The Bible teaches us the fact that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We can not gain righteousness through good works or own human goodness. We can never be good enough. Even the nicest person will eventually loose it under stress. I have see friends who have been kind for years lash out at one another under stress. It hurts. But it shows how our human goodness has its limits. We can never be righteous on our own.

How can sinners be made righteous? It is only by the blood of Jesus. Faith in Jesus and possessing Gospel faith is the way to be declared righteous by God. It is God’s gift to us. Those who can never be righteous are made righteous purely because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. And when we are declared righteous, then the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We have the right relationship with God and we have eternal life. Wow! That is the free gift from God. Then, by the Spirit’s help and strength, we can then walk in the way of the righteous.

I could never walk in the way of the righteous by myself. I would have no strength to do so. I would be self preserving. I would be so easily angered and frustrated. I would be isolated and secluded from those closest to me. I would be only doing petty things as I wait out my time to end on this earth. I would be living in perpetual depression and despair. I would loose strength to be able to do what is right. But thank God that I have been made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit can abide in my soul. I can overcome my weaknesses. I can walk in the way of righteousness by the power of God.

We need to seek the righteousness of God. Matthew 6:33 always stands true, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” One who seeks righteousness will find that his needs are supplied by God. Seeking means to seek to enter into the right relationship with God. It requires a longing of heart. It requires a desire to hold into Gospel faith.

Righteousness seems to bring wealth, but not always.It would be good to have both righteousness and wealth, but if that is not possible, it is better to have righteousness. I do see, that if a person has faith in Jesus, then they have stability. They have wisdom, patience and endurance. These qualities will bring success if the person is given an opportunity to put them into practice. God will help them to bear abundant fruit in this life and the next. They will experience fruit, 30, 60 or 100 times what was sown.

There are other things that this passage says about righteous and integrity. Righteousness guards a person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows a sinner. A person’s wealth may ransom their life if they are kidnapped, but if they are poor, no one will want to kidnap them. Blessings given by God to a righteous person become the inheritance of their children and grandchildren. They leave behind a great heritage and a legacy.

I thank God that Jesus has given me a legacy to lay behind. What could I leave behind that any of my descendants would care about? I saw an episode of the Simpsons, where the grandkids were packing up the belongings of their grandfather as he was being moved to a nursing home. The kids labeled each box, “Useless memories.” And to them they were. They had no emotional connection to the items. I am learning I can pass on photos, stories, genealogical information, visits to historical places etc. But even these things have their limits. I can pass on my ethics and morals etc. But these are tainted with sin. The best thing that I can pass on is my Christian faith. That will bless the generations. I saw a photo of Roman graveyard from 300 AD. There was one skeleton with a stone ring with a Christian symbol. That Roman’s faith is shining forth and inspiring even me 1700 years later. His faith is leaving a legacy that he can never imagine. I pray that Julie’s and my faith (that has made us righteous) will be a wonderful inheritance to our grandchildren.

Prayer: Lord, give me a humble heart that seeks righteousness and wisdom first.

One Word: Seek God and his righteousness

Proverbs 13:1-25 

A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes. ² From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things, but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence. ³ Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. ⁴ A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. ⁵ The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves. ⁶ Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. ⁷ One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. ⁸ A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes. ⁹ The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. ¹⁰ Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. ¹¹ Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. ¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. ¹³ Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it, but whoever respects a command is rewarded. ¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. ¹⁵ Good judgment wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.¹⁶ All who are prudent act withknowledge, but fools expose their folly. ¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing. ¹⁸ Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. ¹⁹ A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil. ²⁰ Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. ²¹ Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things. ²² A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. ²³ An unplowed field produces food for the poor, but injustice sweeps it away. ²⁴ Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. ²⁵ The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.