Proverbs 6:1-2
- My son, if you are surety for your friend, if you struck your palms with a stranger,
- you are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth.
I just keep hearing Dave Ramsey’s constant exhortation to never, ever co-sign for anyone when I read these verses…
Proverbs 3:28
- Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
The Good News Bible, a translation that I’m not entirely enamored with, summarizes that verse this way:
“Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.”
While I often think the GNB oversimplifies things, I think this is a fair interpretation of this proverb. This is something I struggle with, and something that I’ll try to do better from now on. I’m a horrible procrastinator, especially when someone comes to ask me to do something. I’m often in a mindset that prompts me to ask them to wait, even when I’m not really so busy that I can’t make time to help them out.
Proverbs 2:10-12
- For wisdom shall enter into thine heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;
- Discretion shall watch over thee, understanding shall keep thee:
- To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the men that speak froward things;
- So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
It’s easy to look at the world today and think that, as the saying goes, “greed is good.” After all, aren’t the greedy the ones who seem to get the greatest rewards? Honestly, based on my own experience with greed, all it does is eat away at your happiness and, indeed, your life. It’s better to be content with and take joy in the blessings God has already given us.
- A virtuous woman who can find? for her price is far above rubies.
- The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no lack of gain.
- She doeth him good and not evil all the days of her life.
I’ve liked these verses for some time (and most of the chapter following, actually), because they remind me how lucky I am to have my wife.