Proverbs 20 – 21
Verse 20:1 goes after some of our simple pleasures:
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
Often times I have said drinking a little “booze” is ok, heck Jesus and the disciples did it all the time. But often we forget “moderation” in our drink and have a bit too much. It’s easy to do in a social setting where the conversation becomes more relaxed and fun, the wine tends to flow more freely. The point here is not to drink, but to control your drinking since there are some “pitfalls”. The key is not being led astray by drinking, but use it as God intended.
Verse 20:6 seems to apply to marriages today:
Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,
but a faithful man who can find??
How many marriages are built on the words “I love you” only to be broken a few years later? Couples today get caught up in the rush of emotion and often break up because of the same reason. We must learn to control those emotional roller coasters and learn faithfulness. The spark of a marriage almost always dies from that initial inferno of passion. Once the fire dies are you ready to keep the embers burning or will you let them go out, trying to find the fire elsewhere? Faithfulness is the key to a successful marriage, not passion.
Verse 21:2 seems to be a “repeat” of one I did earlier (16:2):
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the LORD weighs the heart.
The only real differences between these verses are “pure” instead of “right” and “soul” instead of “heart”. One could probably spend hours dissecting the differences between the two, but really they are quite simple and say the same thing. It must be important or it would not have been repeated! We have to realize that our thoughts are often deceived into thinking what we are doing is right. I justify actions all the time and often use the excuse I was born under the sign of Aquarius, which is one of the traits. Of course I bet all signs have some trait similar to this. The key is knowing God’s will and desire for your life by constant prayer and studying.
Verse 21:23 is advice I should have followed:
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.
Those who spend time with me realize I often say inappropriate things at the wrong time. It’s a gift!! Actually it’s a curse, since it’s been the spark to arguments and major problems in my life. The one that I think of is a pre-employment physical where I flipped out on the doctor who overcharged me. The police were involved and it eventually calmed down. Well I could not keep quiet and had to “jokingly” mention the incident to the HR person at the company I was going to. Guess what they rescinded the offer and I was unemployed for 8 years! The cost in lost salary was well over $500,000 and more if you include to flubs I did at the shop! So learn to “bridle” your tongue!!