Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 16:18

by David Chadwick

“Pride comes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 16:18

One of the most powerful and well-known verses in all of Proverbs says that pride comes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.

Pride is the chief of all sins. It is what caused the devil to become the devil. He became the author of destruction by claiming to know more and know better than God. He wanted Jesus’s position in heaven, and even though he was not the Creator, he hungered for personal worship. Yes, as a mere creature.

To think we always know better than God is what will send us to hell. The failure to acknowledge our sin and great need for a Savior is the greatest downfall. Pride is the impardonable sin. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, at its very core, is pride.

Humility, on the other hand, is the opposite of pride. It promotes dependency, reliance, and a heart bent on leaning on someone bigger than yourself. Someone with a childlike faith displays all of these characteristics toward the One who created us.

Do a heart check today. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

Ask yourself if you see any evidence of pride in your life? Lack of prayer? Disdain toward worship? No care for spiritual and eternal things? Do you always think you’re right and remain unwilling to be corrected?

If so, humble yourself TODAY before the Lord and confess your sins. He will forgive you and purify you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). And will lift you up, closer to him than you’ve ever been before.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 15:3

by David Chadwick

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

Proverbs 15:3

We are continuing our study through some of the proverbs found in God’s Word. God is highly majestic, the creator of the universe, all-powerful, and all-consuming, yet he provides instructions for his followers that are very practical.

Did you know that God’s eyes are everywhere? He sees everything, keeping watch over both good and evil. Why is this so important for our lives? Two answers come to mind.

First, it should encourage right and godly behavior. If God sees everything, that means nothing gets by him. He sees our private sins and our private joys. No slanderous words go unseen. Matthew 12 says that we are all held accountable for every idle word we speak. This includes words of gossip, slander, deceit, or anger.

Additionally, no private devotion goes unnoticed. If we really believe this is true, we would aim to behave righteously. We would live with a high standard, fully aware that we are ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven.

Secondly, knowing that God’s eyes are everywhere should create deep security in our souls. God not only sees everything, but he is also in control of everything. He is over everything. All of the surrounding chaos is in God’s purview.

Is there an area of your life where you feel like something is out of your control? Don’t ever worry! Turn your fear into faith. God’s got this! Today’s proverb should give all of us the assurance that our faith in God is not in vain. He is always working all things together for good (Romans 8:28).

And always remember, God sees everything, and his eyes are everywhere!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 15:18 Temper, Temper!

by Marilynn Chadwick

“A hot-tempered person stirs up strife, but one who is slow to anger quiets contention.”

Proverbs 15:18

Be slow to anger. The book of Proverbs has lots to say about the problem of anger. Over fifteen different verses warn of the dangers of an unbridled temper. Anger is described as foolish and destructive. Being slow to anger is a sign of moral strength.

So dangerous is anger that we’re warned to steer clear of close friendships with hot-tempered people to avoid letting them influence our behavior. “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared” (Proverbs 22:24, 25 NIV).

Several verses in Proverbs give us a tutorial on how to avoid the anger trap. We’re encouraged to replace anger with a virtue, such as patience:

• Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly (Proverbs 14:29).

• A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1).

• Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins (Proverbs 10:12).

• Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice (Proverbs 13:10).

• A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11).

• Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin (Proverbs 17:19).

That last tip in Proverbs 17:19 gives me pause. I confess I’ve been known to enjoy “verbal jousting” at times. And friendly debates are not all bad. But it’s good to remember that debates can become quarrels. I don’t want to “love a quarrel,” which this verse calls “loving sin.”

Ancient Jewish rabbis were so aware of the potentially destructive nature of anger that they elevated the virtue of love even above the highly prized virtue of truth.

Anger can be bad for our health, cause us to make rash and unwise decisions, and even lose at war. Someone once advised soldiers to “never enter a sword fight angry.” Proverbs 16:32 teaches that true strength is found in controlling one's spirit rather than winning an argument and a patient person is “stronger than a warrior.”

Let’s remember that God hates strife, especially in families and the family of God (Malachi 2:10). I don’t know about you, but I’m thankful that love covers a “multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).