Monday's Moment

Proverbs 10:22

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Good morning, and a Marvelous Monday to all of you!

The weekend is behind us, and it was a truly blessed one for me (and I hope for you, too), and now we start our day Perusing the Proverbs, Day 10, Chapter 10. This chapter is filled with individual proverbs and often the subject changes per verse, but I will do my best to just highlight some important treasures along the way.

Solomon starts out this chapter with reference to a wise son making a glad father, while a foolish son brings grief to his mother. This is very true for when our children make wise choices, it makes the heart glad, yet sadness fills the heart when our children make foolish choices. I truly believe God feels the same way about His children and their choices.

We find a lot of contrast in Chapter 10 between the wicked and the righteous. The wicked will eventually lose all their worthless substance, yet the righteous will always have a full soul. There are blessings upon the head of the just while violence covers the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the just is blessed, but who will remember the wicked? Teach the wise and they will learn, but fools will fall.

Verse 4 deals with handling business honestly, and verse 5 teaches us the blessing of preparation for the future. What a danger to sleep during harvest, whether naturally or spiritually. The harvest is ripe but the laborers are few (could they be sleeping??).

If we walk uprightly, we'll always walk surely. The mouth of the righteous is filled with all that is helpful and good, while a wicked person's mouth is filled with violence and destruction. If we are hateful, we will stir up strife, but people are willing to look over the faults of those who are loving.

Keep instruction and live. Don't be a slanderer, nor one who talks all the time. Wisdom teaches us to refrain from talking too much, giving us a tongue of "choice silver." In contrast, the wicked heart is of "little worth." Speak righteously, and many will benefit.

Oh, the blessing of the Lord - it makes us rich! No sorrow is found in the blessing of the Lord!

The righteous has an everlasting foundation, much like the wise man who builds on the rock. 

Another word picture is found in verse 26 - imagine vinegar on our teeth, or smoke getting into our eyes - this is the effect of sending a sluggard to do our work.

As we bring this chapter to a close, we find more contrast:

Fear of the Lord prolongs days BUT not for the wicked.

Hope of the righteous is gladness BUT all the wicked can hope for will perish.

The way of the Lord gives strength to the upright BUT destruction awaits all evil workers.

The righteous are established and settled; the wicked are not.

A just man or woman opens their mouth and out comes wisdom BUT if a froward person opens their mouth, their tongue will be cut out (terrible word picture here).

Righteous lips know what is acceptable BUT all that a wicked person can utter is words of disobedience.

There is so much wisdom throughout the Proverbs. I hope today's blog post has been a help to you.

Until tomorrow, Lord willing..........