Pride Goes Before A Fall

As I read through Proverbs I notice that God reiterates several key themes. We need to seek after wisdom, get away from evil, watch what we say, work diligently, do not be lazy and so on. God cares about the way we live. These three chapters are full of wonderful verses for us to apply to our lives. With so many wonderful verses, it will be difficult to keep this brief. I pray you are enjoying Proverbs as much as I am.

I will begin with verse two. “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.” I have meditated on this verse several times before and I always think of how wise I think I am but it turns out that I know nothing. Isn’t it true that we have a tendency to judge our own ways and decide what is best without considering the Lord, which leads to the subject of pride. The Lord tells us to commit our works to Him. This means do everything for Him not ourselves. If my focus is anywhere else but on Him, we are in danger of pride. A favorite proverb of many is verse eighteen. “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” God hates pride. Pride always destroys. When we walk after our own ways, thinking we have it all figured out, God’s word says that “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”
I found 20 verses in just these three chapters that talk about what comes out of our mouths. Over and over we read about how destructive the tongue can be. You’ve heard the saying, “Silence is golden.” This phrase is not found in the Bible but it is fitting with many Bible verses. The fuller version of this quote is “speech is silver, silence is golden.” Our speech is very powerful. We can build up or tear down. “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” Are we not encouraged when someone takes the time to speak pleasant words? I say this about taking the time because it does take time and thought to control our tongues for righteousness. It is very easy to pour out criticism and complaints. “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul.” Many families and friendships have been ruined because of foolish speech, lying lips, and spiteful tongues. We do not have to say everything that is on our mind. I question this often. It sometimes feels so good to get something “off my chest,” when really I am just giving in to my flesh desire to speak something. I am not saying we should never talk about things but maybe we need to take more time to examine our intent behind what is about to be spoken. Verse fourteen really spoke to me because of a recent incident with someone. “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.” The Lord granted me the wisdom to stop a heated disagreement and he protected me from the strife that would have come if I had spoken all that I wanted to say. There is no benefit in arguing with a fool. I used to feel so defeated when I let things go but as I seek the wisdom of the Lord he tells me that I should let things go. With that said I want to point out verse seventeen which says, “A friend loves at all times...”
Verse twenty-two is a wonderful verse. “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” Did you know that there are scientific studies investigating the role of depression and osteoporosis? Stress causes depression which decreases bone mass. How do you have a merry heart in the midst of depressing times you may ask. Well, how much time are you spending with the one who promises joy?
One of the main themes of Proverbs is wisdom. Wisdom is not something someone is born with, it is not given by accident and it is not attained quickly. We must choose to seek wisdom and only through Christ can we gain true wisdom.

“It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.” I had to think on this for a bit. I am reminded of a recent court case where our justice system did not bring justice for the one who deserved it. This is not good but just remember “The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, NONE will go unpunished.”

Proverbs 18:22 is so interesting to me because its meaning is so much more than how it reads so I searched for some insight. This is an expanded translation which nicely sums up what I found.
"The man with the mental capacity to love from the ultimate source of his soul, who finds a wife he recognizes as having the ability to respond to his love, receives grace from God the Father."
Isn’t that a beautiful?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your Word. Thank you for allowing us the privilege to read it and learn from your wisdom. I have enjoyed our time together in reading what you have to say. I desire more than ever to live for you and to help others know who you are. Amen.