Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 421 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
A Cheerful Heart is Good Medicine – Proverbs [17:15]-28
Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 421 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the 2nd half of Chapter 17.
We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As we wrap up another month today, it is amazing just how quickly time does pass by. While it is very important that we maximize our impact on our world each day, it is also very important to enjoy all that we do and to take the time to relax, recharge, and reenergize. It is then that we can be most effective.
It is imperative that we plan, prepare, and execute effectively each day but realize that ultimately our dependence is on God to give us the wisdom, insight, and understanding that we need to keep moving forward and succeed in our endeavors. As Jesus’s half-brother James wrote in his letter in Chapter 4:13-15, “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’”
Never stop your pursuit to learn, to laugh, to love – maximize your impact today so that your legacy will continue to live on through the lives of others into eternity. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
With this in mind, it is time to head out on our trail for today, as we discover more nuggets of wisdom in the book of Proverbs. We will dig through the verses 15-28 of Chapter 17, and the title of our trek for today is extracted from verse 22 and starts out with…
A Cheerful Heart is Good Medicine
Let’s start in with verse 15.
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—
both are detestable to the Lord.
There are few things in life more difficult than to see justice perverted in the courts of law, and yet it is all too prevalent in the courts around the world. I personally experienced this situation when a friend was wrongly accused on two different issues near the same time and was placed in the county jail with no warning. He did not have money to post bail, so he remained there for 18 months while his case went through the process during which the prosecutor continually tried to force a plea bargain on him for something of which he was innocent. He persevered and finally had his “day(s) in court” and was completely exonerated by a jury of his peers. I visited him weekly during this time, so it became very real to me also. While justice was finally served, and my friend was freed, it was a trying 18 month period. I certainly understand better why this type of practice is detestable to God.
16 It is senseless to pay to educate a fool,
since he has no heart for learning.
When a person has no obligation or responsibility, there is less of a reason to try. If a person does not have a real desire to learn, even if you remove the obstacle of cost, this person will not learn. It is far better to have the desire to learn and the responsibility to pay for that education, for it is then that true learning takes place.
17 A friend is always loyal,
and a brother is born to help in time of need.
You will be able to tell who your true friends are when you are in times of struggle and hardship. They will not only be there to strengthen and encourage you but also to hold you accountable when you get off base. A true physical or spiritual brother/sister will be there when you need him or her most.
18 It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt
or put up security for a friend.
Debt is always a millstone around your neck and a weight to hold you down. Debt, in nearly all situations, is not wise. It causes you to become a slave to the lender. My advice is to be very careful to avoid any debt. There are very few true necessities in life, so do not borrow for non-essentials. It is very unwise to guarantee another person’s debt, especially if it is not an essential for them. Guaranteeing a debt for someone else is the same legal obligation as borrowing the money yourself, and you do not have any legal rights to what is purchased. If someone else can’t afford it, then they may need to wait until they can. Lenders will always attempt to get a co-signer for a loan even if it is not required.
19 Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin;
anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.
If you are a person who loves to argue with others, it is an indication of a proud heart. You feel that your way is always right. This in itself is a sinful habit. If you are standing on the truth, it will speak for itself, there is no reason to argue your point. In a related thought, if you have to build high walls around who you are in an attempt to protect yourself, you are inviting others to breach those walls. This is human nature. Instead, stand for the truth, and high walls are not needed.
20 The crooked heart will not prosper;
the lying tongue tumbles into trouble.
The truth will always win out in the end. Although it does not appear to be the case at times, given time it will. Those with crooked hearts will suffer, and those who lie to get ahead will trip on the very lies they propagate.
21 It is painful to be the parent of a fool;
there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
It does strike to your very heart when your children, whether physically or spiritually, make unwise and foolish decisions when you have taught them otherwise. It is difficult to remain joyful when they turn away from God’s Word. We have come to the position in our lives that we will not allow the unwise and foolish choices of others to rob us of our joy because the joy of the Lord is our strength.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.
While I am not a doctor nor have I ever played one on TV, I was an EMT during college. Beyond that though, I have seen the proof in my own life, and in the lives of countless others that it is very true that if you choose a heart full of cheer each day regardless of your circumstance which is better than any medicine that can be prescribed, and there are no negative side effects. On the other hand, if you do not choose a cheerful heart, your spirit will become broken, and you will lose your strength to live the rich and satisfying life that we are meant to live.
23 The wicked take secret bribes
to pervert the course of justice.
This is all too familiar with companies and governments around the world today. Bribes are given and taken with little thought of recourse. We do see the perversion of justice on a daily basis. We can take heart that God’s justice will prevail in the end.
24 Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
Gaining wisdom requires daily focus. To be a sensible person, you must have a passion and burning desire to gain wisdom. You will not allow the distractions of life to pull you away. Contrary to this is the fool who is always looking for something bigger and better. They will search everywhere but never find what they are seeking.
25 Foolish children bring grief to their father
and bitterness to the one who gave them birth.
Similar to other verses in Proverbs that we have studied, it does bring grief and bitterness to parents who have poured their hearts and souls into their children and then see them make unwise choices that will bring them harm. Your hope is in the fact that if you planted the seeds of God’s Word into their hearts that eventually those seeds will begin to grow once again.
26 It is wrong to punish the godly for being good
or to flog leaders for being honest.
This verse may seem obvious, but in many situation and cultures, the good and honest ones are being punished. This is not right. Let us always work toward the promotion and encouragement of those individuals that are being good and honest, especially if they are in the position of leadership.
27 A truly wise person uses few words;
a person with understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
Verses 27-28 are tied together and are a couple of my favorite verses. We do not have to go on pontificating about our opinions, wisdom, and insight. If we are truly wise, our lack of speaking will shout volumes. A wise and understanding person will also be an even-tempered person, not given to emotional highs and lows. To expand beyond this, in a rather comical banter, even if you are a foolish person, you can minimize others knowing it by keeping silent. You may even appear to be an intelligent person. This is so hard for the foolish and ignorant because they are usually spewing so much useless talk that it is obvious what they are like.
The nuggets of wisdom that we gathered in verses 15-28 of Proverbs 17 provide more tasty morsels of wisdom, insight, and understanding. Regardless of your faith walk, if the precepts in Proverbs are followed, your life will be rich and satisfying. Take them and plant them in your heart so that you will reap a harvest of goodness.
Tomorrow we will hike another short trail of Wisdom Unplugged where we will discover an inspirational wisdom quote. So, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person and inviting them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!
