Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 471 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Sayings of the Wise – Proverbs [22:17]-29
Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 471 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 22.
We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We continue to make good progress with both the outdoor fall cleanup and the indoor unpacking. It is good to have the time to accomplish all that needs to be done without being too rushed. Our client work requirements remain strong as we focus on the financial and technology work that keeps the back ends of their businesses running smoothly.
It is wise for every individual and business to make sure they have a solid financial foundation. As we break camp for our trek today, let us explore the nuggets of wisdom found in the second half of Proverbs 22. This section of Proverbs is referred to as…
Sayings of the Wise
Let’s start our trek with verses 17-21.
17 Listen to the words of the wise;
apply your heart to my instruction.
18 For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart
and always ready on your lips.
19 I am teaching you today—yes, you—
so you will trust in the Lord.
20 I have written thirty sayings for you,
filled with advice and knowledge.
21 In this way, you may know the truth
and take an accurate report to those who sent you.
A third major section of the Book of Proverbs begins with Proverbs [22:17]. This is clear from several indicators. The proverbs lengthen out again from the typical one-verse couplet that characterizes Proverbs 10:1 to Proverbs [22:16]. The emphasis changes somewhat in Proverbs [22:17] to Proverbs [24:34], which includes the fourth collection of proverbs and focuses on the importance of applying the instructions previously given.
22 Don’t rob the poor just because you can,
or exploit the needy in court.
23 For the Lord is their defender.
He will ruin anyone who ruins them.
These verses contain a strong warning about taking advantage of other people, just because you may have the power or resources to do so. This applies both to business as well as within our legal systems. God will ultimately be their defender, and anyone who takes advantage of others will eventually get their just punishment for doing so.
24 Don’t befriend angry people
or associate with hot-tempered people,
25 or you will learn to be like them
and endanger your soul.
The old axiom “Birds of a feather flock together” is certainly true. We become like those that we invest time with. My mom used to say “If you lie down with dogs, don’t be surprised when you get up with fleas.” We need to be very careful whom we invest time with because the return on our investment will reflect those choices.
26 Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt
or put up security for someone else.
27 If you can’t pay it,
even your bed will be snatched from under you.
Once again Solomon warns us about the danger of borrowing money, especially co-signing for another person’s debt. This is very unwise from every aspect. If the person you co-sign a loan for cannot pay, you will have to pay it. Or your credit will be ruined, and you will lose your personal property that is not even associated with what you co-signed for, so it will be a double loss.
28 Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers
set up by previous generations.
In order to keep our integrity intact, we should be willing to honor agreements that were set up by others whom we are now responsible. Even if you did not make the agreement, it is legally binding. Our integrity is more important than potential financial gain or personal benefits.
29 Do you see any truly competent workers?
They will serve kings
rather than working for ordinary people.
When you work hard with competence, your efforts will be noticed by those individuals who are in positions of authority. As a result, you will receive preferential treatment and benefits for your efforts instead of working for people who have little authority.
As we start a new section in Proverbs, we are hiking through a series of 30 wise sayings. Today we explored the first five of those. Next Wisdom Wednesday we will continue on this trail. These proverbs provide us with more wisdom, insight, and understanding.
Regardless of where you are in your faith walk, if you follow the precepts in Proverbs, 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 these daily doses 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 when you meet with them and invite 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 the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek of life 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!
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