Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 536 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
A Just King – Proverbs 29:1-14
Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 536 of our trek, and it 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 1st half of Chapter 29.
We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. On the day this trek is released, we will be heading to Florida to visit Paula’s Aunt in Ft. Myers and then heading out on a 5-day podcaster cruise on Saturday. A couple of days after returning from the cruise, I will be heading back to Arizona for my monthly on-site work for our construction project there.
This means that I have to prepare enough daily treks ahead of time to cover the entire month of February. This will be a challenge, and some of the daily treks may be a bit shorter than usual. We are thankful for a stable client workload, and that we are able to work independent of our location. This stability reminds me of verse 4 on our trek today tells us…
A Just King Gives Stability to His Nation
Let’s start our trek as we explore verses 1-14.
These are more Proverbs of Solomon recorded by King Hezekiah.
1 Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism
will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.
One of the traits of a wise and mature person is that they are willing to accept constructive criticism to improve themselves. None of us have all knowledge and wisdom, and we all have much room for improvement. A person who is unwilling to accept beneficial criticism from others will destroy themselves due to their foolishness.
2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
But when the wicked are in power, they groan.
It is so encouraging and pleasant when you are under the authority of a person with integrity and whose actions are right, just and fair. When we are forced to be under a person who is wicked, it is a heavy burden and groaning is a natural outcome.
3 The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.
As a father of five grown children, whom all love and are growing in wisdom, is a joy. It is quite different when your grown children hang around those who are morally bankrupt. The training invested in that type of child does not have a good return. Many time wayward children are also a financial drain on the parents.
4 A just king gives stability to his nation,
but one who demands bribes destroys it.
Whether it is a king, president, governor, or anyone else in a position of authority, a leader who is just and fair will bring stability to their organization. If these same leaders are crooked and demand that which is not rightfully theirs, then the nation or organization will be destroyed from within.
5 To flatter friends
is to lay a trap for their feet.
We should be honest with all people at all times. When we flatter our friends and others, it is usually for some nefarious reason to get something in return. This is trapping them with deception.
6 Evil people are trapped by sin,
but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.
Individuals who practice deception will be trapped by the very deception that they are promoting. When you don’t lie or deceive others, then you never have to worry about what you said, thereby escaping this trap. It is a joyous time.
7 The godly care about the rights of the poor;
the wicked don’t care at all.
A person who is compassionate will be concerned for all people, and especially the rights of those who are unable to defend themselves. A person who is wicked is also selfish and does not care about others.
8 Mockers can get a whole town agitated,
but the wise will calm anger.
A wise person will also be a peaceful person. When a situation becomes tense or there is anger, a wise person will attempt to calm the situation. A person who stirs up anger is just the opposite. They thrive on agitating others.
9 If a wise person takes a fool to court,
there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.
Taking someone who is foolish to court is very difficult since a fool does not desire justice. They will stir up trouble. A wise person will try and avoid this situation so that they do not waste their time.
10 The bloodthirsty hate blameless people,
but the upright seek to help them.
A person who is by nature cruel and vicious despises those who are good by nature. Those who are good, love to be around others who are the same.
11 Fools vent their anger,
but the wise quietly hold it back.
You can tell a person who is not wise because he has no problems spewing his anger on others. A wise person, even in a situation that upsets him knows better than to express it.
12 If a ruler pays attention to liars,
all his advisers will be wicked.
The saying a fish rots from the head down certainly applies in this situation. If a leader is wicked, then most of those below him will also be wicked.
13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common—
the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.
Those who are poor and those who oppress the poor must realize that all that we have or ever hope to be is from God. We need to understand this and act accordingly.
14 If a king judges the poor fairly,
his throne will last forever.
Justice is appropriate in every situation. When a king or anyone in a position of authority is right, just, and fair, then their leadership position will be eternal as they impact those whom they lead.
Today on our Wisdom Trail we continue to explore a series of Solomon’s Proverbs that were assembled by King Hezekiah. These proverbs provide us with more wisdom, insight, and understanding on a myriad of relationship issues. 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 wisdom. I would challenge you to take just one precept that we learn today in Proverbs and commit yourself to applying it to your life.
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. If you would like to listen to any of our past treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com.
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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