Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 676 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

What Not To Do – Proverbs 23

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 676 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 Proverbs 23 from The Voice Translation which will give us a fresh perspective on this book of timeless wisdom.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Since Paula and I will be traveling for business the last half of August, and I am recording all these podcasts in advance, we will be substituting our regular podcast with short Wisdom Nugget episodes for three weeks, except for our Wisdom Wednesday episodes. After that, we will return to our regular format.

Today in Proverbs 23 we will learn…

What Not To Do

As we continue in the Thirty Sayings of the Wise, we find that many of them are short poems of varying length. Here in Chapter 23, we find the next 12 sayings.

The majority of these 12 sayings have to do with restraint. Notice the repetition of the words “do not,” “let not,” and “be not.” For any parent, these are very familiar words. Parents often tell their kids what not to do out of love for them, as they are actually trying to protect their child from the consequences of their actions. Any person who wants to live a healthy and productive life needs to know what not to do. After a while, these “do nots” become natural.

We also learn that the wise person avoids being easily flattered, trying to get rich, talking too much, meddling in the business of others, neglecting their children, envying selfish people, hanging out with lazy friends, disrespecting parents, and drinking too much.

Notice how many references there are in this chapter to the “heart” (verses 12, 15, 17, 19, 26, and 33) and the “eye” (verses 5, 26, 31, and 33). These are the gateways to a person’s inner life. These sayings are warnings to guard your thoughts and feelings. As you read through these sayings, ask the Lord how you can better discipline your desires.

Listen intently as I read Proverbs 23.

¹ When sitting down to eat with a ruler,
take a moment to think about who you are with and what you are doing.
² If you are the type who eats too much too fast,
do whatever is necessary to curb your enthusiasm for food.
³ Also, do not eye the ruler’s delicacies,
for the food may not be what it seems.
⁴ Do not overwork yourself just to become wealthy;
have enough sense to know when to quit.
⁵ As soon as you become fixed on riches, they vanish.
For suddenly they sprout wings
and become like a soaring eagle flying high in the sky.
⁶ Do not sit down and eat the bread of a tight-fisted fellow
or desire any of his delicacies,
⁷ For deep down he’s keeping track of the cost.
He may say, “Eat up! Drink your fill!”
but he does not mean a word of it.
⁸ You’ll be sick and lose what little you did eat,
and you’ll waste your breath carrying on a pleasant conversation.
⁹ Do not waste your wisdom on a fool,
for he doesn’t care for anything you have to say.
¹⁰ Do not shift the property line by moving the boundary markers your ancestors established
or try to steal property from orphans
¹¹ Because their Redeemer is strong,
and He will plead their case against you.
¹² Develop a disciplined life.
Be attentive so you can be well informed.
¹³ Do not withhold discipline from children,
since corporal punishment will not kill them.
¹⁴ In fact, it may be that kind of punishment
that will save them from an early grave.
¹⁵ My son, if you live wisely,
then my life will be fulfilled.
¹⁶ My very soul will jump for joy
when you speak what is true and right.
¹⁷ Don’t be envious of those wrapped up in sin,
but always maintain a healthy respect for the Eternal.
¹⁸ Your future with Him will be certain,
and you will not have hoped in vain.
¹⁹ Listen, my son, be wise,
and steer your life on the right course.
²⁰ Do not spend time with heavy wine drinkers
or those who gorge themselves on meat.
²¹ For both the drunk and the glutton will end up broke,
sleeping life away, and clothed in rags.

²² Pay attention to your father—after all, he gave you life—
and don’t ignore your mother in her old age.
²³ Invest in truth, sock it away!
Never cash in wisdom, guidance, or insight.
²⁴ The parents of the right-living will celebrate;
yes, parents of children who make wise choices are happy.
²⁵ So make your parents happy;
delight your mother—after all, she brought you into this world.

²⁶ My son, devote yourself to me fully.
Observe my ways, and follow my directions:
²⁷ Being drawn to a prostitute is like falling down into a deep well,
and being involved with a wicked woman is like descending into a narrow well.
You may never get out alive.
²⁸ She waits for you, ready to ambush you like a thief
and ready to multiply unfaithfulness among men.

²⁹ Who is wallowing in anguish? Who is full of sorrow?
Who has conflicts? Who has complaints?
Who has bruises and can’t remember where they came from?
Who has bloodshot eyes?
³⁰ You know who: those who stay up late finishing off the wine,
those who can’t stop savoring spiced wines.
³¹ Look away from the enticing beauty of wine, the deep red hue;
ignore how it shimmers in the cup
and glides down your throat.
³² Eventually, when you least expect it, it strikes like a snake;
it stings like viper venom.
³³ Your vision will blur, and you’ll imagine strange things;
you will say crazy, hurtful things and regret it later.
³⁴ You will reel and stagger as if caught on a wave of seasickness,
as a sailor who holds on to a mast for dear life.
³⁵ You will say, “They slapped me, but it didn’t hurt.
They beat me, and I didn’t feel a thing!
Whenever I wake up from this stupor,
I’ll have another drink!”

That will conclude our exploration of Proverbs 23. The precepts found in God’s Word have the law of planting and harvesting built into them. If you plant good seeds in life, you will reap a bountiful harvest of good. The opposite is also true. Over the course of our lives, we will harvest what we plant. Each week we will explore a full chapter in Proverbs. I hope that you will join us next week for Chapter 24 so that you can gain wisdom, insight, and understanding for yourself.

The entire book of Proverbs provides us with rich wisdom, insight, and understanding on a myriad of life issues. Regardless of where you are in your faith walk, if you follow the precepts in Proverbs, your life will be rich and satisfying. I encourage you to take them and plant the seeds of wisdom in your heart so that you will reap a harvest of wisdom throughout your life.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute wisdom nugget that will provide you with a bit of wisdom that, if followed will allow you to grow healthier, wealthier, and wiser each day. 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 the past daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. You can also subscribe through iTunes or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much 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:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. 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!