Good morning, Samara.
These verses from Proverbs are so stuffed with inspiration and instruction concerning THINGS IMPORTANT that it is very difficult to select just one. And as I consider which one to select, I ask myself the question, “Which idea would be most meaningful to Samara?” In that regard, I have an idea: As we anticipate chapter 17 for tomorrow, how about you help me? How about you read ahead into chapter 17 and give me a suggestion of a verse (or verses) you’d like me to talk about? Better yet, give me some of your own thoughts as to relevance and meaning.
I need to apply more finish to the table frame I’m working on. Then I plan to deliver it tomorrow and set it up in this lady’s home in SE Portland. Lots of work to do before then.
Have a good day. Stay warm.
Love, Tua.
Think about it, Samara—what does pride look like? Is it necessarily characterized by someone trying to tell others how wonderful they are?—how smart they are?—how good looking they are?—how strong they are?—how superior they are to other people? Well, it’s clear to me that pride comes in a lot of different sizes, shapes, flavors, and styles. But probably the most serious and dangerous kind is the one that might reason something like this: “I don’t really need to live to please God in order to be happy. After all, I’m the one who needs to be happy. If God is up there in heaven, He already has everything He wants.” That attitude may or may not go to church. But when exposed to the most important requirement that God and His Word prescribes for man as in, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37), that person simply says by the way they live, “I don’t think I need to do that.” And when Jesus says, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4), that person says by their choices and behavior, “I don’t agree. I think I can get along just fine without being a Bible freak.” When they hear, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalms 111:10), that person may not argue with words, but in their minds they figure, “Ah, come on!—who really does that and still has any fun? I’m already smart enough to know what I want!” Make no mistake about it, Samara—at its core that is the attitude of PRIDE—the kind that leads to the worst form of failure and destruction possible.