January 12, 2024

How Can We Know What Righteous Living Looks Like?

Proverbs 11

Kristen Garza
Friday's Devo

January 12, 2024

Friday's Devo

January 12, 2024

Friday's Devo

January 12, 2024

Friday's Devo

January 12, 2024

Big Book Idea

Living wisely; God's way.

Key Verse | Proverbs 11:30

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and whoever captures souls is wise.

Proverbs 11

1  A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,
    but a just weight is his delight.
2  When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
    but with the humble is wisdom.
3  The integrity of the upright guides them,
    but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
4  Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
    but righteousness delivers from death.
5  The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight,
    but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
6  The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
    but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.
7  When the wicked dies, his hope will perish,
    and the expectation of wealth 1 11:7 Or of his strength, or of iniquity perishes too.
8  The righteous is delivered from trouble,
    and the wicked walks into it instead.
9  With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
    but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
10  When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
    and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
11  By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
    but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
12  Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
    but a man of understanding remains silent.
13  Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,
    but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
14  Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
    but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
15  Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
    but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
16  A gracious woman gets honor,
    and violent men get riches.
17  A man who is kind benefits himself,
    but a cruel man hurts himself.
18  The wicked earns deceptive wages,
    but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
19  Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live,
    but he who pursues evil will die.
20  Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD,
    but those of blameless ways are his delight.
21  Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished,
    but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
22  Like a gold ring in a pig's snout
    is a beautiful woman without discretion.
23  The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
    the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
24  One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
    another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25  Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
    and one who waters will himself be watered.
26  The people curse him who holds back grain,
    but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.
27  Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, 2 11:27 Or acceptance
    but evil comes to him who searches for it.
28  Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
    but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
29  Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
30  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
    and whoever captures souls is wise.
31  If the righteous is repaid on earth,
    how much more the wicked and the sinner!

Footnotes

[1] 11:7 Or of his strength, or of iniquity
[2] 11:27 Or acceptance
Table of Contents
Introduction to Proverbs

Introduction to Proverbs

Timeline

Author and Date

Proverbs itself mentions Solomon (reigned c. 971–931 B.C.) as author or collector of its contents (1:1; 10:1), including the proverbs copied by Hezekiah’s men (25:1). There are also two batches of sayings from a group called “the wise” (22:17–24:22; 24:23–34), and “oracles” from Agur (30:1–33) and Lemuel (31:1–9). No author is named for the song in praise of the excellent wife that ends the book (31:10–31). Although Proverbs was begun in the time of Solomon, it probably was not in its present form until the time of Hezekiah (reigned c. 715–686 B.C.).

Theme

The goal of the book is stated right at the beginning (1:1–7): to describe what wisdom is and to help God’s people become wise. Wisdom is founded in the “fear of the Lord,” and it enables believers to express their faith in the practical details of everyday life.

Audience

The book is addressed to a young man. The situations he will face while he is young receive much attention. These situations supply concrete examples from which all readers can apply lessons to their own lives. Anyone who is wise and who pays attention will benefit (1:5) from this instruction.

Reading Proverbs

The reader of Proverbs must seek to understand the various types of people the book describes. The most obvious characters in the book are the wise, the fool, and the simple. Proverbs urges its readers to be wise, which means embracing God’s covenant and living out the covenant in everyday situations (compare 2:2; 10:1). The fool is the person who constantly opposes God’s covenant (1:7b). The simple is the person who is not firmly committed, either to wisdom or to folly; he is easily misled (14:15).

The first nine chapters of Proverbs are “wisdom poems” that urge the reader to pursue wisdom. The main section of Proverbs—the concise, memorable statements of two or three lines—begins in 10:1. Proverbs often seem to be mere observations about life, but their deeper meanings will reveal themselves if the following questions are kept in mind: (1) What virtue does this proverb commend? (2) What vice does it disapprove of? (3) What value does it affirm?

Key Themes

Proverbs offers wisdom on a wide array of topics from daily life: diligence and laziness (6:6–11); friendship (3:27–28; 18:24); speech (10:19–21); marriage (18:22; 19:14); child rearing (22:6); domestic peace (15:17; 17:1); work (11:1); getting along and good manners (23:1–2; 25:16–17; 26:17–19; 27:14); eternity (14:32; 23:17–18); and much more. It shows that “godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:8).

  1. God’s will is intensely practical, applying to every aspect of life. A proper relation to God involves trying hard to understand his truth, and then embracing and obeying that truth.
  2. A life lived by God’s will is a happy life (3:21–26).
  3. A life lived by God’s will is a useful life (3:27–28; 12:18, 25).
  4. A life lived by God’s will does not just happen. One must seek after it (9:1–6).

Outline

  1. Title, Goal, and Motto (1:1–7)
  2. A Father’s Invitation to Wisdom (1:8–9:18)
  3. Proverbs of Solomon (10:1–22:16)
  4. The Thirty Sayings of “the Wise” (22:17–24:22)
  5. Further Sayings of “the Wise” (24:23–34)
  6. Hezekiah’s Collection of Solomonic Proverbs (25:1–29:27)
  7. The Sayings of Agur (30:1–33)
  8. The Sayings of King Lemuel (31:1–9)
  9. An Alphabet of Womanly Excellence (31:10–31)
The Global Message of Proverbs

The Global Message of Proverbs

Proverbs: Wisdom for the World

The book of Proverbs is not simply a collection of “wise sayings” for life. It is heaven-sent help for stumbling sinners all over the world from every walk of life who are willing to listen to something other than their own fallen instincts. The “fool” in Proverbs is not someone who lacks intellectual capacity but one who stubbornly lives out of his own fallen intuitions, resisting instruction and correction. Likewise, the wise person in Proverbs is not someone who is intellectually superior but someone who humbly places himself beneath the authority of God. Such wisdom is for all God’s people everywhere.

In his great mercy God has clearly shown wisdom to the world—both through the instruction of his Word and in the person of his Son. The book of Proverbs summarizes true wisdom as rooted in the “fear of the LORD” (Prov. 1:7). In Jesus such wisdom takes on new clarity and glory as the one who is the “wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24) and who “became to us wisdom from God” (1 Cor. 1:30). God’s global people are to receive such wise instruction, to base their wise living in the fear and worship of God, and to testify to a lost world about God’s saving wisdom.

God’s Wisdom Is Theological and Practical

In one sense wisdom is very much universal. It is difficult to find a culture or tradition without its own legacy of wise sayings. Some of these are culture-specific; others reflect the shared human experience.

Scripture’s admonition and exhortation about wisdom, however, is clear. Our faith is not to rest on man’s wisdom but is to be rooted in God’s power (1 Cor. 2:5). The wisdom of this world is “folly with God” (1 Cor. 3:19). Ultimate wisdom is from God (1 Cor. 1:30) and is revealed by God (1 Cor. 2:7). True wisdom is theological and God-given. Those who lack wisdom are to “ask God” for it (James 1:5). It is the Lord who gives wisdom (Prov. 2:6). In Proverbs 9:10 God’s people are reminded again that, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (compare 1:7). True wisdom is not the handy tips for life that get handed down from generation to generation among those who do not know God. True wisdom is divine. It is rooted in God’s own saving revelation to his people.

God’s wisdom is not only theological; it is also practical. Indeed, wisdom is practical because it is theological. Theology impacts daily life, and this is clearly seen in the instruction of Proverbs. Everyday life issues are addressed, including parental relations (Prov. 10:1; 15:20; 19:26; 23:25), marriage (5:18; 12:4; 18:22; 19:13–14; 31:10), money (3:9; 10:4; 11:1; 15:16; 16:11), and the power and danger of words (4:5; 7:5; 10:19; 16:24; 17:27). These are life issues that affect people of every age and place. Proverbs provides a picture of both the blessed life grounded in the fear of the Lord and the danger-filled and foolish life of those who despise the Lord’s wisdom and instruction (1:7).

God’s Wisdom Is Individual and Global

Individual wisdom. For every person, in every place, in every time, the message of Proverbs rings true: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10). Wisdom from above is not mere advice or pithy sayings. Rather, the worthiest and most blessed advice flows from God, when he has his proper central place in the heart and worship of each individual created by his hand and in his image.

Global wisdom. The message of Proverbs is also global. This is true, first, because only God’s wisdom comprehensively instructs and skillfully dissects with perfect insight the hearts of mankind from every place and for every time. God’s wisdom is global, second, in that God’s global people are called to global engagement and a global mission. The Lord is not a tribal god. The teaching of Proverbs is not tribal lore. God’s wisdom is eternal and global. And God’s people are called to be instruments, through word and deed, of teaching his wisdom to the world. Those who are wise in God represent God to the world. For example, the wise exhibit generosity to the poor and the needy (Prov. 14:21, 31). The wise in God speak enduring and reliable wisdom to a world desperately looking for life-giving counsel. The wise in God feed even their own enemies (25:21).

Taking God’s Saving Wisdom to the World

In the book of Proverbs the Lord has equipped his people to fulfill his global and eternal purposes. God’s purpose is to reveal himself to and then through a people who will bring eternal blessing to the world, and that purpose is still unfolding around the world today (Matt. 28:18–20). In his kindness God has made known both the path of the wicked (Prov. 4:14) and the path of righteousness (12:28). The one leads to destruction and the other to life (11:19).

When love and grace is observed by the world in the lives of God’s people and supremely in the cross of Christ, it is indeed “folly” to them (1 Cor. 1:18, 21). But “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25). The wise in God share the good news of the wisdom of God in the gospel of Christ with nations both near and far. Such sharing, when it lands on receptive ears, is “like cold water to a thirsty soul” (Prov. 25:25).In grace God is opening blind eyes through the gospel to his glorious wisdom. In grace he has shown us and empowered us toward a life of God-honoring, upright living. In grace he will use us as his global ambassadors till the day we join in the angelic choir proclaiming, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Rev. 7:12).

Job Fact #9: Proverbs in Job

Fact: Proverbs in Job

Proverbs in Job. In 17:5, Job may have been quoting a proverb to warn his friends not to make false accusations against him. Proverbs are an effective and memorable way of stating a truth. The book of Proverbs is a rich resource of such wisdom.

Proverbs Fact #1: Wisdom

Fact: Wisdom

Wisdom is a key term in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. The word can mean “skilled at making sound decisions in life.” Proverbs 9:10 states that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”

Proverbs Fact #4: Garlands

Fact: Garlands

Garlands were wreaths woven from leaves and flowers. They were worn around the head or neck during various celebrations such as weddings. They were also symbols of honor for military success. In Proverbs, they symbolize the honor that comes from following the way of wisdom (4:9).

Proverbs Fact #7: The simple person

Fact: The simple person

The simple person (7:7) is one of the primary character types described in the book of Proverbs. The term describes someone who is immature and easily misled (14:15).

Proverbs Fact #10: A different kind of security

Fact: A different kind of security

A different kind of security. In biblical times, if a person was unable to pay his debt, the consequences could be serious. The whole family could be sold into slavery. If someone put up “security” for another person, he promised to pay that person’s debt if he was unable to do so himself. Proverbs teaches that putting up security for another person is generally unwise, since those who do so risk losing everything if the other person cannot pay his debt (11:15).

Proverbs Fact #27: Gluttony

Fact: Gluttony

Gluttony refers to excessive eating. The Bible condemns gluttony as well as drunkenness. Proverbs teaches that eating and drinking in excess can lead to poverty (23:19–21).

Proverbs Fact #28: Hezekiah’s contribution to Proverbs

Fact: Hezekiah’s contribution to Proverbs

Hezekiah’s contribution to Proverbs. Although most of the Proverbs were collected or written by King Solomon, who reigned from 971–931 B.C., the book of Proverbs did not exist in its present form until the time of King Hezekiah, some 200 years later. Hezekiah and “his men,” probably his scribes, recorded chs. 25–29.

Proverbs Fact #29: Rock badgers

Fact: Rock badgers

Rock badgers are small cliff-dwelling animals closely resembling guinea pigs. They live and forage for food in large groups and are good at hiding. They are best known for posting sentries that alert the group when danger is near. Perhaps it was this mark of wisdom that earned them a mention in Proverbs (30:26).

OT Testimony that All Are under Sin (3:9)

OT Testimony that All Are under Sin (3:9)

Romans 3 OT Reference
Sinful Condition
v. 10, none is righteous Ps. 14:3/53:3; Eccles. 7:20
v. 11a, no one understands Ps. 14:2/53:2
v. 11b, no one seeks for God Ps. 14:2/53:2
v. 12, all have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one Ps. 14:3/53:3
Sinful Speech (note progression from throat to tongue to lips)
v. 13a, b, their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive Ps. 5:10, Septuagint (English, 5:9)
v. 13c, the venom of asps is under their lips Ps. 140:3
v. 14, their mouth is full of curses and bitterness Ps. 10:7
Sinful Action
v. 15, their feet are swift to shed blood Prov. 1:16/Isa. 59:7
v. 16, in their paths are ruin and misery Isa. 59:7
v. 17, and the way of peace they have not known Isa. 59:8
Summary Statement
v. 18, there is no fear of God before their eyes Ps. 36:1
Study Notes

Prov. 11:1 A false balance refers to deception by altering the scale used to measure the quantity of an item being bought or sold (compare 16:11; 20:10, 23; Lev. 19:35–36; Ezek. 45:9–12; Amos 8:5).

Study Notes

Prov. 11:1–4 These verses form a unit, with vv. 1 and 4 answering each other as vv. 2 and 3 parallel each other. The false balance with which a wicked man increases his income is contrasted with a just weight. The riches of the wicked will not save them, but righteousness will. The violation of fair standards is not worth the immediate gain it may offer.

Study Notes

Prov. 11:5–6 These two verses parallel each other (the righteousness of the blameless/upright). They emphasize a common theme of the section: the faithfulness of righteous people guides (vv. 3a, 5a) and delivers (vv. 4b, 6a, 8a, 9b) them from the fate of the wicked.

Study Notes

Prov. 11:1–8 These proverbs focus on matters of financial and personal security.

Prov. 11:7–8 The expectation and hope provided by wealth will be useless when the wicked dies. Proverbs contrasts this sad outcome with the hope of the righteous (see 10:28). It assures those who fear the Lord that their pursuit of wisdom will not be in vain (see 23:18; 24:14).

Study Notes

Prov. 11:9 by knowledge the righteous are delivered. In Proverbs, “knowledge” usually means knowledge of God and of his will. Even when slandered, the righteous person knows how to conduct himself rightly.

Study Notes

Prov. 11:12 A man of understanding remains silent rather than spreading harmful information that he knows about his neighbor.

Study Notes

Prov. 11:15 To put up security is equivalent to cosigning for a loan (see note on 6:1–5). To do so on behalf of a stranger is not wise. Striking hands most likely refers to some kind of gesture used to seal such a deal, similar to a handshake.

Study Notes

Prov. 11:16–21 These three pairs of proverbs (vv. 16–17, 18–19, 20–21) relate to a common theme. The gracious woman (v. 16) and the man who is kind (v. 17) contrast with violent men (v. 16) and the cruel man (v. 17). The violent gain no happiness from their wealth, which has come at a high price.

Study Notes

Prov. 11:24 Because there is a God who blesses generosity and withholds blessing from the greedy, this paradoxical proverb makes perfect sense.

Study Notes

Prov. 11:30 The life of the righteous produces fruit that is so attractive that it captures the souls of people who are on the wrong path (compare Dan. 12:3; James 5:20).

Study Notes

Prov. 11:23–31 The ultimate destinies of the wicked and the righteous (e.g., vv. 23 and 31) are reflected in their actions (v. 27) and are suggested in the response of those affected by such actions (v. 26). The particular actions in focus are the way a person relates to provisions and people (vv. 24–26, 28).

S3:010 Proverbs 11

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Proverbs 11

When reading a Proverb, I seek to find themes that repeat themselves. In Proverbs 11, we see the words righteous or righteousness repeated 13 times, and we're encouraged to live righteously. But how can we know what righteous living looks like? The word righteous is defined as just, upright, good, or God-fearing.  Looking at Proverbs 11, we are told what it means to live a righteous life and the result of living a righteous life.

First—living a righteous life.  We're told a righteous life will be lived by a person of integrity (Proverbs 11:3). A righteous person will be blameless (Proverbs 11:5). We're told the righteous use their knowledge (Proverbs 11:9) and that they spread righteousness to others (Proverbs 11:18). Reading this list feels daunting, as I know I fall short in many of these areas. But, as believers, we know the Holy Spirit lives within us, which means righteousness is a desire of our hearts. Not only that, but we also see that God delights when we choose to live in righteousness (Proverbs 11:21). 

Second—we see that the results of living a righteous life are good. Five different times, Proverbs 11 tells us that when we choose to live a righteous life, we will be delivered. Delivered from death, trouble, and destruction. Praise God!

The passage doesn't end there, though. We go on to see that when we choose to live a righteous life, it benefits others (Proverbs 11:30). This means that when we walk in integrity, seek holiness, and use our knowledge of the Word of God to live out our life, we bear fruit that others may learn from. So much so that the verse says those that bear the fruit of righteousness "capture souls," meaning that others come to know Jesus through the way we live our life. Wouldn't it be sweet to hear that someone came to know Christ because they saw the way you lived?

This month's memory verse

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

– Ephesians 4:2

Discussion Questions

1. We can often read passages like Proverbs 11 and be spurred on internally but not have practical steps to live it out externally.  What are two or three ways you can seek to live a righteous life today?

2. If you're honest with yourself, do you have a full grasp on what it means to live righteously? If not, what are other passages of Scripture that could help bring clarity to your understanding of righteous living?

3. Are you choosing to live a righteous life merely in public settings or also when you're alone? Are there people you spend time around that bring out an unrighteous lifestyle? 

4. Do you believe that righteousness is a desire of your heart? What's a recent example in your life of when you chose righteousness over the ways of the world?

5. What type of fruit are you bearing? Do you look like the rest of the world, or would people see your life and clearly see a difference? (Romans 12:2)

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

MS

Michael Scaman

Since Proverbs 11 is a collection of proverbs contrasting two things . we will make a poem in the style of Tozer ( The Pursuit of God" and "The Knowledge of the Holy." ) about the owner of a jewel box A Jewel Box Named Paradox - Proverbs chapter 11 as if by AW Tozer Gems from Solomon, the heart perceives, Tenderly unwrapping each truth straight from the box. Lessons on business, beauty and pride in a ballet of peridot paradox. Just as David danced mightily before the Lord, the LORD causes vivid distinctions between facets of truths to mightily dance before us: Scales weighed and found wanting.. In the scales of life, just weights compose a melody that delights the Lord, while false balances dance to a dissonant tune, an abomination in the divine score. Beauty on display. In the tapestry of grace, beauty with discretion is a radiant thread woven deep, while beauty without wisdom is but a conspicuous ring in a pig's snout, an evident folly for all to perceive. The final bow. In life's grand theater, pride takes the stage, yet its final act is a somber disgrace, while humility, a quiet protagonist, earns a standing ovation in the theater of honor. Wisdom accrued, the beholder's gazes with last looks, memories gleam and linger like the precious gems put back in the box called chapter 11: False scales cast away, just weights endure, Don't handle false imbalances, avoid a Chapter 11 fiscal rupture. Hope departs with the crooks not parallel like 11, while joy for the righteous lands, Gently, like a gardener with riches bloom. To wisdom's art and chapter 11 clearly prime, Solomon's echoes guide, As hope wanes with the wicked, the seeker holds it without fear. A surrendered heart, a masterpiece of divine art, Guided by pictures, the proverbs contrast.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thank you, Kristen. I am always challenged when reading how God FEELS about things. (And I love that He reveals Himself to us in that way!) Twice in this chapter we read what God detests: dishonest scales (v. 1) and those whose hearts are perverse (v. 20). He is truth, and He is good—no wonder He hates the polar opposites of His wonderful character! We are in Cozumel Mexico today. The last time I was here, a friend bought a pair of diamond earrings from a jewelry store at the pier. When she got home, she took them to a jeweler who told her that what she had been sold was glass. Yesterday, in Costa Maya Mexico, a jeweler who makes his own treasures showed me shiny bracelets that are sold on the street as a steal for $10–but they are nickel-plated and dishonestly stamped with 925 which indicates true Mexican silver. In these tourist havens, dishonesty is part of some people’s culture. Proverbs 11 reassures me that God sees it all and He is not mocked; people reap what they sow (Galatians 6:7).
HS

Hugh Stephenson

What if you had to spend eternity in a sirocco? I’m thinking specifically of verse 29a 29 “Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind,” The notes indicate that this “inheritance” may imply the “wind” as “the dreaded Palestinian sirocco”. Constable cites WM Thomson’s description- "The air becomes loaded with fine dust, which it whirls in rainless clouds hither and thither at its own wild will; it rushes down every gorge, bowing and breaking the trees, and tugging at each individual leaf; it growls round the houses, romps and runs riot with your clothes, and flies away with your hat; nor is there any escape from its impertinence. The eyes inflame, the lips blister, and the moisture of the body evaporates under the ceaseless application of this persecuting wind; you become languid, nervous, irritable, and despairing."[344] And what does “inherit” mean? I’d advocate the view that “inherit the wind” means experiencing this torment now AND for eternity. Even more, it seems reasonable to extend this into the inheritance you leave your family. How to NOT “inherit the wind”? The chapter contains verses that advocate- -Fair treatment of others -The benefit of wise counsel -Waiting for the Lord’s deliverance and justice with trust and patience -Righteousness as its own reward -The right orientation to money as God’s provision. Constable’s notes summarize: "... there is one overarching topic that will be constantly appearing especially in the next four or five chapters, and that is the just/wicked contrast. It is roughly as frequent as the contrast between the wise and the foolish."[321] Compacting even more…I see a clear choice in yet another dichotomy: I can be a “wicked fool” of a man. Or I can be a “just and wise” man.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

Revelation teaches that Jesus will return “imminently”. I’m taught that this means nothing else has to happen. All is ready. Any moment now. The notes contrast “imminent” with “sudden”. If I see His return as coming “suddenly” I’m likely to regard that as “quickly” or not stretched out over a period of time. My nature is not likely to get super focused on it. But…the meaning of imminent has my total and full attention. Whether the sirocco comes right now or in my eternity I know for sure I don’t want to spend any time there. My takeaway- Fully download Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 4:23 and Psalm 51:10. Or as a repeated message advocates- “Seek to know the nature and character of God; His goodness and His kindness”.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

Amy and I have experienced huge blessings over our 10+ years in the faith. Among the biggest blessings has been understanding and experiencing the counsel of others. We have a made a lot of bad decisions on our own. Having others weigh in with Biblically backed advice has been invaluable. Mark Twain is said to have stated, “Nothing is quite so satisfying to a man as to be shot at…and missed”. Wise counsel has enabled us to be very “satisfied”. From the notes on verse 14: 11:14 - One example of this proverb is the early Christians, who sought the counsel of others in Jerusalem when differences of opinion arose (Acts 15). The importance of seeking "guidance" from "counselors" is emphasized in the proverbs repeatedly (cf. 15:22; 20:18; 24:6). "... in general it is found to be true that it is better with a people when they are governed according to the laws and conclusions which have resulted from the careful deliberation of many competent and authorized men, than when their fate is entrusted unconditionally to one or to a few."[331] "To depend entirely upon one's own judgment is the height of folly."[332] "We stand too close to the canvas to see the whole picture and we bring so much emotional fog to our decisions that what we do see is blurred."
GJ

greg jones

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 Ergo rightness “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 Ditto ergo rightness
MA

Maryann Adams

Kristen, thank you for this devo! I appreciated your 2 divisions: how to live a righteous life and the fruit of a righteous life. Also, what a joy-producing verse! The idea of capturing souls captures me! The LORD is so kind to entrust us with the privilege of being eternal influencers. Re: being a foodie...you might check out Joe T. Garcia's in Ft. Worth...Tex Mex with an amazing block-long patio!
LD

Lindsey Driscoll

Kristen, Thank you for taking us through Proverbs 11 today and giving us great questions to think on. Q5 - I love how Kristen’s question of what kind of fruit are you bearing? Lines up with the second to last verse in Proverbs 11, Proverbs 11:30. There are days where I bear good fruit of the spirit and there are days where I bear the fruit of anger, idleness that leads to chaos, and unintentional or hollow fruit. “But He who wins souls is wise,” Proverbs 11:30 says. Wow! What a great reminder that in all things in life the souls of others are watching if I am choosing wisdom. Specially the little souls I am called to steward - my 2 kids and 1 on the way; and those that don’t have an understanding of God and his ways. I pray that they would see: - Humility Proverbs 11:2 - seeking wise counsel Proverbs 11:14 - a heart that chooses the things of the Lord over the things of the flesh Proverbs 11:20 - a kind, generous woman Proverbs 11:16, 25
AL

Amy Lowther

1. I can work with local retailers and support them in providing above and beyond customer service. Two is I can pray to God and read in the Bible. 2. No, I think God has the best understanding. As it says in Isaiah 33:22, “Righteousness is, therefore, based upon God's standard because He is the ultimate Lawgiver.” 3. Everywhere. No. 4. Yes. I helped a customer after we were done and still provided the customer above and beyond customer service. 5. I help retailers with extra daily duties they may have in their stores so they can give more attention to their customers. Most people think I am very kind. Kristen - Thank you for sharing your ideas. I like your point “Five different times, Proverbs 11 tells us that when we choose to live a righteous life, we will be delivered. Delivered from death, trouble, and destruction. Praise God!” God is resourceful and helpful for people who look to Him while attempting to correct their mistakes or while doing general improvements.