(Please read each chapter of these lovely verses. I will comment on a few of them with the aid of my NLT Bible notes.)
Verse 3: Fire tests the purity of silver and god, but the Lord tests the heart.
(Intense heat purifies metal. Intense heat of trials for Christians is what it takes to be purified. Through trials, God shows us what is in us and clears out anything that gets in the way of complete trust in him. God uses trials to refine our faith and purify our hearts.)
Verse 5: Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. (It is cruel to make fun of the less fortunate, but many do this because it makes them feel good to be more successful than others. Mocking the poor is mocking the God who made them.)
Verse 9: Disregarding another person's faults preserves love; telling about them separates close friends. (Covering over offenses is necessary to any relationship but it is tempting, especially in an argument, to bring up all the mistakes the other person has ever made. Love, however, keeps its mouth shut- difficult though that may be.)
Verse 17: A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. (There is a big difference between knowing someone well and being a true friend. The greatest evidence of genuine friendship is loyalty. And being available to help in times of distress or struggle.)
Verse 22: A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength. (Greet others with a welcome, a word of encouragement, enthusiasm and a positive outlook on the future. Such people who do this are like pain-relieving medicine.)
Verses 27, 28: A truly wise person uses few words; person with understand is even-tempered. Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. (If you have nothing worthwhile to say, keep quiet. It allows you to listen and learn. It gives you pause to think so that when you do speak, you have something important to say.)
HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? These proverbs in this chapter speak of the Lord testing our hearts and how to listen to others and when to speak. Many are common sense proverbs. The proverb about a loyal friend touches my heart. Many people are fair-weather friends. They stick around until the friendship no longer helps them and leave when the are not getting anything out of the relationship. Think of your friends and assess your loyalty to them. What about you? What kind of friend are you? I hope you are the kind of true friend the Bible encourages.
Yours in Christ,
Mary
Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Pray for Gabe.
Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.
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