Wisdom Versus Strength (Proverbs 21:22)

Wisdom is so much better than strength.

"A wise man scales the city walls of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust." Proverbs 21:22, Amplified

Wisdom breaks down strongholds. The strong have only their strength to rely on, but the wise have wisdom to help them overcome any obstacle. Wisdom is better than strength because wisdom is knowledge applied. How can a strong man overtake one stronger than himself? He may get lucky, but the odds are stacked against. The wise man, the cunning man, however, has the better chance to bring down the mighty because of his wisdom.

Seek and be Filled (Proverbs 21:21)

There are many things for a man to seek and fulfill himself, however, it is the things of God that are the most important for us to seek.

"He who earnestly seeks after and craves righteousness, mercy and loving-kindness will find life in addition to righteousness [uprightness and right standing with God] and also honor." Proverbs 21:21, Amplified

It is urged that we seek after the things of God. Not only do we need to seek but also seek but also crave the things of God. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6, NKJV) We are promised that if we do indeed crave the things of God, that those cravings will be satisfied. God is not like sin. He doesn't allow you to dine just to leave you empty, wanting more. We crave the things of the flesh in a desperate fashion, looking to fill some void within our hearts and souls. But sadly, that hole is never filled, so we binge on sin. The Lord, though, fills us up to the brim, and the cravings do return, but for different reasons. We crave the things of God because our heart and soul found sustenance and we desire that fulfillment again.

God is the only who can satisfy.

Treasures (Proverbs 21:20)

The difference between a wise and foolish man is the responsibility taken toward the goods that either one has.

"There are precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it." Proverbs 21:20, Amplified

Either man has the potential to be rich and well off, however, only one makes the right choices concerning his treasures. A wise man pays his bills and stores some of his treasures away for a "rainy day". The foolish man, though, decides to squander all that he has so that there is nothing to show for it.

Contentious Woman II (Proverbs 21:19)

Sometimes a man has nowhere else to go other than a corner of a rooftop or the hot desert to get as far as he can from a contentious woman.

"It is better to dwell in a desert land than with a contentious woman and vexation." Proverbs 21:19, Amplified

Just like the rooftop scenario, an uncomfortable and dangerous place is safer than with a contentious woman.

Ransom (Proverbs 21:18)

Ransom: the payment demanded for the release of a person or persons being held against their will. A ransom is actually a trade off; monies paid ensure the life of another. In the Bible, it was a sin for the Jews to number themselves, however the Lord had Moses number the people in Exodus 30. The penalty for numbering was death. To ensure the life of His children, the Lord instructed Moses to receive a ransom from the people. There was no death that day.

"The wicked shall be a ransom for the [uncompromisingly] righteous, and the treacherous for the upright [because the wicked fall themselves into the traps and pits they have dug for the good]." Proverbs 21:18, Amplified

The ransom paid by the wicked for the righteous is the payment made by the simple act of irony. In other words, the wicked and treacherous men have prepared pits and traps for the righteous men of this world. These pits and traps actually become the undoing of the wicked men for they themselves become victims of their own calamity.

So what ransom is paid? A pit is dug and a trap is set for the specific purpose of catching or ensnaring something. They demand payment, for they remain set and ready to go off until something unwittingly wanders into the pit or trap. For the wicked that pray needs to be the righteous, however, they wicked become the ransom, a trade, for the life of the wicked: the trade off is the wicked for the righteous.

Luxury (Proverbs 21:17)

There are those who love to live luxuriously; riches will elude them for the rest of their lives.

"He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich." Proverbs 21:17, Amplified

In our society, there are those who are living luxuriously and loving it. So is this a contradiction? Is the Bible wrong? No. We have to look at this with new and fresh eyes. we can ask ourselves the question, "What happens when the money runs out?" Just look at Lindsey Lohan. She is a party girl who loves to live the party lifestyle. Now there is no money left for her to cover legal fees to fight the latest charges after she failed her last sobriety test.

There are also those who are living the luxurious lifestyle on the outside, but truly they are just trying to keep up with the payments. If we live outside of our means then we will never be set or be able to leave am inheritance for our children.

Wandering Hearts (Proverbs 21:16)

When are we really dead? Can we die before we actually take our last breath?

"The man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall abide in the congregation of the spirits - of the dead." Proverbs 21:16, Amplified

Notice the vernacular of the verse. It is speaking of one who has wandered out of the way of understanding. This is a man who has been in the way of understanding then. He is a man who has taken no care in watching his steps. His focus has moved and he begins to wander. We can liken this to driving. Sometimes when we lose focus and maybe begin to think of other things rather than the road we are traveling, we can wander from our lane into another lane. Luckily there are those little things on the road that our tires hit to remind us that we are wandering.

The Lord is the same way. He will not just allow us to wander without a warning system. But what happen if we do wander fully from the way. We will die. Just like Adam and Eve. We may not die instantly from a physical death, but we can and will die spiritually.

Created to Worship (Proverbs 21:15)

There is a certain satisfaction that comes to a Christian when he or she is doing the work of the Lord.

"When justice is done it is a joy to the righteous [the upright, in right standing with God]; but to the evil doers it is dismay, calamity and ruin." Proverbs 21:15, Amplified

We are all made in the image of God and built to do His work. When we are within His will and doing these things that He desires, then we are truly happy. It is like the a gear, only meant to perform a singular purpose. It must be placed somewhere specific within the machine. If it is misplaced, then the machine will not act appropriately, if at all. Also, if the gear is used in a different fashion, the result will not produce goodness. A gear will never be a wheel and it will never perform the way a wheel should perform because it is a gear. The same can be said of us. We are never going to be truly happy when we are performing and living in sin because we were created to worship the Lord.

The wicked and evil doers, that justice that is performed by the righteous, will become their undoing. If we are not doing righteous things, then where are we within this spectrum? The answer is simple: if we are not performing the good things of the Lord, then we are performing the sinful things of self.

Gifts and Bribes (Proverbs 21:14)

Here is another verse in the Proverbs that is difficult to explain.

"A gift in secret pacifies and turns away anger, and a bribe in the lap, strong wrath." Proverbs 21:14, Amplified

To be truthfully honest, I do not know how to go about explaining this verse. It seems as though this verse is actually encouraging bribes. As I stated before, the Bible seems not to dissuade anyone from bribing; in other words, it is neither condoned nor encouraged nor discouraged.

Anyone can verify, however, that gifts to calm angry hearts and that a bribe may definitely go a long way.

Heed to the Calling (Proverbs 21:13)

It has been said that if we wish to be treated a certain way, then we, too, must treat others the same way. Jesus Himself said to do unto others as we would have others do to us.

"Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor will cry himself and not be heard." Proverbs 21:13, Amplified

When I read the words, "stops his ears", I think of a child who has shoved his two index fingers into his ear canals, thus quieting the flow of noise into his ears. But this is no joke. We must not stop our ears when we hear the poor cry out for help. This does not have to be a financial poorness either. One who is poor simply does not have the resources to help himself.

Jesus told a story about such a man who closed his ears and would not hear the cries of someone else. This man had a huge debt to pay, but because of his cries, he was released from his debt. But how thankful was he? This is what he did after he was released from his own debt. He went out and found one who owed him money as well. One would think that he would show the same benevolence upon him, but no. "So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what he had done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that he had done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." (Matthew 18:29-35, NKJV) It does not matter what the cry is, we must have compassion just as compassion has been given to us. It does not matter if it is dealing with a debt owed to yourself or someone needs help in some other way, we must heed to the higher calling that we have in our lives. If we do not, we are in danger. "For judgement is without mercy tot he one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement." (James 2:13, NKJV)

Overthrow (Proverbs 21:12)

Have you ever looked and seen how the wicked seem to flourish? Well, not to worry. The Lord sees them too and they will be overthrown.

"The [uncompromisingly] righteous man considers well the house of the wicked, how the wicked are cast to ruin." Proverbs 21:12, Amplified

If you are following along in another version like the New King James, you may be scratching your head right now. The two versions seem to be at odds with each other. Here is how the New King James reads, "The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked, overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness."

One version speaks about a righteous God and the other about a righteous man. The answer, however, lies within the syntax. In the New King James we find that it is God who overthrows the wicked. In the Amplified we are met by a righteous man who considers the wicked and how they will be cast down. In other words, the righteous man knows and understands that the days of the wicked will always be numbered and that it is not he who needs to overthrow the wicked, but God will.

Learning (Proverbs 21:11)

Some people need an outside stimulus to help them learn, others just need to be taught and they will learn.

"When the scoffer is punished, the fool gets a lesson in being wise; but men of wisdom and good sense learn by being instructed." Proverbs 21:11, Amplified

The difference between foolish and wise men is a desire to learn. For the fool, he learns simply because he does not want the same fate to befall him that the scoffer did. In other words, he learns because he does not want to be caught, so he devises new ways to go about his foolishness.

As for the wise man, he learns because he has a desire to. There is something within that wants to succeed. Yes the fool wants to succeed in his foolishness, but the wise man wants to succeed to better himself, his family and others around him. The wise man needs no example to encourage him to learn.

Self Serving (Proverbs 21:10)

No good can come from having an evil heart.

"The soul or life of the wicked craves and seeks evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes." Proverbs 21:10, Amplified

There are some things in this life that are just natural. Man goes about his way, however, he needs food and water to continue. In man's natural spiritual state, all he desires in the evil things. Now when I say evil, I do not mean things of a Satanic nature, though that may be the case for some. Man in his natural state is self serving so the things that he desires are not of God, therefore they are evil.

The evil man also shows no favor to his neighbor because he is self serving. "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?" (James 2:16, NKJV) However, if we change our hearts and turn to God, we become less self serving and more focused on the needs of others so that our benedictions are not just empty words, but backed with loving actions.

Contentious Woman (Proverbs 21:9)

There are plenty of things that a man can deal with, however, one of them is not a contentious woman.

"It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop [on the flat oriental roof, exposed to all kinds of weather] than in a house shared with a nagging, quarrelsome and faultfinding woman." Proverbs 21:9, Amplified

It is quite a funny picture to paint within the mind, to see a man on the corner of a house. It is a precarious and uncomfortable place for him to be. However, the precariousness and uncomfortableness is much better than a woman who is obnoxious and quarrelsome. This woman is special to him, too. She is his wife. He has made a covenant to stay with her to death do them part. This is why it is so important to pray fervently about who it is your are to marry. My mother prayed for my wife since I was in the second grade. She knew that whomever she was, she must be very special. I will tell you what, I see no rooftops in my future.

Focus II (Proverbs 21:8)

There is a vast difference in the paths of the wicked and the pure.

"The way of the guilty is exceedingly crooked, but as for the pure, his work is right and his conduct is straight." Proverbs 21:8, Amplified

The way of the guilty is only crooked because he is constantly trying to find a new path to try and keep him from being caught and found out. His focus is all off. But the pure, his path is straight because his focus is on the Lord. There was a farmer once who had the straightest furrows in the county. When asked how he plowed such straight furrows, his answer was very simple. "I find something to focus on at the end of the field and I never keep my eyes off of it, for if I do, my furrows will become crooked." It is all about what our focus is upon. If we keep our eyes glued to the Lord, then ours paths will be straight and pure.

Choose to Build on the Rock (Proverbs 21:7)

There are people out there who will constantly be a destructive force to themselves because they refuse to do the good things.

"The violence of the wicked shall sweep them away, because they refuse to do justice." Proverbs 21:7, Amplified

How does one refuse to do justice, exactly? They refuse to do it because they have a clear understanding of what it is and choose to do the opposite. This is only because the foundation of their belief system is not based on Jesus. Paul tells us about that foundation in First Corinthians. Jesus even told a parable about two men building houses. One chose to build on the rock, which is Jesus) and the other chose to build on the sand. What happened to the second man? "[He is] like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." (Matthew 7:26b-27, NKJV)

The violent man who chooses to do something different, other than what is just, will fall. Our foundation must must be on the Lord and His Word. Why? "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what the Lord requires of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8, NKJV) This is not a question to the reader from God as if it deserved an answer. Rather this is a rhetorical question, meaning that has the Lord shown us all these things already? Yes. Where? In His Word. And if we begin our day with Him and go to Him throughout the day, we will not fall, we will not falter, because we are relying upon Him as we build our houses of faith. Violence comes from the recesses of the heart when we do not allow the Lord to touch us.

Truth is Treasure (Proverbs 21:6)

To search after something is always a good thing, especially if that thing is treasure. But if we must lie to obtain it, then the gaining of that treasure will mean nothing.

"Securing treasures by a lying tongue is a vapor driven to and fro; those who seek them seek death." Proverbs 21:6, Amplified

A vapor is something that is not solid and is easily moved and hard to obtain. In actuality. a mirage is light playing off of the vapors of heat coming off the sand. The reason that the Bible correlates the seeking of treasure by lying to also seeking after death is that our focus becomes so consumed by that treasure, nothing else matters. nay men have died in a barren desert seeking after the oasis that is really a mirage.

Jesus Himself said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32, NKJV) That truth may not be full of riches, but at least we will be free. Truth never leads to bondage, eventually truth will bring us into the hands of our Father.

Life or Death (Proverbs 21:5)

Patience is a virtue that most do not have. However, if we posses it, we will surely be blessed.

"The thoughts of the [steadily] diligent tend only to plenteousness, but everyone who is impatient and hasty hastens only to want." Proverbs 21:5, Amplified

It takes diligence to get to a goal. The higher the goal, the more diligence one needs. It is like the fable of the tortoise and the hare. The hare ran with speed and became overly confident and hastened toward the goal only to convince himself that his win was sure. Meanwhile, the tortoise was slow and steady. His speed never faltered, but his diligence to win the race brought him to his goal.

Goals are never intended to be reached quickly, they are challenges set up to bring out the best in each one of us. Athletes set many goals for themselves just as chefs and other professionals do. We, as Christians, are given the goal to be like Jesus. Upon our conversion, that goal seems so very far away. But through a series of trials and tests, more of the flesh is taken away so that more of Him might shine through. To be like Jesus is not something one attains overnight, rather it is actually something achieved upon death. But our diligence to exemplify Him in our lives will be rewarded and to hasten that goal will only lead to tragedy.

Provisions (Proverbs 21:4)

As we draw further away from the Lord, whatever it is that we do becomes a sin to God.

"Haughtiness of the eyes and a proud heart, even the tillage of the wicked, or the lamp of joy to them, [whatever it may be] is sin [in the eyes of God]." Proverbs 21:4, Amplified

Our own haughtiness and pride can build up a wall between us and the Lord. The more prideful we become, the less we render to his account. In other words, we take all the credit. But as we draw further and further away from Him, we do less and less in His name and thank Him less and less for the things that we receive. Whatever brings us joy, we only have that joy because we accomplished something by our own hands. We till the ground to get ready to plant in the expectation that we will receive a bountiful crop because of what wee have done. The Lord is so good to all of us. Everything we do, we must gives thank s to Him for the knowledge that He has given us to perform whatever task it may be and also thank Him for the outcome of that task. Jehovah Jireh, He provides for us everything that we need, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

K.I.S.S. [Keep It Simple Stupid] (Proverbs 21:3)

Sometimes simple actions are so much more important to the Lord than what we think.

"To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." Proverbs 21:3, Amplified

Simple acts of obedience are more important to the Lord than huge acts of liturgy. We think that we need to do something great to please Him when all it takes is obedience. "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8, NKJV) Where is the sacrifice at? The Lord does not need the blood of bulls and goats to be pleased. "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6, NKJV)

Religion always seems to place a huge emphasis on sacrifices and offerings, but the Lord only desires obedience. Can we still sacrifice and give Him offerings? Of course. But the Lord would rather our hearts be right with him first before we gave the sacrifice and offering. "'To what purpose is the multitude of you sacrifices to Me?' says the Lord. 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or goats.'" (Isaiah 1:11, NKJV) "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as the iniquity of idolatry." (First Samuel 15:22-23a, NKJV) The Lord makes it very clear what He desires of His children.

Open Books (Proverbs 21:2)

There are hidden agendas and personal gain behind most decisions that a man makes. Not everyone thinks this way, but the Lord knows the hearts of men.

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs and tries the hearts." Proverbs 21:2, Amplified

Every day in life is full of decisions like what to where, where to go, what to do, who to help. So many different things. And the decisions we make may seem right to us, but the Lord truly knows what is in the heart. There is no getting around this fact. He is omniscient, and He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Jesus dealt with the Pharisees quite frequently. In every meeting, or ambush, Jesus called them out for what they really were. In one altercation, Jesus said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to God." (Luke 16:15, NKJV) Even Jeremiah was inspired by the Spirit to write concerning the heart of man. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doing." (Jeremiah 17:9-10, NKJV)

our hearts are an open book to the Lord. Notice how we are not that frog being dissected by an adolescent God. We are that book, being read thoroughly, every page being studied. "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light." (Mark 4:22, NKJV)

The Choices We Make (Proverbs 21:1)

The Lord is in control of everything. No matter what the situation or the circumstances, the Lord knows what is happening and how to control the situation and its outcome.

"The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as are the watercourses; He turns it whichever way He will." Proverbs 21:1, Amplified

The one reason why the Proverbs focus so much on "kings" in general is that the Lord wants His children to know and to understand that no matter what the status is of a person, He is still God, He is still in control.

The verse is not trying to say that the Lord moves a man despite his own "free will". The Bible tells us, "Let every soul be subject tot he governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." (Romans 13:1, NKJV) No king that is, or was, or will be ever surprises God. He has appointed everyone to his position. This includes our current president.

Will God "control" man? No, for this would be a violation of man's free will. The verse never states that the Lord will control the king, rather He turns the heart of the king. It is more like a bend in a river, the river's natural inclination is now to go the direction of the bend and not the other direction or even straight. The paths of man can be viewed the same way. When there is a bend in our path, or even a Rock, our natural inclination is to follow the direction of the path. Go knows exactly what will happen in any given situation. The choices that our president is making today, the Lord knows that he was going to make them. He knows the outcome of Obamah, if he will enjoy another term and the state of our country. Believe it or not, the heart of Obamah is in the hands of the Almighty Jehovah, not Allah. Obamah is going the same direction the Lord intends.

Discipline II (Proverbs 20:30)

Sometimes discipline can be physical.

"Blows that wound cleanse away evil, and strokes [for correction] reach the innermost parts." Proverbs 20:30, Amplified

The Bible never encourages us to beat and abuse our children, however, it does encourage a physical discipline. When it say spare the rod and spoil the child, it is not saying to not discipline. What it is pointing to is that if we are to stop with the discipline, the child will be spoiled.

No one enjoys physical discipline, but they always seem to reach deeper into the heart of the person receiving them. Blows and strokes speak more loudly than actual verbal warnings. Again,I am not encouraging anyone to beat their child. However, I am telling you that words do not work. The state of rebellion that most of American youth are in right now is because of a lack of physical discipline.

Young and Old (Proverbs 20:29)

Each one of us has something to contribute to the world, whether young or old.

"The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is their gray head [suggesting wisdom and experience]." Proverbs 20:29, Amplified

Young men have the ability to look at a task and do. They have the vitality and endurance to get that job done. However, the oder man has the experience that the young one does not. He has the ability to look at a task and draw upon his years of experience to do the best job and get the best outcome. We all have something to contribute to out communities, as long as we keep the Lord our focus and always give him the glory.

Vinegar or Honey? (Proverbs 20:28)

Truth and mercy and lovingkindness speak to people more than words.

"Loving-kindness and mercy, truth and faithfulness preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by [the people's] loyalty." Proverbs 20:28, Amplified

Words do not mean much when action does not reciprocate. However, words are not needed when action speaks. It has been said that you catch more floes with honey than vinegar. It is important for us to understand that if we are to speak to the people around us, our words, though necessary, are not needed when our actions can convey what is in our hearts. Our actions will either be like honey or vinegar, attractive or repulsive. If we want loyalty from others, we much be like the former.