Anchor (Proverbs 21:29)

There is a big difference as to how the wicked and the righteous conduct themselves.

"A wicked man puts on the bold, unfeeling face [of guilt] bit as for the upright, he considers, directs and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity]." Proverbs 21:29, Amplified

This is one of those verses where I prefer one translation over the other. In this verse, I do prefer the New King James Version over the Amplified. In the beginning of this verse in the former translation it states, "The wicked man hardens his face..." There is no hint of the guilt spoken of in the Amplified version.

Going off this other translation, when I read it, it reminds me of my son. When he gets in one of his moods, he crosses his arms, furrows his brow and purses his lips. He is angry and does not want to move. This is what the wicked man does; he does not want to move so he takes a stance. It is not established in anything else but his own desire.

The righteous man, however, establishes his own way. What he does differently is that he knows where he is going, why he is going and how he is to get there. He has a plan and he understands how it is to be executed. The righteous man has most likely prayed as well concerning this path which makes his way even more established.

The difference between the two men is the anchor that each one possesses. The wicked man is anchored by his own feet, but the righteous man is anchored by the Lord Himself.

Governor of the Heart (Proverbs 15:28)

There is an apparent governor in the heart of a righteous man. It acts sort of like the governor on a vehicle, controlling the rate of speed the vehicle can travel. The governor of the heart would control the speech of the man, keeping him in line with the image of God.

"The mind of the [uncompromisingly] righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." Proverbs 15:28, Amplified

The heart is the seat of emotion and the mind is the seat of intellect. As human beings, we are able to think and act by use of these two seats. There is the man who only uses the intellect, however, he lacks emotion and empathy. If he uses the heart, then there is no logic in his communication, it is just a blabber of emotion with no meaning. Though the two seats can operate independently, both are needed in the character of a Christian. When the heart of the man is in line with the Lord, the mind follows suit. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear..." (First Peter 3:15, NKJV)

A good pupil studies his master's lessons. A good disciple follows his master's footsteps. What makes the Christian any different? If the Christian lacks discretion and the skills of a good pupil or disciple then there is nothing to distinguish him from the world. As it said in the verse above, the wicked pours forth evil. If the heart is not prostrate before the Lord, then what keeps it holy? If the mind is not subject to the things of God, then how is it to remain sharpened? "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (Second Timothy 2:15, KJV)

A Tree Shall be Known by its Fruit (Proverbs 10:30-32)

For the righteous good things will come. It may not be an immediate inheritance, but it will come. King David wrote of how the wicked are prospering and how the righteous are suffering. This is a very true statement. You have to remember that the earth incurred a curse after the fall of man. This world has been tainted by the fall of man. But in the end, if we were to skip to the end of the book, we would find the the righteous prevail.

"The [consistently] righteous shall never be removed, but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth eventually." Proverbs 10:30, Amplified

The righteous shall not be removed removed because our foundation is on Jesus Christ. He is the truest foundation for us to built upon, the firmest rock. The Word was before this world and will exist long after this world has ceased to exist. And there will be a time when the wicked will be removed from the earth. The Bible tells us about a 1,000 year period where the earth is restored to her original state, before the fall. 1,000 years the Lord will reign upon this earth and after that time, He will destroy it and create a new heaven and a new earth. Until then, we wait patiently on the Lord and remain consistently righteous.

"The mouth of the righteous [those harmonious with God] brings forth skillful and godly Wisdom, but the perverse tongue shall be cut down [like a barren and rotten tree]." Proverbs 10:31, Amplified

We are told in the Sermon on the Mount that a tree will be known by its fruit. A tree that is barren of rotten is good for nothing, not even for shade. It must be cut down because all it is doing is leeching nutrients from the soil around it. This bad tree takes what it cannot use and leaves less for the better trees to survive on. It is a wonderful thing, though, that we have a Ground's Keeper who will take care of His orchard. Our Master knows what trees are bad and which are good. But if we read Matthew 13, one of the Kingdom Parables is about the wheat and the tares. An enemy came over night and sowed tares in our Master's wheat field. When His angels found this out they told the Master. He decided to wait for harvest to separate the two for fear of destroying the good with the bad. My friends, out time is coming.

"The lips of the [uncompromisingly] righteous know [and therefore utter] what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked knows [and therefore speaks only] what is obstinately willful and contrary." Proverbs 10:32, Amplified

The fruit of either tree is evident. As righteous Christians, we know what is right and true and therefore our speech should signify that. I know that this is not always the case. Look at king David. He committed adultery and then killed his lover's husband and he was still called a man after God's own heart. Our fruit is a testimony of our heart. If it be bitter and rotten, then the heart of the tree is bitter and rotten.

It is high time for us all to do a heart check. The easiest way is to check the fruit on the tree. Is it good? Is is wholesome? Is it nutritious? Our lips should know and therefore utter one truth, Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Directionality (Proverbs 4:18-19)

There are two different paths for us to follow in our lives. The path of the just and the path of the unjust. Though at times both seem to be moving in a forward motion, only one is the correct path. Yes, both paths do have directionality, but the destination of either one is vastly different than the other.

"But the path of the uncompromisingly just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more - brighter and clearer - until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect (to-be-prepared) day." Proverbs 4:18, Amplified

Every morning as I sit and do my devotions, I am blessed with watching the sunrises in the morning. During prayer, I usually walk outside to smell the crispness and freshness of the morning breeze and as I write the Lord blesses me with beautiful sunrises.

It is interesting that Solomon likens the path of the righteous to this splendid event. The light of dawn brings about newness in the day. And as the morning grows older the light gets stronger and brighter. But realize that the path of the righteous is not like the sunrises or the lights of the dawns. There is no plurality, it is a continuous event constantly unfolding. The directionality of the righteous is toward the light. There is clarity on the path of the righteous. This light will continue to get stronger and stronger until that day, the day of the perfection of the saints. The Lord allows for no shadows on the path of the righteous, only clarity of direction.

"The way of the wicked is as deep darkness; they do not know at what they stumble." Proverbs 4:19, Amplified

The wicked on the other hand have no light to guide them. It is a deep darkness. It seems as though not even light from the heavenly bodies illuminates their path. The wicked cannot afford any light that may expose the true nature of themselves. The word for darkness in this passage can be defined as "duskiness" in the original language. Dusk is the opposite of dawn. However, from the language of the verse we seem to find ourselves way past dusk, even in concealment. The wicked immerse themselves in a purposeful blindness not knowing what makes them stumble. Is it a not knowing or a not caring? Anything and everything can potentially cause someone to stumble. On the path of the righteous one can see those road hazards and take precautionary measures to avoid stumbling, but the path of the wicked there can be no time for preparation because one cannot know what lies before him. Only the days present sins are his priority.