Wisdom, Day 27

Welcome to Day 27 of our Journey through “31 Days of Wisdom”!

Today’s categories are boasting and praise, friendship and wise counsel, and managing your retirement.

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The first verse is hard to get away from in day to day life. Of course the big boasts are obvious, like I will be or achieve great successes (which haven’t been earned yet), but even the little hopes we have literally for tomorrow may not actually come to pass. I catch myself on this all the time. Until it actually happens can I count it at all? And none of us are promised tomorrow, so if I do not make it through the night for any reason, how much can I actually promise from myself? The better focus here is of course on the present, the things that matter now, the people and the promises that you can serve in the moment, and to remember that God is the only one that can promise anything for the future so we should rely on Him first and only.

Today’s chapter peppers in a lot about words of praise, words from friends and loved ones and enemies. We should never seek our own praise, and we should seek out the wise counsel and even correction from a trusted friend. This chapter is where a famous phrase comes, “as iron sharpens iron”, and it is meant that who we associate with and who we live life closely with can keep us sharp and prepared for what life may bring. So choose your friends wisely because they are the ones who will help you get through times of trouble and success.

It’s interesting to me how the end of this chapter deals with retirement. I know that most of us reading this today do not have flocks or fields to take care of. Proverbs is clear that nothing lasts forever, not even riches and royal lines, but if we are wise in managing what we have and preparing for the future then we will not want in future years.

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[shareable cite=”https://www.bible.com/bible/59/PRO.27.ESV”]1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. 3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both. 4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

7 One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet. 8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. 9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. 10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away. 11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me. 12 The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.

13 Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress. 14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing. 15 A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; 16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one’s right hand. 17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. 18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored. 19 As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. 21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. 22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him.

23 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, 24 for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations? 25 When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, 26 the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field. 27 There will be enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your girls.

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• YouVersion® Bible.com Reading Plans – Proverbs
• Matthew Henry’s Commentary from BibleGateway
• Top 5 Commentaries post from Ligonier’s Ministry
• Proverbs Resources from PreceptAustin