Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 416 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Love Prospers – Proverbs 17:1-14

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 416 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the 1st half of chapter 17.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We had planned to drive up to Marietta on Sunday, but some medicine that we were waiting to be shipped to Paula’s mom did not arrive until Monday. So we delayed our plans by 1 day. Fortunately, we had nothing pressing on Monday, so we left after the mail arrived with her medicine. When we travel on a weekday, it does require that Paula drives so that I can continue to work providing remote software support for one of our clients. There is fairly good data coverage most of the trip, so I am able to stay connected and work as we travel.

After making a quick stop for a few groceries, we arrived home at about 8 pm. It looks like the lawn needs to be mowed, so I will have to work in that this week along with a little bit of exterior trim that I need to finish up while we are here this time. With a house of this size and age, there will always be some project that needs to be completed, but we will work them in when possible and enjoy the time.

It is time to head out on our trail for today as we discover more nuggets of wisdom in the book of Proverbs. We will dig through the first 14 verses, and the title of our trek for today is extracted from verse 9 and starts out with…

Love Prospers

Let’s start in with verse 1.

¹ Better a dry crust eaten in peace

than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.

In this verse, Solomon reiterates a concept that he introduced previously. It is much better to have very little to eat and a house filled with love for each other, than a house filled with food, but conflict with family and friends. If you have ever eaten a scrap of dried crust, you know how tasteless and non-filling it is, but if you are sharing it with those you love and are at peace then it is special. Contrary to this, is having plenty to eat, but the meal times are not enjoyable because of the conflict.

² A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son

and will share the inheritance of the master’s children.

A faithful and wise servant or employee will gain favor with the master or business owner, even to the point that they could receive a share of the inheritance or company profits. This would certainly be considered if the children disgraced their parents or were wasteful of what the master/owner worked so hard to obtain.

³ Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,

but the Lord tests the heart.

If you have ever observed how gold or silver are purified, it is by melting them at an extremely high temperature and then waiting for the impurities that are mixed in the gold and silver to come to the surface so that it can be skimmed off. These impurities are considered dross. In the same way, you may have to go through the fires of tribulation and hardship so God can purge that which is impure from your life. You should not shun this, but welcome it as part of your maturing process.

⁴ Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip;

liars pay close attention to slander.

The person who enjoys and shares in the gossiping about others is doing wrong. We should minimize our exposure to this type of person. A person who enjoys, listens to, and then spreads gossip is a slanderer. We should not take advice from these people. The fact is, when you are not around, they are probably slandering you.

⁵ Those who mock the poor insult their Maker;

those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.

God has a deep abiding love for all, and especially those who are poor because of their misfortune. We should never take advantage or insult those who are less fortunate than we are. We should never rejoice if someone falls on hard times, but instead always be looking for ways to help and assist those who are struggling. We really do not know what most people have and are going through.

⁶ Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged;

parents are the pride of their children.

As a gramps of 6 grandchildren (so far), I can personally testify that they are indeed the crowning glory. It is such a blessing to be able to share with them and invest time with them. In the same way, we as parents should live in such a way that our children are proud of who we are and what we have accomplished, especially when it is in reference to how we raised them and how we love them unconditionally.

⁷ Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool;

even less are lies fitting for a ruler.

When you think of someone that is foolish, you do not expect them to speak articulately or persuasively, since that would be very out of character. It is even a more serious situation of someone who is in a position of authority to be a person who lies. It appears that most politicians of today, don’t follow this advice.

⁸ A bribe is like a lucky charm;

whoever gives one will prosper!

Solomon is not condoning bribery in this verse. He is just stating a fact. While we do not experience bribery as blatantly in the USA as we hear about in some other countries, as you think about all of the lobbyists that influence the making of our laws, it is evident that it does flourish. The person who accepts the bribe enriches himself, and the person giving the bribe received what they intended.

⁹ Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,

but dwelling on it separates close friends.

It is so much better to forgive when someone does wrong to us. When we are willing to forgive and love, then the friendship will prosper. If we choose not to, we will separate and both be miserable. This is true in marriages and close friendships. Be willing to forgive the faults of others.

¹⁰ A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding

than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.

A person who is willing and receptive to learning is a person of understanding. It does not take strong instruction for them to continue to learn because they know that is how they become wise and gain knowledge. Contrary to this is the fool who is not easily persuaded. They could be severely reprimanded but will feel it is someone else’s fault.

¹¹ Evil people are eager for rebellion,

but they will be severely punished.

A person with wicked and evil intents also have a rebellious nature to them. They are more interested in themselves than others. If they continue on this path, selfishness and pride will eventually be their downfall.

¹² It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.

One of the most dangerous creatures that you can confront is a mother bear whose cubs have been taken from her. She is very protective and will fight off any humans or animals to preserve her cubs. Even in a situation that is so dangerous, Solomon tells us that a fool that is found out is worse than that mother bear.

¹³ If you repay good with evil,

evil will never leave your house.

This verse once again goes back to the principle of planting and harvesting. If you plant evil, especially as a repayment for good, then you will harvest continual evil.

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,

so stop before a dispute breaks out.

It is never wise to start a quarrel. There is just no good result that can come from it. It is like adding gasoline to a fire. It won’t put the fire out but will cause it to grow and spread. When you find yourself in a volatile situation, keep your mouth closed and listen to the other person. There are no winners in an argument. Everyone loses.

The nuggets of wisdom that we gathered in these 14 verses of Proverbs 17 provide more tasty morsels of wisdom, insight, and understanding. Take them and plant them in your heart so that you will reap a harvest of goodness.

Tomorrow we will hike another short trail of Wisdom Unplugged where we will discover an inspirational wisdom quote. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. Just as you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person and inviting them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek, so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!