Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 379 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Hope Deferred Make the Heart Sick – Proverbs 13:1-12

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 379 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday we will explore for nuggets of wisdom to help you to grow in wisdom, insight, and understanding. Today we will dig for these treasures in Proverbs 13.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. By the time this day’s trek is completed, we should have the exterior trim and front porch painted. We also need to paint the gas lamps in the yard and a table for the front porch. The details for the reunion are coming together although we were not able to complete everything in our plans. Over the subsequent weeks and months, we will continue to complete the projects on our renovation list.

Much to our surprise and enjoyment after being away for nearly a week, the two young hawks have returned. Although we do not see them frequent the nest, they appear to be practicing their calls, flying, and hunting. It has been very interesting to watch.

Another subject that I find very interesting and useful are the nuggets of wisdom from Proverbs 13. Today on our trek, we will explore the first 12 verses in what I am calling…

 Hope Deferred Makes The Heart Sick

¹ A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline;
a mocker refuses to listen to correction.

Parents who instruct their children well are those who disciple them. To be able to disciple properly, you must also live a life where lessons can be caught, as well as taught. Yes, instructing children does require various forms of discipline through the process, but a child who is gaining wisdom will accept that discipline as part of their training for life. On the other hand, a child who is unwise rejects the discipline from a parent. He will mock and ridicule that instruction.

² Wise words will win you a good meal,
but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.

When you are wise, your words will be full of wisdom. This will satisfy the soul like a good meal satisfies hunger. In contrast, the unwise and unfaithful person is one who is always seeking to be satisfied, but their hunger is never filled because they seek that which is wrong and cannot bring any lasting satisfaction

³ Those who control their tongue will have a long life;
opening your mouth can ruin everything.

As Solomon points out many times in Proverbs, speaking too much is not wise. If we can learn to speak only when it is appropriate, and we have something worthwhile to say, then it will spare us much sorrow and lead to a full and long life. The opposite of this is someone who speaks without thinking or wisdom. They also speak too often, and as a result, their lives will be full of hardship, both for themselves and those around them.

⁴ Lazy people want much but get little,
but those who work hard will prosper.

A person who is lazy does not understand the basic principle and direct correlation between work and prosperity. They desire to have much, but end up with little. Those who are willing to work hard and not chase fantasies or get rich quick schemes will have an abundance of all that they need. One aspect of this concept that many do not understand is that you cannot spend more than you earn. The reason so many people feel that they work hard and still do not prosper is that they are living beyond their means. We can get by in life with so much less than we realize. If we are disciplined, frugal and work hard, we will see prosperity follow. It is a basic principle of life.

⁵ The godly hate lies;
the wicked cause shame and disgrace.

As you grow in your faith and become good and Godly, you will learn to hate that which God hates. One of those items are lies. Although lying seems so prevalent throughout all of history, we should not lie nor accept lies from others. Those who do not care to live according to God’s precepts have no scruples about lying. This will bring shame and disgrace both to them and those who they impact.

⁶ Godliness guards the path of the blameless,
but the evil are misled by sin.

As you become wiser and adopt qualities in your life that are good and Godly, those attributes will become a guardrail on your path of life to prevent you from slipping, which will allow you to remain blameless. The unwise and ungodly do not have those guardrails in place, and can easily be led down the wrong path that will lead to sin, destruction, and eventual death.

⁷ Some who are poor pretend to be rich;
others who are rich pretend to be poor.

This is an interesting aspect of human nature. In many cases, those that do not have an abundance of wealth like to give the impression that they are wealthy. They are willing to go into debt to buy those things that they do not need to impress people who do not care. It is never wise to live beyond your means. In contrast to this, there are many that are truly wealthy, but you would never know it by their lifestyles. They live frugal, modest lives that do not reflect their actual status. In many of these cases, it is because of their lifestyles that they are able to gain wealth.

⁸ The rich can pay a ransom for their lives,
but the poor won’t even get threatened.

There are many advantages to being wealthy, especially if wealth is used to impact others. On the flip side of that when you are wealthy, the responsibility that comes with being wealthy can also become a trap or a burden. Rich people may feel that it is a ransom on their lives. This is one burden that the poor don’t feel because they have little to give. Keep in mind, though, this verse does not give anyone an excuse to remain poor.

⁹ The life of the godly is full of light and joy,
but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.

When we are walking in the light of God’s Word and following His precepts, our lives should be filled with that light, and we should be overflowing with joy as a natural outgrowth of that light. In contrast, those who live without acknowledging God in their lives will increasingly live in darkness, and their lives will be without joy.

¹⁰ Pride leads to conflict;
those who take advice are wise.

Nearly all conflicts and problems in our lives can be boiled down to our pride. One sure sign of pride is the inability to take advice from others. On the other hand, a person with a humble spirit will be willing to take advice and correction which will lead to additional wisdom.

¹¹ Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears;
wealth from hard work grows over time.

We see this problem every day, and we all fall prey to it. We want something for nothing. We desire to gain wealth for our own consumption but are unwilling to invest the time and energy needed. There never will be a get rich quick scheme that works. True wealth is only gained through working hard over an extended period of time. It goes back to the basic analogy of planting and harvesting. There are certain immutable laws that must be followed.

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

There are few things more crushing to our spirits than to have hope for something and yet not be able to obtain it. It can literally make us ill. We must have the proper hope in the only one who can give us true and lasting joy. As Isaiah 40:31, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” It is when our true and lasting dreams are fulfilled that we will have the joy and strength to carry on in all circumstances.

We have dug up some great nuggets of wisdom in the first 12 verses of Proverbs 13. Let’s consider these truths and then apply them to our lives so that we can live a life that is rich and satisfying. In doing so we will create and live our legacy each day. Our next trek will be Philosophy Friday where we will ponder The Constant, Predictable Pattern of Change within the Cycles and Seasons of Life. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along on Friday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your 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 invite 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. I would like to ask you to also rate and review us on iTunes or Google Play so that others will find out about Wisdom-Trek and join us.

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 on Wednesday!