December 22, 2008

Today's Reading - Proverbs 22
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Following Scripture Verses

1. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
2. The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.
3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
4. By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
5. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
6. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
7. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
8. He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
9. He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
10. Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
11. He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
12. The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
13. The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
14. The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.
15. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
16. He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
17. Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
18. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
19. That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
20. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
21. That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
22. Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
23. For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
24. Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
25. Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
26. Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
27. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
28. Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
29. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Today's Pathway:
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"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul." - Proverbs 22:24

There are many admonitions in Scripture that warn against losing your temper. While it is certainly possible to "be angry and sin not" (Eph. 4:26), many believers do not obey this injunction, and ultimately reveal themselves to be fools (Ecc. 7:9). Today's proverb gives some advice as to how to avoid becoming a man of wrath. It warns us to stay away from angry men.

Two principles are given here: don't make friends with the angry man and don't go where he goes. The Bible tells us in other places that the friends we have will ultimately influence the way we think and live (Prov. 27:17), so it is understandable that having a friendship with a man that can not control his temper will have an negative impact on our own lives. Often we do not consider a man's temper when deciding whether or not to choose him for a friend. A young woman will decide to marry an angry young man because she assumes that she can help him get over it, or that he has so many other good qualities that his temper won't be a problem. This is a grave mistake, and she is asking for trouble.

Solomon writes that spending time with an angry man will allow his evil behavior to "rub off" on us. It is very easy to respond to anger with anger (Prov. 15:18), so the less time we spend with the wrathful man, the less chance there will be that we will become like he is. In addition, Solomon says that being around his uncontrolled behavior will bring us a snare. The individual who is married to an angry spouse is trapped in an unpleasant marriage. The man who is spending time with an angry friend will wind up being the recipient of his anger sooner or later, and may also have to bear the consequences of being with that man when his anger gets him (and those with him) into serious trouble.

If a man has an anger problem, he is not the type of man that you want to spend your time with. Choose wisely in this area, and you will avoid great problems in the future.

Pastor Mark J Montgomery