Thought to Guide Your Reading
The smallest part of righteousness is appreciated. The smallest part of wickedness is scorned.Summary in 100 Words or Less
God blesses wisdom, honesty, diligence, and hard work.The wise discipline their tongues.
God's blessings make a rich life.
The worse nightmares of the wicked come true—they are destroyed, but the desires of good people come true.
God loves fair businesses with down-to-earth, honest people. Principled lives help people save more than money.
Entire villages enjoy having good people. They cheer when bad people suffer.
God knows the difference between good and bad people. Each to their own consequences.
Learn God's discipline and be corrected.
Wise people are mindful of their speech. Worry and laziness lead to trouble.
How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right
God blesses the righteous with money and more.
It is currently chic to look down on successful people or businesses as somehow benefiting from an unrighteous system. Also, to save money is a problem because that money could be used to help the ailing economy. The truth is success is more nuanced than that. According to Solomon, God blesses those with hard-working, honest lives and also those who run honest, upright businesses. At the same time, money is neither the benchmark for success nor the goal of a righteous life. It is the byproduct of righteousness. First develop an honest, diligent work ethic and God will bless you with physical blessings. The second without the first leads to a terrible downfall.God gives direction and insurance.
Solomon summarizes the interpersonal results of righteousness, "When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers; / when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates. " (11:10, The Message). The insurance and help righteous people get is not directly from God. It comes from their neighbors. Good people have the world on their side when bad things happen. Great illustrations of this principle are found when a natural disaster strikes a community. Those who have a reputation for righteousness are gladly helped. Those who do not are helped begrudgingly.God gives consequences according to our work.
Those who work well are rewarded with good pay. Those who scrape by in life scrape by financially. Kindness returns kindness and cruelty returns cruelty. If you wonder why people are so mean to you, first consider your actions.Wise people discipline their tongues.
Solomon has a lot to write about in this area. Wise people keep their tongue in check. They do not spout off, pass rumors, talk too much, or flaunt their strengths. What a difficult, essential part of living a righteous life. Wise people listen discerningly and speak accordingly. That is why the wise survive.What consequences do you see in your life?
Have something to add? Leave a comment on the Sonoma Mountain Parkway Church of Christ Facebook page.
If you missed a reading or want to go to a specific date, type the link as follows:
http://grahambates.blogspot.com/2013/mm/dd.html
That will take you to the reading for that day.
Subscribe to receive the daily readings by email. See the top, right side of the page.
Share this post with others! See the links below the post to share on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
No comments:
Post a Comment