esteem over silver and gold.
2 Rich and poor have this in common —
Adonai made them both.
3 The clever see trouble coming and hide;
the simple go on and pay the penalty.
4 The reward for humility is fear of Adonai,
along with wealth, honor and life.
5 Thorns and snares beset the way of the stubborn;
he who values his life keeps his distance from them.
6 Train a child in the way he [should] go;
and, even when old, he will not swerve from it.
7 The rich rule the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.
8 He who sows injustice reaps trouble,
and the rod of his angry outburst will fail.
9 He who is generous is blessed,
because he shares his food with the poor.
10 Throw the scoffer out, and quarreling goes too;
strife and insults cease.
11 He who loves the pure-hearted and is gracious in speech
will have the king as his friend.
12 The eyes of Adonai protect [the man with] knowledge,
but he overturns the plans of a traitor.
13 A lazy man says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed if I go out in the street!”
14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;
the man with whom Adonai is angry falls into it.
15 Doing wrong is firmly tied to the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far away from him.
16 Both oppressing the poor to enrich oneself
and giving to the rich yield only loss.
RG AUDIO 033115"A Few Good Men" by Author: Jennifer Woodard
Both the world and God honor men and women of character. Who would not want what Proverbs 22 describes: a good name, children who follow the teaching of their parents, and a king who would choose him or her as his friend? Who would not want wisdom to make good decisions, knowledge to guard his soul, the protection of the Lord, and God’s blessing rather than His wrath?
Proverbs 22:4 says it is humility, or “the fear of the Lord” that brings these rewards. Humility is simply seeing ourselves as God sees us. We tend to see ourselves as more highly or more lowly than we ought. We must depend on God’s Word to instruct us in the truth.
To believe God is to fear the Lord. In Exodus 3:5 God says to Moses, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” In Luke 5:20, Jesus tells the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Do we want the riches, honor, and life that Proverbs 22 describes? Then we must believe God’s Word, and live accordingly.
Hymn for Today: "I'd Rather Have Jesus" by Rhea Miller
1. I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands.
I'd rather be led by His nail pierced hand
Chorus:
Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
2. I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame.
I'd rather be true to His holy name
Chorus:
Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
3. He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He's all that my hungering spirit needs.
I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead
Chorus:
Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
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