Proverb 17 - Bound in Fear - Free in Faith

The timid person is forever slave to their own fears
because they are their own god,
knowing full well that they cannot rescue themselves.

For those who fear The Lord God Almighty,
there is no fear in life,
knowing themselves safe in the hands of their Creator

Proverb 16 - The Fool and Disappointment

When the fool is disappointed by a person of faith he blames God,
while the wise person realizes that that not everyone who says they know God actually knows Him.

Proverbs 15 - The Fool and Faith

The person who loses faith because God doesn't give them what they want or what they think the deserve is a fool
The wise person accepts the wisdom and judgment of God.
A parent who gives a child everything they desire only raises an adult who cannot face disappointment.

Proverb 14 - Embracing the Truth

The fool listens to the proverb or the parable and thinks how it applies to others,
while the wise person feels the sting of truth and is led to repentance

Proverb 13 - Pondering The Poor

The fool sees the poor and says they are all lazy
Another sees the poor and wonders about what misfortune has befallen them
The kind-hearted finds a way to help for the day
The rich despise them for the poverty
The self-righteous asks why someone would choose to live in poverty
The wise and godly person helps lift the poor from poverty

Proverb #11 - The Rich, The Wicked, The Sluggard and the Diligent

The rich and the wicked want no counsel from the Word of God,
lest they become convicted of their sin & idolatry and be required to repent.
The sluggard wants but is unwilling to act and instead begs for scraps,
while the diligent work to glorify God in all they do
 and are glad to share in God's bounty with the needy

Proverb 12 - Talking about the Fool

This proverb is a small list comparing the foolish with the wise.  I pray that you will hear what God has to say to you in this post.

The fool thinks there is no other valid view than his or her own
while the wise conceed that theirs in not the only way to see things

The fool is always quick to share her or his insight but refuses to hear another
while the wise listens to another hoping to learn some new insight

The fool thinks that his or her one experience defines the only possible perception or outcome
while the wise person reserves judgment and considers a matter in their heart


The fool thinks what he or she likes is what is good and what he or she dislikes is universally bad
while the wise person knows how to discern right from wrong and good from bad apart from their desires

A fool dismisses or accepts with little thought
while a wise person weighs a matter in light of God's Word and Spirit before deciding a matter.

A fool loves to share their thoughts thinking everyone who hears would benefit
while the wise person is quick to listen but slow to speak.