Proverbs

'... but the heart of the wicked is of little value.'
[Proverbs 10:20(b)]

Whoa... this verse really puts things into perspective for me. What does God desire? Righteousness. A pure heart. After all, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. If that of the heart is wicked/of little value, so are the words that come from the lips of that person... and so how can we expect to be used by God to advance His kingdom?

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'The fear of the Lord adds length to life...'
[Proverbs 10:27(a)]

I wonder if by this, Solomon meant that fear of the Lord leads to eternal life... which is, in my opinion, certainly adding length to life! I mean, fear alone will not lead to eternity... but it does become a facet of one's faith as they come to call on the name of the Lord and believe that He reigns over their life. At least, it has for me.

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'... and he who wins souls is wise.'
[Proverbs 11:30(b)]

I don't really know what to think of this verse. I mean... how would Solomon know what we usually mean by "winning" souls? Proverbs 11:30(a) speaks of the righteous' fruit being a tree of life, much like what we read Jesus saying in the New Testament. Hm.

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'When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.]
[Proverbs 11:10-11]

Well, this doesn't have much to do with the actual proverbs, but it made me think... cities are no longer "divided" by those considered to be righteous or wicked. Not really, at least. And those who are true believers are not even entirely measurable.

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'A friend loves at all times...'
[Proverbs 17:17(a)]

How true is this of most people - believers and nonbelievers alike? Do we truly love at all times? And not just our significant others, or those whom we are a friend to... but also our family members, those we serve, mere acquaintances, and strangers?

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'The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.'
[Proverbs 18:4]

Deep waters... they may seem scary or intimidating. Overwhelming, even. But they eventually end. They only go so far down. And they may be still. Stagnant. You can drown in deep water[s]. But a [bubbling] brook.... this conjures thoughts of life. Movement. Renewal. A sweetness that pleases and satisfies. And while I'm sure it's possible, one is not terribly likely to drown in a brook. Our own words can be so dangerous and harmful, to both ourselves and others. We need to earnestly be seeking out wisdom, asking for it as a gift from God, in order to bless those around us. OR at the least, we should strive to place ourselves in the presence of those whom we believe to be wise. I think that would be one of the... wisest... things we could do for ourselves.