In the middle of the night of April 15-16 of 2007, it was given
me to write proverbs. Like a tap of water turned on, they came, one after
the
other, 78 in all. Then, as
fast as they began, they ended, like a tap turned off. There was
no premeditation, no expectation and when the end came, there was
nothing I could do to continue. They were just there.
Since then the Lord has given me more, when I am quiet, in His
way, and when He wills.
The principles of life have many manifestations, each of which
can be expressed as a proverb. A proverb can appear simple on the
surface, stating the obvious, as even to give the impression that
a simpleton speaks. As one contemplates the words and seeks a deeper
meaning, however, he or she can be rewarded with counsel and understanding
that serve well in many applications of life, should God give to
that one.
546. The more knowledge we have, the less do we tend to look to the
Lord.
547. Money answers all things on earth, but its answers are drowned
out by the voice of the Truth.
548. Truth is so loud as to both create ears to hear and cause
some to stop their ears from hearing.
549. Men assume rights and insist they have a right to rights,
not considering that the Righteous One alone decides what is right.
550. The body builder lifts weights
not for the weights’ sakes
but for what the lifting does for his body; so man must consider
that all the works of this world are vanity, but for how he is
furthered within.
551. The ant prefers the upper smooth surfaces to run from danger
but constricting crevices are safer.
552. Where there is hunger, there is life and health.
553. Many desire sunny days but the rain gives the wherewith to
enjoy the sun.
554. Early budding brings danger of frostkill, but patience
brings a fruitful reward.
555. The rich man is rich in troubles, owns much and yet has so
little.
556. The rich man and the poor
man enjoy men’s praise but
the rich man must strive to retain it while the poor man has
nothing to lose.
557. To envy the rich is to look at the outward appearance. To
look at the outward appearance is to deceive oneself.
558. The fool looks for immediate rewards but the wise see the
rewards that are there.
559. Happy and safe from envious men is the man who has the true
riches.
560. As the strength of sin is the Law, so the strength of the
man of sin is the Law.
561. Death seals the power, and prepares the way to life.
562. Beware when one says, “I am a reasonable person.” It
is a very unwarranted and unreasonable claim.
563. If one has love, he need not be concerned about having wisdom.
564. Bitterness is so established in the heart that only the death
of the host will eradicate it.
565. Unbelief requires and gives explanation; faith needs and
gives none.
566. As jackals and hyenas linger in the background for a safe
time to attack and feed, so false accusers keep hidden their faces
for fear of exposure and defeat.
567. When content to be what it is, a blade of grass is as the
tallest tree, but the tallest tree, when discontented with its
lot, is less than a blade of grass.
568. All good hopes will be fulfilled for the faithful, but vain
hopes are not worth keeping.
569. It is not wrong to be wrong if the Lord so wills, but it
is wrong to regret being wrong if being wrong was the will of God.
570. "How does one without
wisdom know to recognize one with wisdom? Are these things not
in the hand of God?"
571. In vain does a man labor to be right, for there is only one
right, even God.
572. Sinners are contradictions of light, being children of darkness.
573. Though surrounded by darkness, the light penetrates it and
cannot be stopped, but darkness can never penetrate the light and
must give place without fail.
574. A son of the flesh is a gift but a son of the Spirit is a
miracle.
575. Both destroyer and destroyed
are God’s, as are those
spared.
576. Many profess righteousness, but the righteous shall seek
them out and prove them.
577. God’s wrath is against
all pretenders, more so than against the ungodly that do not
pretend.
578. To them, the wicked speak for God, and the righteous
speak against Him.
579. Fruit tells the kind of tree,
and speech is the fruit of the heart, but, in speaking, the wicked
and unbelieving say, “You
cannot know our hearts.”
580. Day after day, the Lord is merciful and longsuffering; thus
the wicked press on, thinking to be immune to judgment.
581. Why men eat themselves is a mystery, yet the greater mystery
is why God has mercy on them.
582. The blind man insists that things cannot be seen, not considering
that some have eyes to see.
583. Both music and clatter are one to the deaf man.
584. A debate among the wicked tends to error and war, but among
the righteous to truth and peace.
585. Goodness and unity are the state of the believing, but the
wicked are subject to pride, strife and sorrow.
586. There is no life in the mouth of the wicked, but a river
of health flows from the heart of the righteous.
587. A fool is confident in himself until a wise man comes to
prove him.
588. A wise man thinks to have all answers until a fool comes
to improve him.
589. The soul that lives right is not afraid to die; to him death
is the eve of honor and glory.
590. As overworked dough yields a tough bread, so striving about
good matters makes them less palatable.
591. The righteous are granted to rest on their couches, but sinners
that scorn must be left to toss and turn in their deathbeds.
592. Sinners love their sin, so they fight to keep it.
593. There are two news – those
things new in themselves, and those new to the partaking of them.
594. A new thing, even if it does not change, ceases to be new.
595. How the fool craves destruction, as though it were very life,
and despises good, as though it were evil.
596. The fool despises that which he lacks, and the wise man craves
more of what he has.
597. Ten thousand disagree with one another, yet think they are
all right because there are many of them. Then comes the one telling
them they are all wrong, and they condemn him because he stands
alone.
598. Snow and cold can come unseasonably and so can troubles and
unpleasantries.
599. As a beast finds its way by instinct, so creation knows the
end of its groaning approaches.
600. The One alone Who can do the impossible conceals Himself
behind possibilities.
601. The righteous hold up a mirror to the wicked, who are certain
it is clear glass.
602. A fool dares not look in a mirror, lest he should recognize
himself.
603. As a blind man who says, “I do not see it, therefore
it does not exist,” or a deaf man who says, “I do not
hear it, therefore there is no sound,” so the fool scorns
what is right and true.
604. The fool stands on a straight
path leading directly to the destination and says, “Surely,
there must be another way. I shall find it.”
605. Those
who will not submit to their true authority forfeit their right
of authority to those entrusted to them.
606. It is not so much what one does but how one does it.
607. Peace with all of creation comes when we cease worship of
any creature and begin to worship the Maker of all things.
608. Man, in the harness of his heart, pities the flesh and the
sinner, but God, in His tender mercies, does not spare.
609. The time of the end is now here. A new day dawns, and who
will be here to greet it?
610. There are those who ask themselves what Jesus would do, but
I have learned that men can make Jesus do anything.
611. As one needs the negative and the positive to create electricity,
so we need both the infirmities of the first Adam and the virtue
of the Last Adam to
have power with God.
612. If we so honor the One Who is All Wise and forsake one wise
only in his own eyes, we shall do well.
613. Proud pretenders of piety presume to please God, thinking
their words are of acceptable service to him.
614. There is a hate that loves and a love that hates; both are concealed from
the wicked.
615. This is a day in which men go to great pains to save a beached
whale or oil-soaked bird but do not think twice to kill a helpless
fellow human.
616. Many are they that take God’s
Name and promote It to lift themselves up, but who will lift
them when they fall?
617. The earth is full of people with needs of every kind; the
only need of the sons of God is to meet those needs in due time.
618. The wise and understanding know that all things belong to
God.
619. How good it is to have faithful friends that care for one
another as themselves.
620. Though he is affable, the covetous man disregards his neighbor.
621. The more choices one has, the less he is disposed
to make the better one. Does this not tell that faith in God is
the answer?
623. Denying the need for his participation, the evolutionist
presumes to let time take the kitchen ingredients and form his
meal.
624. We have heard the news that evil comes and are not afraid,
if we regard the One Who rules all things.
625. Silently, men work their works and gather their harvests,
hoping to keep and enjoy them, not knowing they gather for others.
626. Sound the trumpet and the
alarm; prepare and brace yourselves, inhabitants of the land,
but if you do not have your Maker’s
favor, the warning is in vain.
627. Do you desire your Maker’s
favor? Keep His commandments and look to Him for counsel and
direction; He will honor those
who honor Him.
628. There are those who measure the righteousness of others by
their own, not considering that their judgment is corrupt.
629. The more one hears, the more one has to say, not in quantity
but in quality.
630. Many desire the goods, but few are willing to pay the price.
631. Those who live in fear suffer and die continuously, but
those who trust the Lord never die.
632. Whether one gives carrion or caviar to the swine, it is all
the same to them.
633. The wicked choose to reject the good and therefore cannot
be persuaded to it.
634. Can you drag clouds down
from the sky with your hands? So it is with speaking truth to
a fool; a wise man’s counsel
is wasted on him.
635. There is a great and difficult time when hopes are deferred,
losses and failures are suffered, and fears are continually realized,
but then come goodness and peace for those who, in faith, endure
to the end.
636. There is no man who can say, “I have done great things
by my own power, wisdom and virtue.” He who praises himself
has deceived himself and will soon be enlightened.
637. A self-made man is a cheap imitation and a poor excuse
for a God-made man.
638. With brazen temper, the enemy approaches, confident of vanquishing
his quarry, little knowing there is One mightier than he.
639. They err that judge after the appearance, but those who trust
in the Living, yet Unseen, One flourish and prosper.
640. What a privilege and thrill it is to serve the Almighty,
Living God, Whose are all authority and power!
641. The closer one walks with God, the farther he will be from
man.
642. One should look to where he came from, and not to what has
come from him.
643. If a brother offended is harder to win than a walled city,
how much more the hypocrite and the fool!
644. Let the docile and friendly fool rule and there will be no
peace or mercy.
645. The righteous strive to speak the truth, but only God can
make it known.
646. Look for the little boy or
girl in a man or woman, and if you can’t find it, be careful;
pretension is not there for good.
647. When Christ comes, the world abhors Him as antiChrist; when
antiChrist comes, it adores him and receives him as Christ.
648. The righteous are established and nothing will prevail over
them though they be moved, but the wicked will be taken away in
their confidence.
649. The wicked are bold and brash in their greatness, not considering
there is One greater.
650. He who trusts in his own strength is weak indeed.
651. Display your righteousness before the deceived, wicked fool,
but know that as the sun rises in the morning, so the light comes
to dispel the cover of darkness.
652. Those that choose to lie continue in lies, having deceived
themselves.
653. One who does not care for his neighbor does not care for
himself, and those who do not feed will go hungry.
654. The wicked will not investigate a matter for fear of his
heart being exposed, but the righteous are eager to bring all things
to light.
655. Blasphemy beats in the heart of a fool and courses through
his veins; he treasures it as his lifeblood.
656. To do good is sufficient reward for the righteous; his pay
comes as he works and he need not wait for it.
657. Though an evil eye be plucked out, it continues to see good
as evil and evil as good.
658. An ungodly witness prevails for a little while, then is gone
and forgotten, but a true and faithful witness will preside over
the outcome.
659. Abiding peace and joy are to the faithful, but to the indoctrinated
are superficial hope and a fearful expectation.
660. Spare the rod and spoil the child; spare the spoil and increase
the need for the rod. Does not God use both good and evil for His
purposes?
661. A quiet rebuke is louder than railing, satisfying the need
of the one rebuked, and not of the one rebuking.
662. With faith, all things are possible; without it, much is
of little worth.
663. Commend a good man for good deeds and he will be encouraged
to more. Encourage a wicked doer to a good deed and he will despise
both the encouragement and you.
664. Sorrow for unrighteousness corrects the soul, but sorrow
for consequence tends to more unrighteousness.
665. If man’s words can so move men as to kill their fellows
and conquer empires, how much more can God’s Words overcome
the world and give life to all?
666. Murder and violence rule
in men’s hearts; in vain do
they attempt to be good in their own strength.
667. Man’s goodness is abomination in God’s sight
and God’s goodness is abomination to man.
668. The world is upside down and inside out, but messengers of
God come to make all things right.
669. With wanton eyes and arrogant
mouths, they all cry, “Peace,
peace,” thinking to receive it by flatteries; suddenly
their lips are torn from their faces, their tongues drop in
their mouths,
their eyes rot in their sockets, and their necks are broken.
670. How long will God restrain Himself? No longer; it is time.
671. As the fear of God increases, the fear of man decreases.
672. To see the glory of God is in itself the glory of God.
673. Cursed is the one who reneges on an agreement on the basis
of a technicality.
674. Cursed is the one who absolves a proven criminal on the basis
of a technicality.
675. Cursed is he who deceives his neighbor that he may enrich
himself.
676. Cursed is the one who justifies the wicked and vilifies the
innocent.
677. The liar and the false witness are sisters to the murderer.
678. As vinegar to a plant, so is false doctrine in the Name of
God to simple ears.
679. As a little vinegar to milk, so is a little error to truth.
680. Without rain in season in our hearts, the seed of the Word
of God will not germinate, sprout and grow. Without dryness, it
will not bear fruit and be harvested.
681. Lies, in any circumstances, are as a malfunction in the operation
of a motor, and must be identified and addressed to continue on
in efficiency and peace.
682. Lies are as thistles in a garden and must be removed for
beauty and fruitfulness to prevail.
683. Vain are the imaginations of fools who proclaim God for their
purposes. The more they use His Name, the greater will be their
fall.
684. The louder men proclaim the Name of God for themselves, the
more people will see their humiliation in the end.
685. Fear of man brings a snare, but fear of God delivers a soul.
686. Many hear but do not do. They gather knowledge as grain and
keep it in granaries to display their possessions. So it remains
useless if not consumed, distributed, or planted.
687. One who thinks he is wise is a fool, and one who knows he
is a fool has entered the gate to wisdom.
688. I would not have seen a certain weed had I not seen another
near it. Then I saw it and dug it up by the roots. Whether other
weeds
are similar or dissimilar, it does not matter; one will be discovered
near the company he keeps.
689. Some weeds will return if not completely rooted out.
690. A weed may hide in a lawn until it flowers; it is most conspicuous
and endangered when its glory appears.
691. Weeds may escape the gaze of the weeder today or tomorrow,
but there is always another day for the weeder to do his job.
692. Small weeds are much easier to deal with; though seemingly
insignificant, they soon grow to be difficult.
693. He who believes and obeys God shall in due time eat honey
from the carcasses of his enemies.
694. Temperance is the key to prevention of many ills. Many perish
by too much as by too little. Surely greed, fear and lust are powerful
in their work of destruction.
695. Who is hasty in word at the cost of another? He is no better
than a thief, liar or murderer.
696. Will God excuse all sin because He has forgiven? Unless the
forgiven walks in faithfulness thereafter, he will be turned back
to his vomit and wallowing in the mire.
697. He who expects a harvest at time of sowing will fail in his
endeavors.
698. Which is better – to
err and correct, if possible to correct, or to do right in the
beginning?
699. If
you don’t have time to do it right, how will you possibly
have time to do it wrong?
700. Many are those who love deceitful mammon above God and do
not know it, but those who love the God of Truth rejoice in knowledge.
701. The environment witnesses and records all things for the
discerning and thoughtful investigator to discover.
702. Error to correction to perfection: that is the sum of the
purpose of the vanity of this world for man.
703. The foolishness and ignorance of the wicked is manifest to
all when they scoff and mock what is holy and true.
704. I’m
not afraid of vicious, barking dogs; I shoot them with the gun
of the Lord, which is my pen, and with bullets of truth
that no armor can withstand. They may drop dead immediately,
or scream and howl in anger and pain, even for a long time, or
they
may quietly crawl away, but they die all the same. I seize
the property of their master, Beelzebub, who trains and sends
them
against me. His time is up.
705. Each creature has its appointed station and time, whether
for good or for evil; God appoints all.
706. To confess Jesus Christ as Lord is to acknowledge Him as
supremely sovereign at all times over all things, both good and
evil.
707. A little wisdom does much good, and a little folly much harm.
708. As the mutants in I Am Legend, so the world is crazed
in the disease of religion, and cannot but despise the Antidote.
709. An evil man with much knowledge is as a hurricane of destruction,
but a little knowledge from a good man is as a breath of fresh
air.
710. Fools eat their fingers while they feed.
711. “I am unrighteous! I am unrighteous!” declares
the unbeliever, deeming himself justified by the confession,
but he will not obey.
712. Without a single eye, how great is the darkness, and the
less one sees, the more he presumes to see.
713. Righteousness will prevail so as to move the enemy to awe.
714. The simple will believe right words of a liar before believing
his fruits.
715. True words carry great force but how many live up to them?
716. The one thing man needs most he also hates most, and that
is to hear the truth about himself.
717. A close friend has the potential of being a most formidable
enemy and vice versa.
718. The more patient one is, the sooner will he receive his desire,
and the better the results.
719. Better to do nothing with thankfulness than to be able to
do everything with faith.
720. There was a time when it didn't matter what I did, I couldn't
win. Now no matter what I do, I can't lose.
721. There are those who suffer
for righteousness’ sake
and reap reward, and there are those who suffer for their own righteousness’ sake
and are punished.
722. No matter how obedient a dog may be, how well groomed, how
many tricks it may perform, or how many awards it may have won,
when left to its own desire it will perform according to its nature
without pang of conscience. So it is with the religious.
723. There is no division of darkness until the light comes.
724. The heathen perish with every move they make, every word
they speak, and every breath they take. Their eyes see but they
see nothing, their ears hear but they hear nothing; they do not
understand that they comprehend nothing. Though they have knowledge,
they do not know what to do with it.
725. As a worm in an apple, so the fool enters knowledge and leaves
the better part behind.
726. As a beast with a book, so is a fool with knowledge. Wisdom
and understanding are far from him.
727. How will strangers and visitors hear in a household and
from whom will they learn if not from the preacher of the house?
And why are they there if not to hear and to learn?
728. Those who taste knowledge will have an appetite for
more, but the fool despises instruction.
729. A stranger comes to teach and to learn, whether he be a wise
man or a fool.
730. A wise man will learn from a fool though a fool has little
to give, and a fool will receive little though a wise man has
much to give.
731. Symmetry is two or more witnesses declaring and giving glory
to the Creator.
732. What is waste, if not a fool who will not listen
and learn?
733. One that heeds evil counsel destroys that which he possesses.
734. When goodness wields an axe, shelter, food and comfort are
provided; when evil takes hold, homes are destroyed with those
in them.
735. Harsh words do much evil and kind words much good, yet it
is up to the hearer to decide.
736. As Rechab and Baanah, so many presume to do good and please
the King of all the earth, but they only serve to anger Him and
incur His wrath.
737. A righteous man sees his own faults as well as those of others,
but the proud speak of their own virtues.
738. Wise men have much to learn, but fools are full and satisfied.
739. Excess in anything good becomes a burden and a lack; those
who are temperate will be satisfied presently.
740. How much is much and how soon is soon? What is too little
and too late? Are not all these things relative to one another?
741. Is it good for a man to leave earthly wealth behind for a
foolish heir? But if he gives wisdom and nothing else, his son
will do well.
742. Children of the lost perish, not knowing it, and those not
knowing evil do not appreciate the good they have.
743. Fortunate is the one who, having learned obedience through
suffering and sorrow, enters into rest and peace.
744. The wicked frets at the righteous and takes pleasure in his
hurt, but the righteous is set only on doing his enemy good.
745. How can one hold water in
a sieve, and how shall a fool’s
ears retain wise words?
746. A wise man will receive rebuke but even approval is wasted
on a fool.
747. Trials and tribulations are ministers of God to bring precious
gifts of patience and wisdom. Having delivered their gifts, they
depart.
748. The Lord takes a wasted life, makes it new, abundantly fruitful,
and the waste is forgotten.
749. A missile lacks the strength to hit the mark if fired directly
at a distant target. So direct words spoken to a heart far from
Truth are wasted.
750. A wayward heart is as a moving target but the Lord knows
how to aim His Words.
