Bible Verses: Proverbs

This week we will continue to focus on Proverbs in the Bible Verses Series. Hopefully this study into Proverbs allows us to remember and apply some of these to our own lives. The prayer is for this study into Proverbs to open our hearts and our minds and allow the holy spirit to change us. I would love to hear from you regarding Proverbs or any other thought that comes to your mind or heart. I would encourage all of us to continue our reading into Proverbs and not to limit it to this brief study.Also I would challenge each reader to seek the meaning from God, to interpret the meaning from your own heart. I wanted to share my reflections, but they might not be your own, I think that is great! May each of us reflect from where we are in our walk with Christ. Without further adieu let us continue. . .


Proverbs 27

• "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring."
  
  I have heard this verse interpreted negatively many times. I think it can also be seen as a promise. Do not wait for tomorrow but rather hold onto each day. Seek Him now, act now, pray now. All of these things can be interpreted in this verse. I do not find that negative but rather a promising and comforting thought, that worry should not be our concern, we should live today and enjoy each moment. We should not delay in what God calls us to do or we might always be promising tomorrow.

• "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of a man reflects the man."

This verse reminds me that our actions are a reflection of who we are. How can someone know our hearts? By who we are. Who we seek. What we stand for. Every action can lead someone to interpret the quality of our hearts. This in mind we should strive to be transparent in our Faith. For Faith is within, but it is not an appearance. We cannot pretend to be someone we are not. Though we will all fail, may our failings be transparent as we seek to allow the holy spirit to change us.

• "Iron sharpens iron, as one man sharpens another."

This verse is very important for us as a community of believers. We should seek counsel from each other and allow others to give us instruction. I think pride is a struggle we all face which can stand in the way of the truth in this verse. We do not know it all when it comes to Faith and life. We should welcome rebuke of sin in our lives, advice, and counsel. This is still hard for me to grasp, but I see traces of the need for community integrity throughout the Bible. May God change my heart to fully accept rebuke of sin, advice, and counsel.

• "One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet."
  

The meaning in this verse is still a mystery to me. I believe it means that if you are full and you have abundance, it is difficult for you to appreciate the sweet parts of life that are perhaps found through suffering. Those with little see everything as sweet, this to me represents a transforming movement of the holy spirit within the heart. We can never be too full, we should always come empty before God, so that our vision and motivation will be so that we can appreciate all things and see through a new lens.

• "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses from an enemy."
  

I feel that this verse speaks again of rebuke and honesty of friendship. True friendship might wound your pride, it might wound your selfish ambition, but it will be honest and faithful. Whereas anyone can tell you what you want to hear and offer praises that boost your self esteem, a true friendship is valuable because it concerns itself with who God is, and how to build you up in Christ therefore defeating pride. May each of us seek a friendship that is perhaps brutally honest, one that will challenge our pride, one that will honor our King.