Proverbs 24 – if you haven’t read my thoughts on the book of Proverbs yet, you’ll want to do so here. This isn’t a comprehensive look at each verse, but it is how God spoke to me through particular chapter of His Word at this particular chapter in my life. I encourage you to read the full chapter in your own Bible first so you can see how God wants to speak to you through this chapter, and so you don’t miss out on the verses I didn’t cover. I hope it can speak to you as well, and I hope you are encouraged to seek Him in His Word. And if you missed Proverbs 23, you should also check that out here. Otherwise, on to Proverbs 24!
24:6 – So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers (NLT). We should pick our battles wisely and surround ourselves with people who can give us wise advice. I think this can also apply to spiritual warfare. We are in a battle every day in that sense. We should seek out other believers who can speak into our lives, offer good advice, help us see our blind spots, and pray with us and for us. Prayer – God, show me who I can trust most. Bring wise people into my life to give me good counsel. Show me those already in my life who have wise counsel to give and help me nurture our relationship. Give me words to offer them wise counsel and speak life into them when they need it as well.
24:8-9 – A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker. The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker (NLT). I find it interesting that when a person plans evil, without carrying the act out, they will still be known as a troublemaker. The same goes with the fool, his schemes alone are sinful, regardless if he carries them out. This highlights for me the fact that God is always after our hearts, not our outward behavior. And when we turn our hearts away from scheming or entertaining fantasies of how we’d like to go about getting back at a person for something they did to us, and instead turn our hearts toward him, it will naturally start to impact every other part of our life for good. Prayer – God, show me when I am scheming for evil, even when I would never carry out those plans. Give me the strength to divert my thoughts and instead think on you and your Word. Help me direct my energy to cultivate good and life-giving plans.
24:10 – If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small (NLT). Prayer – God, keep me from failing or giving up when circumstances get difficult. Yet also show me how to boast in my weakness so that I can trust in your strength and not my own (2 Corinthians 12:9). 24:13-14 – My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste. In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short (NLT). This makes me think of Psalm 119:103 as well – How sweet your word is to my taste – sweeter than honey in my mouth (CSB). God’s Word is wisdom. The more we consume it, the sweeter it tastes to us. God’s Word refreshes us and breathes life into us. The more we read God’s Word, the more we find wisdom. Prayer – God I thank you for your life-giving Word. Let me find more and more joy in it every day as I read what you have written and preserved for me. Show me how to retain wisdom from its pages.
24:16 – The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked (NLT). I love this promise. It gives us strength and encouragement to keep getting back up when we mess up or when something goes wrong because we have this promise and know God will sustain us. Prayer – God, thank you for the strength to keep getting back up, even when I fail or when circumstances have pushed me down.
24:17-18 – Don’t gloat when your enemy falls, and don’t let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, or the Lord will see and be displeased, and turn his wrath away from him (CSB). Ohhhh ouch. I’ve done that. I’ve done that a lot. Prayer – God, I repent for gloating when people who have been mean to me or wronged me stumble. Teach me how to fully forgive them, even in my thoughts, so that I do not rejoice when I see something bad happen to them. Make me aware of when I am doing that so I can immediately repent.
24:26 – An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship (NLT). The Bible even gives friendship advice! When we are honest, we are cultivating friendship and relationship. Prayer – God, give me the courage to be honest, even when it might sting. Show me how to also speak honesty in love, as a way to build up my friend, and not tear them down.
24:27 – Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house (NLT). It is a good thing for us to plan and prepare – and to plan and prepare in the right order. Prayer – God, show me which steps to take first and which plans to make first. Thank you for your knowledge and wisdom to guide me.
24:30-34 – I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber (NLT). This small passage shows us that we can learn from others’ mistakes. We don’t have to learn everything the hard way, though sometimes it is a very good way to learn. But this verse gives me hope that if I keep my eyes open and really look at and think about what I am seeing, God will teach me things from others’ mistakes. It is also a good lesson to learn, that if we do not tend and cultivate our home, our relationships, our friendships, they will begin to disintegrate just like the natural world. Prayer – God, teach me lessons through watching others. Help keep me from being lazy and show me how to work hard and work well in my actual job as well as in my relationships. Teach me how to cultivate and not let my friendships go to waste around me because I was just too tired to spend time with someone.
Friend, I have prayed these same prayers over you today. I pray you will have wise counselors come into your life. I pray you will have the strength to keep turning to God, even when you fail. May you soak in God’s Word and fall more deeply in love with its wisdom each day.
Until next time,
– Just a girl pursuing her reflection in the mirror of God’s Word
Scripture quotations marked (CJB) are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, Copyright © 1998 and 2016 by David H. Stern. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (CSB) are taken from the Christian Standard Bible® Copyright© 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.