# 13 2023 Dev. Prov.12:14. Walk Your Talk! Read all of chapter twelve first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story! Do you believe that this is also our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Proverbs 12:14 “From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.”
Proverbs 12 consists of 28 couplets of opposing ways of living, right verses wrong, by God’s standard. All verses are in opposition to each other except verse 14 in the middle of the Psalm and verse 28 at the end of the psalm.
Vs.1-9 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge…” The psalmist begins with what is most despised today, people are wise in their own eyes, no correction is tolerated. “A person is praised according to their prudence…”
Vs.10-13 “The righteous care for the needs of their animals…They work their land… the wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers…evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk, and so the innocent escape trouble.”
V. 14 stands alone in the middle of the Psalm. It covers the way we talk, the things we say to each other and to others. From the lips of the righteous “people are filled with good things,” The psalmist goes on to “the work of their hands brings them reward” what we do with the blessings God has given us for ourselves and to help others. God calls us to be a blessing!
Vs.15-20 Here the psalmist seems to start again from the beginning. “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” These verses speak of prudence, honesty, reckless words, truthful lips, deceit, “but those who promote peace have joy.”
Vs.21-27 “No harm overtakes the righteous… the Lord detests lying lips… the prudent keep their knowledge to themselves… diligent hands will rule… anxiety weighs down the heart… the righteous choose their friends carefully… The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.” Righteousness and prudence are our friends!
V.28 stands alone, “in the way of righteousness there is life…” Righteousness in this life has it’s reward, Peace, good relationships, the joy of life, the blessings of family, the blessings of work, and the approval of God. But it does not end in this life, it leads us in the “path that is immortality.” Eternal life! Praise be to God!
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