Chapter 14

Much of the time we look at the lives of those who live without God, and sometimes we may feel like we’re getting gypped.

After all, from our perspective, the wicked seem to do okay. Crime pays plenty, and living a faithful life often appears to be lurching from one bad situation to the next; it’s a hard life. And that’s not even considering the faithful people overseas who are actually persecuted for their faith.

Well, chapter 14 talks about this a bit. And a particular passage – v 12– is well known in this regard.

“There is a way that seems right to a man; but in the end it leads to death.”

Pardon the version here, but I memorized this passage as a kid!

The main thrust of many proverbs in this chapter is the consequences of our actions (yeah, I know that sentence should be taken out and shot; I can’t really see how to actually improve it!).

It starts with suggesting that one good reason for living right is that “an honest life shows respect for God; but a degenerate life is a slap in His face.”

And from there we have the usual selection of proverbs, with some being about the theme and others not. In amongst warnings agains foolish living, you also find discussions on the difference between winning and losing (Seriously!). Remember, this book is about wise living in EVERY circumstances, not just the “important” issues!

Okay, so here’s our challenge.

Do we know (or have a fair guess of) the consequences of our actions? If so, have we considered all the damage that this could do? Remember, there is a way that may seem good to you but which ends up being to our harm.