Daily Bread for Jul 21, Pro 24-26

Today’s readings are Pro 24-26.

Reading these Proverbs, credited to Solomon, reveals something intensely personal about him.

At first, they seem to be a collection of wise but unrelated sayings, each of them standing well on its own. Taken collectively and depending on when they were written, they may well be life lessons, Solomon has learned or is learning about his own impulsive passions, how he relates to those around him, the power of his tongue and the heady influence of his position.

Read these chapters as if a father is telling his son, "Don't make the same mistakes I have made." A particularly revealing verse may be,

Pro 26:12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 

Solomon may be in the process of self-examination. It may be dawning on him that he has fallen short of the calling God has placed upon him. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Regardless of Solomon's motivation for writing these particular Proverbs, they add to the growing list of godly litmus tests for our relationships, our heart attitudes, our behavior, and our tongues.