On staying close to God Proverbs 16: 1-7
Be at one with the Lord. How you might ask? Simple, just follow
his commandments. To love the Lord Thy God with all your heart, mind, and
spirit and to love your neighbor as yourself. There is much self-righteous
behavior in the world, much praise, and worship for Him, but how many truly
follow the commandments? The test of faith is to follow the commandments, not
the outward signs of piety and praise. Make heaven your objective and follow
His commandments, and you will be at peace with Him.
Do not depart from the commandments. They are the true source of righteous living. We may not be perfect, we are after all human beings and not angels. To fall is not to fail. Wake up every day, carry your cross and seek the Lord's mercy.
Rembrandt - Jacob wrestles with in angel Gen 32: 22-32
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On balanced scales Proverbs 16:8-17
The higher up we go in society, the more we need to seek righteousness. A King's position is established by God. In today’s society, anyone with considerable influence and wealth can be considered Kingly. If evil permeates his or her mind, oh how great that evil will be due to the tools available to them. Authority and wealth are gifts from God. There will be an accounting for how those gifts were used. The more gifted one is the more the expectation. Remember the parable of the minas or talents. Be careful what you wish for, it normally comes with considerable responsibilities and judgment at the end of days.
Bloch - Transfiguration Mark 9: 2-13
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On pride and wisdom Proverbs 16: 18-25
Pride comes before a fall. The proud see themselves as being more
than human, consigning the rest of us to the dirt. God hates the proud because
they act as if they are not His creation. If you treat a fellow human being
like an animal, do you not become an animal yourself? It is not possible to be
proud and follow the commandments, you simply become modern-day Pharisees, who
have a high sense of self, but stink to high heaven with their
self-righteousness. The parable of the Pharisee and the publican brings this
out clearly.
The wise are blessed with a treasure trove of wisdom. Gentle
persuasive words, wise sayings at the right time, admirable humility, and work
ethic; the list goes on and on. Just follow and always reflect on the
commandments.
On the poor Proverbs 16:26
Some say poverty is a curse. Don’t you know that it could be the
Lord’s mercy on you? For if you had too much, you might forget him. Why does
faith abound with the poor? Because they see his hand every day as their needs
are met. Don’t disdain the poor. Our lord loves them and asks that you join in
his mission to alleviate their pain and obtain entrance to heaven at the end.
Carl Bloch - Christ on the cross Matt 27:32-56
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On perversion and evil Proverbs 16:27-33
Out of the mouth of the wicked come words of violence and
perversion. You will know the measure of a man by his thoughts, words, and
actions.
Hunger drives you to succeed. For a poor person, it is a constant
reminder of the need for hard work. The wicked pay no thought to what they say,
or how they say it; all that matters is their interest, regardless of its
effect on those around them. Violence is a trait that is well-admired in
today’s society. Just look at the movies that gross the highest numbers.
Violence is almost revered like a god; a quality that is looked up to. Stay
away from violent people, the violence may rub off onto you, to your eternal
detriment. We have continuously spoken about the importance of keeping your
mouth shut, however, it should be wide open in the face of injustice. You will
not be forgiven easily for allowing evil to happen while you kept quiet.
He who is wise and blessed is he who can control both his spirit and anger; such a person is like a great King. It is a difficult thing to master, but a necessity if you are going to succeed in life. Do not give in to your body's passions, such as anger, gluttony, drunkenness, and so on. Everything is in moderation and where possible simply avoid it.
On life and conduct Proverbs 17:1-9
Do you pursue wisdom, then understand that she is obtained through
constant practice. The decision to follow the commandments is not easy, and you
will inevitably fail. But, our Lord is merciful, He sees the heart. Keep at it,
we are human and inevitably driven to folly. Trust in the Lord's mercy and wake
up again and again. At the end of time, you will receive your just reward.
"Greed is good " is what I remember from the movie
called “Wallstreet”. Never make gain from the misery of others. It will not be
ignored. Unscrupulous Wall Street traders and their ilk, drug dealers, human
traffickers; anyone that thrives on the miseries of others, and so on; tread
carefully. Do you think that wisdom forgets the homeless, the conned, the drug
dependent, the parents of the trafficked, and so on? Yes, enjoy your opulence
today but the curse will come, in this world or the one that awaits you. It
will come, and I can put good money on that! How dare you exploit your fellow
human being and imagine that you will not be properly punished! Don’t be
foolish; desist from this day forth!
Watch your friends wisely. If their behavior is not in conformity with wisdom, tell them. If it persists, walk away. They have decided for you. The respect they may have had for you in the past, is of no consequence today since they refuse to heed wisdom. Sever things because in time you risk being pulled into their folly. Keep your doors open to them, for the Lord, is merciful to you and so should you be to others. But pride normally will have crept in for them, and they are unlikely to choose reconciliation.
On folly and idiocy Proverbs 17:10-15
Be wary of folly and idiocy. It exists everywhere but you must see
it and walk away. You will be mocked for right thinking, but it is the way
demanded by wisdom.
There are many things that wisdom hates, but injustice truly tops
the scale. To take away your neighbor's rights, or to support injustice meted
out on your neighbor is a deplorable thing. I am very proud of how Americans
have reacted to the deplorable treatment of black people, and people of race in
their country. Americans have reacted with a display of righteous indignation
against the treatment of their neighbour. Truly, the conscience of America is
awake, and they are an example to the whole world on the meaning of justice for
a neighbour.
Bourdon Sebastian - Burning Bush Exodus 3:1-6
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On Wealth and wisdom Proverbs 17:16
The presence of wealth does not denote the presence of wisdom. There are many foolish rich men and many wise poor men. It's just the nature of life. The Americans gave us President Obama, then afterwards President Trump. The two are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and President Obama is probably poorer in comparison. I won’t tell you who I think is wiser ☺
On Friends Proverbs 17:17
Brothers are born to fight for each other. It’s a well-known idea,
to never come in-between family squabbles. While they may fight each other,
they generally close ranks against the outside world. Whether right or wrong,
family members will generally stick together.
On Wisdom and Poverty Proverbs 17:18-28
Don’t be coaxed into giving a personal surety for anyone. Why
guarantee a debt whose benefit you will never enjoy? Don’t be cheated. Violence
is not for those born of women. Stay away from any advocate or lover of
violence. Bring down the walls of pride and instead, instill humility and neighborliness
in your heart.
We don’t have the same genes, some are naturally clever, others
less so. But this notwithstanding all can be taught the two great commandments
and reduce folly. You should instruct all children and adults alike in a love
of neighbor and God. The best way is to display the same principles, in word
and action and thus teach by example.
At all times exercise the Cardinal
Virtues are Prudence,
Temperance, Fortitude, and Justice. Add to these the Theological Virtues of Faith Hope and Charity as a temper to Pride and Arrogance.
Click on each for a better exposition.
Enjoy!