1 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler;
whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
2 A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;
those who anger him forfeit their lives.
3 It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,
but every fool is quick to quarrel.
4 Sluggards do not plow in season;
so at harvest time they look but find nothing.
5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,
but one who has insight draws them out.
6 Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?
7 The righteous lead blameless lives;
blessed are their children after them.
8 When a king sits on his throne to judge,
he winnows out all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;
I am clean and without sin”?
10 Differing weights and differing measures—
the Lord detests them both.
11 Even small children are known by their actions,
so is their conduct really pure and upright?
12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the Lord has made them both.
13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;
stay awake and you will have food to spare.
14 “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
then goes off and boasts about the purchase.
15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.
17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,
but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.
18 Plans are established by seeking advice;
so if you wage war, obtain guidance.
19 A gossip betrays a confidence;
so avoid anyone who talks too much.
20 If someone curses their father or mother,
their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.
21 An inheritance claimed too soon
will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.
23 The Lord detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales do not please him.
24 A person’s steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand their own way?
25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly
and only later to consider one’s vows.
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them.
27 The human spirit is[a] the lamp of the Lord
that sheds light on one’s inmost being.
28 Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;
through love his throne is made secure.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
gray hair the splendor of the old.
30 Blows and wounds scrub away evil,
and beatings purge the inmost being.
The Proverbs offer us both practical and profound wisdom. Too often, we settle on the surface, reading these words as poetic couplets and not like the powerful, soul-strengthening, heart-enriching words of God crafted for you and me to become more like Him.
I know that language might make some of us uncomfortable. It’s easier to see the Proverbs like a business manual or a well-written instruction book with helpful anecdotes and good-sounding advice. But they are more profound than that. And that level of depth is calling out to you and me today.
Here’s a question I want you to answer honestly: when’s the last time you went deep?
This chapter tells us that “the spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.”
The word for Spirit in Hebrew means “breath.” It’s the same word used in Genesis 2 when “then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
So the Proverbs writer is saying that when we breathe—something we do without thinking—that the LORD is using our very breath like a lamp to search our innermost parts!
We are not meant to be surface dwellers. We are designed and intended for the deep, rich, and weighty things of God.
We see this earlier in chapter 20, where we read: “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”
You have a purpose. It’s not a conditional phrase, as if some men have purpose and others don’t. No, the text says, “the purpose in a man’s heart…” That means there’s purpose in you. In me. But did you see what that purpose is compared to? Deep water.
So how do you go deep? How do you find the diving board of your own heart and get below the surface?
You start by stopping. You embrace some silence, you get low and you look up.
None of those four things are natural or pragmatic according to the world. You will have to put up a fight if you want to go deep, but the reward for a man of faith is vast and eternal. As the writer says,
“Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?”
If you make the space, you’ll come to find that there’s more to explore with God.
God, You have created me on purpose and with purpose. You know me deeply, so please allow my heart to know You in the same manner. Take me deeper and grow my faith.
