Proverbs 16

Read Proverbs 16

Not every impulse of our hearts is from the Holy Spirit. “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.” The plans we come up with need testing, and we need discernment. More than anything, we need the mind of Christ, which is a heart of wisdom.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:16, “We have the mind of Christ.” That “we” tells us that every individual in the Lord's family need not be alone in his walk with the Lord. We can have godly companions who will help us to understand the difference between our flesh and the Spirit of Christ that dwells within all who are born from above.

We need to beware of the spiritual arrogance that insists that we alone have the right answer on everything. “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord.” Pride is not a fruit of the Spirit. The Lord hates it. Christ atoned for our stubborn hearts. With His patient love, He is using the communion of saints to teach us to listen to one another.

Godly friends remind us what our renewed hearts really do desire. We want Jesus Christ. Wealth and fame are very poor substitutes for Jesus. The Son of God will establish our steps. He is our righteous King and a friend of sinners. We have found life in the light of His face. “His favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.”

“How much better to get wisdom than gold!” Every day we need to give thought to the Word of God. It is the only way for us to discover good sense. It is the way that our Savior leads us to refreshing waters. “Whoever gives thought to the Word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”

We can look for the fruit of His love in our lives every day. Will our hearts be patient? Will our words reflect the grace that we have received from the Lord? Or will we just fall into an old rut, an arrogant way of thinking and speaking that seems right to our flesh? “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” The Lord's grace will bring us more life. We will pray for each other, and the body of Christ will make real progress in discovering better patterns of holy living. Jesus will win. His powerful death and His glorious resurrection were not in vain. We have been given a gift. We have the mind of Christ.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, bring Your help now to those who call upon Your Name. Grant us steadfast love and faithfulness, and lead us in turning away from evil. Enticing greed is so dangerous for us. We must not go down that road. Keep us far away from those things that are dangerous for our souls. We trust in You, for You have granted us eternal life. Your words are gracious, and Your way is the way of life. Teach us not to listen to words that will not be good for our lives. Teach us the wisdom of common endeavor with godly companions.