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Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com.
Speaker 1: You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible. I'm John Stangey,
Speaker 1: and today we're in Proverbs chapter twenty, and we'll be
Speaker 1: reading from the contemporary English version. It isn't smart to
Speaker 1: get drunk. Drinking makes a fool of you and leads
Speaker 1: to fights. An angry ruler is like a roaring lion.
Speaker 1: Make either one angry and you are dead. It makes
Speaker 1: you look good when you avoid a fight. Only fools
Speaker 1: love to quarrel. If you are too lazy to plow,
Speaker 1: don't expect a harvest. Someone's thoughts may be as deep
Speaker 1: as the ocean, but if you are smart, you will
Speaker 1: discover them. There are many who say, if you can
Speaker 1: trust me, but can they be trusted? Good people live right,
Speaker 1: and God blesses the children who follow their example. When
Speaker 1: rulers decide cases, they weigh the evidence. Can any of
Speaker 1: us really say, my thoughts are pure and my sins
Speaker 1: are gone? Two things the Lord hates are dishonest scales
Speaker 1: and dishonest measures. The good or bad that children do
Speaker 1: shows what they are like hearing and seeing are gifts
Speaker 1: from the Lord. If you sleep all the time, you
Speaker 1: will starve. If you get up and work, you will
Speaker 1: have enough food. Everyone likes to brag about getting a bargain.
Speaker 1: Sensible words are better than gold or jewels. You deserve
Speaker 1: to lose your coat if you loan it to someone
Speaker 1: to guarantee payment for the debt of a stranger. The
Speaker 1: food you get by cheating may taste delicious, but it
Speaker 1: turns to gravel. Be sure you have sound advice before
Speaker 1: making plans or starting a war. Stay away from gossips.
Speaker 1: They tell everything. Children who curse their parents will go
Speaker 1: to the land of darkness long before their time. Getting
Speaker 1: rich quick may turn out to be a curse. Don't
Speaker 1: try to get even. Trust the Lord and he will
Speaker 1: help you. The Lord hates dishonest scales and dishonest waits,
Speaker 1: so don't cheat. How can we know what will happen
Speaker 1: to us when the Lord alone decides. Don't fall into
Speaker 1: the trap of making promises to God before you think.
Speaker 1: A wise ruler severely punishes every criminal. Our inner thoughts
Speaker 1: are a lamp from the Lord, and they search our hearts.
Speaker 1: Rulers are protected by God's mercy and loyalty, but they
Speaker 1: must be merciful for their kingdoms to last. Young people
Speaker 1: take pride in their strength, but the gray hairs of
Speaker 1: wisdom are even more beautiful. A severe beating can knock
Speaker 1: all the evil out of you. Let's pray, Lord, thank
Speaker 1: you for your love and your goodness toward us, and
Speaker 1: for your desire to convey wisdom to us through your scriptures. Again, Lord,
Speaker 1: we know that ultimate wisdom is found through faith in
Speaker 1: your son Jesus Christ. And we want to be men
Speaker 1: and women who truly follow Jesus in all areas of
Speaker 1: our lives. And so Lord, we pray that that would
Speaker 1: come out in the ways in which we speak, in
Speaker 1: the honesty that we convey, and the way we treat
Speaker 1: each other, in the way we lead, in the ways
Speaker 1: we raise our children. We pray that all of these
Speaker 1: asked respects of our lives and our service would reflect
Speaker 1: our faith in your son Jesus Christ. And again, Lord,
Speaker 1: we're grateful for your presence with us today. We commit
Speaker 1: this day to yer care, and we pray this all
Speaker 1: in Jesus' name. Amen.