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Speaker 1: You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible. I'm John Stangey,
Speaker 1: and today we're in Proverbs chapter eighteen, and we'll be
Speaker 1: reading from the New English translation. One who has isolated
Speaker 1: himself seeks his own desires. He rejects all sound judgment.
Speaker 1: A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in
Speaker 1: disclosing what is on his mind. When a wicked person arrives,
Speaker 1: contempt shows up with him, and with shame comes a reproach.
Speaker 1: The words of a person's mouth are like deep waters,
Speaker 1: and the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
Speaker 1: It is terrible to show partiality to the wicked by
Speaker 1: deprived a righteous man of justice. The lips of a
Speaker 1: fool enter into strife, and his mouth invites a flogging.
Speaker 1: The mouth of a fool is his ruin, and his
Speaker 1: lips are a snare for his life. The words of
Speaker 1: a gossip are like choice morsels. They go down into
Speaker 1: the person's innermost being. The one who is slack in
Speaker 1: his work is a brother to one who destroys the
Speaker 1: name of the lord is like a strong tower. The
Speaker 1: righteous person runs to it and is set safely on high.
Speaker 1: The wealth of a rich person is like a strong city,
Speaker 1: and it is like a high wall in his imagination
Speaker 1: before destruction. The heart of a person is proud, but
Speaker 1: humility comes before honor. The one who gives an answer
Speaker 1: before he listens, that is his folly and his shame.
Speaker 1: A person's spirit sustains him through sickness, But who can
Speaker 1: bear a crushed spirit? The discerning person acquires knowledge, and
Speaker 1: the wise person seeks knowledge. A person's gift makes room
Speaker 1: for him and leads him before important people. The first
Speaker 1: to state his case seems right until his opponent begins
Speaker 1: to cross examine him. The toss of a coin ends
Speaker 1: disputes and settles the issue between strong opponents. A relative
Speaker 1: offended is harder to reach than a strong city, and
Speaker 1: disputes are like the barred gates of a fortified citadel.
Speaker 1: From the fruit of a person's mouth, his stomach is
Speaker 1: satisfied with the product of his lips, is he satisfied.
Speaker 1: Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
Speaker 1: and those who love its use will eat its fruit.
Speaker 1: One who finds a wife finds what is enjoyable and
Speaker 1: receives a pleasurable gift from the Lord. A poor person
Speaker 1: makes supplications, but a rich man answers harshly. A person
Speaker 1: who has friends may be harmed by them, but there
Speaker 1: is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Let's pray, Lord,
Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you
Speaker 1: for the privilege to be able to look at this
Speaker 1: portion of your scripture today. And Lord, we're grateful for
Speaker 1: the wisdom that we receive from looking at the Book
Speaker 1: of Proverbs. And Lord, one of the things that you
Speaker 1: communicate in this passage is the necessity of a person
Speaker 1: being teachable. Lord, we know that when we're not teachable,
Speaker 1: we invite folly into our lives, and we experience unnecessary
Speaker 1: pain because we refuse to listen. Lord, we pray that
Speaker 1: you would make us people who are adept at listening
Speaker 1: to your counsel. We know, Lord, that through faith in
Speaker 1: your son Jesus Christ, we have the Holy Spirit as
Speaker 1: our counselor. And likewise, Lord, when we read your word,
Speaker 1: you give us the ability to understand it. So Lord,
Speaker 1: we pray that we would be men and women who
Speaker 1: listen to your counsel, who follow you and who allow
Speaker 1: you to direct our lives so that we aren't relying
Speaker 1: on our own counsel and then inviting folly into our
Speaker 1: experience on this earth. Lord, thank you for your presence
Speaker 1: with us today, Thank you for your love, and thank
Speaker 1: you for your guidance in all matters and in all areas.
Speaker 1: We commit this day to your care, and we pray
Speaker 1: this all in Jesus' name, Amen,