Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your
Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening
Speaker 1: to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge
Speaker 1: and today we're in Proverbs chapter 29 and we'll be
Speaker 1: reading from the New Living Translation. Whoever stubbornly refuses to
Speaker 1: accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery. When the
Speaker 1: godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the
Speaker 1: wicked are in power, they groan. The man who loves
Speaker 1: wisdom brings joy to his father, but if he hangs
Speaker 1: around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted. A just king
Speaker 1: gives stability to his nation, but one who demands bribes
Speaker 1: destroys it. To flatter friends is to lay a trap
Speaker 1: for their feet. Evil people are trapped by sin, but
Speaker 1: the righteous escape shouting for joy. The godly care about
Speaker 1: the rights of the poor. The wicked don't care at all.
Speaker 1: Mockers can get a whole town agitated, but the wise
Speaker 1: will calm anger. If a wise person takes a fool
Speaker 1: to court, there will be ranting and ridicule, but no satisfaction.
Speaker 1: The bloodthirsty hate blameless people, but the upright seek to
Speaker 1: help them. Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly
Speaker 1: hold it back. If a ruler pays attention to liars,
Speaker 1: all his advisors will be wicked. The poor and the
Speaker 1: oppressor have this in common. The Lord gives sight to
Speaker 1: the eyes of both. If a king judges the poor fairly,
Speaker 1: his throne will last forever. To discipline a child produces wisdom.
Speaker 1: but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. When
Speaker 1: the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes, but the godly
Speaker 1: will live to see their downfall. Discipline your children and
Speaker 1: they will give you peace of mind and will make
Speaker 1: your heart glad. When people do not accept divine guidance,
Speaker 1: they run wild, but whoever obeys the law is joyful.
Speaker 1: Words alone will not discipline a servant. The words may
Speaker 1: be understood, but they are not heeded. There is more
Speaker 1: hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.
Speaker 1: A servant pampered from childhood will become a rebel. An
Speaker 1: angry person starts fights. A hot-tempered person commits all kinds
Speaker 1: of sin. Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.
Speaker 1: If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself. You
Speaker 1: are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.
Speaker 1: Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord
Speaker 1: means safety. Many seek the ruler's favor, but justice comes
Speaker 1: from the Lord. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for
Speaker 1: your word, and we thank you for giving us insight
Speaker 1: and guidance into it through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord,
Speaker 1: you invite us to be righteous. You invite us to
Speaker 1: walk in holiness. You invite us to utilize your wisdom,
Speaker 1: but we know, Lord, that that can only ultimately be
Speaker 1: done as your Son, Jesus Christ, is present within our
Speaker 1: lives and within our hearts. So, Lord, we're grateful for
Speaker 1: the privilege to know you, to love you, to walk
Speaker 1: with you, And we pray, Lord, that as we read
Speaker 1: through your counsel and your wisdom that's given to us
Speaker 1: in your word, that we would apply it to our
Speaker 1: day-to-day lives. We love you, Lord, and we thank you
Speaker 1: for all these things. And we commit ourselves to you
Speaker 1: today and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.