Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 19:1 New King James

¹ Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

The writer of Proverbs again emphasizes the importance and the power of that which is spoken. Chapter 19:1, in a literal translation, reads “Good, better or best is one in poverty who is upright in conduct and speech than anyone whether rich or poor who declares lies with his lips and is a fool because of his speech.”

A person who speaks a threat against the President is subject to arrest and prosecution. It seems as if the writer of Proverbs would agree with this. Crooked speech may not precede bad conduct, but most often the person with crooked speech will have bad conduct.

As in Psalm 1:1 the Biblical estimation of the upright, (whether in speech or conduct), is that this is the best for that person no matter what his material condition might be.

“Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;”

Wealth is not always good while upright conduct or wisdom can always be commended.