The Proverbs Challenge - Day 10

I looked ahead a little yesterday and today's chapter of Proverbs starts the collection of Solomon's sayings. In the first 9 chapters he's laid out the benefits of seeking wisdom.

Now we will have a lot of interesting and useful sayings to ponder (and to help us gain wisdom and practical advice. I'm anxious to see what verses you all choose to comment on.

The idea behind this challenge is for each of you to choose one or two verses (sometimes you have to have two to get the point) and then post a comment here as to why you chose that verse.

Did God show you something new? Were you challenged to do something different in life?

I'll post something once we get VBS started today.

I picked the last verse,

32 The lips of the righteous know what is appropriate, but the mouth of the wicked, [only] what is perverse

I noticed that many of the verses in this chapter have to do with what we say. The old childhood saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" isn't really true. In fact, I think it is usually said to try to take the sting out of words that have just been sent our way.

Along those same lines, James said this
Controlling the Tongue


1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment; 2 for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body. 3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. 4 And consider ships: though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part [of the body], it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our [bodies]; it pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every creature-animal or bird, reptile or fish-is tamed and has been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine [produce] figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.
 
My prayer for myself and for all of us in this Proverbs challenge is for us to allow the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts and our tongues. We can't control our tongues on our own!