The chapter begins by speaking to being a wise son which shows the importance of heeding the father’s instruction. Here’s Proverbs 13: 1, “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.”
Are you a wise son?
Father-son relationships are made to be special. If you didn’t have a good earthly father growing up, isn’t it wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father is perfect and always desiring to be close to us. That’s why God sent Jesus to bring us back to our Father.
God Himself, in human likeness and form, came down to be in relationship with us through His Son, whom we call Jesus.
Ok, back to Proverbs. After the opening verse, we move to speaking about our lips. “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.” Proverbs 13: 3
Our lips, such a small part of our bodies, has the ability to guard our life by what comes out of it! Certainly, a call to guarding our tongue and speaking life continues to be a repeated theme.
As we grow in the Lord, we discover that living righteously and hating what is false, will protect our lives too. A complete thought about that says, “The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.” Proverbs 13: 5
If you truly hate falsehood, it’s because you understand it brings shame and disgrace.
Shame and disgrace are the attributes that we have been set free from because of Jesus’s payment on the cross.
If we understand that He took all shame away, then why do we keep resurrecting it?
Yes, our sin was taken away, but so were shame and condemnation, as Jesus’ followers. When we come to Him in repentance and are truly sorry for what we have done, he (Satan) no longer has any legal right to torment us. (Selah)
If you are struggling with shame, and repeatedly being reminded or tormented of something that you did wrong, that you were sorry for, those thoughts come from the enemy, not from the Lord.
Satan always comes to accuse. Jesus comes to forgive.
When we live righteously, we shine forth God’s light brightly. The second part of that concept is, “…the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.” Proverbs 13: 9b
Our light in Christ will never be snuffed out as Christ-followers.
That’s why we need Jesus in our lives, so we are able to live right, (righteously). He is our anchor of hope.
Do you need hope today? Are you weary and feel that your hope has been deferred?
Keep looking to Jesus and let Him revive, refresh, and restore. He promises us that any longing we have is able to be fulfilled.
I think of the Garden of Eden and how mankind was planted among the trees, specifically, the “Tree of Life.” His desire was for our hearts and longings to be fulfilled because He’s a good, good father.
Let’s think about that!
God purposely planted us among that “Tree of Life,” to bring a fulfilled life in Him. But, Adam, man, messed it up.
Even in our mess-ups, God longs to fill and fulfill us. That’s why Jesus is called our “Anchor of Hope.”
The proverb alluding to that tree is, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13: 12
Here’s what happens when an awaited longing is fulfilled:
“A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.” Proverbs 13: 19
If we respect His commands, we will reap rewards. As parents, if we don’t discipline our children when they are young, they will not learn wisdom.
Discipline is rooted in love.
If we love our children, we will be careful to bring discipline and not spare the rod. Take note, the term “rod” is a figure of speech for discipline of any kind. Abusers sometimes use this verse as permission to physically hit their children.
“Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” Proverbs 13: 24
Striking our children is NOT what God is teaching here. He’s speaking of the “rod of discipline,” remember discipline comes in many forms.
Remember, if we accept correction, we will be honored.
Even as adults Jesus spoke this, “For the Lord disciplines (corrects) those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” Hebrews 12: 6, Emphasis added
If we take that a little further, as we close, the Psalmist said it this way, “Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord; the man you teach from your law.” Psalm 94: 12
Those whose lives are directed by God’s correction are the blessed ones.
KINGDOM ASSURANCE
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