Proverbs 10:29-32 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 10:29-32, which read,

v.29 - The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, but ruin to the workers of iniquity.

Solomon gives us word pictures to help us understand the depth of God's wisdom to be followed through these proverbs.  The way of the Lord, meaning those who are wise are walking in His footprints, manner, journey, road, or distance is a stronghold, a fort, a place or means of protection, safety, or refuge to the people who are described as upright, people of integrity, people who are maturing in the Lord.  

The workers of iniquity also show actions as they are also moving but down a different road.  Trouble, wickedness, and sorrow are on their way and the way of the Lord brings ruin or destruction to them as it captures them up to the final judgment of God.  Is the way of the Lord a stronghold to you because you are walking in step with God or is it a ruin to you because you are not?

v.30 - The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.

This is a cross reference to Psalm 37:9-11 which reads, "For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.  Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.  But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity."

The righteous will not totter or slip from their position to being with the Lord in His land but the wicked will not lodge there.  They will not have a reservation to reside there.  The fact of the matter is there is a land set aside by God for those who follow after Him and those who settle there will be only those who follow after Him.

v.31 - The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out.  

We can't get too far from the illustration of the tongue when talking about the fool or the wise.  The tongue for the wise is used to spread more of the wisdom of God, the fear for the Lord.  It flows out of him or her or it bears its fruit of maturity to walking in the way of the Lord.  The tongue of the fool is used to speak of perverted things.  These perverted things want to overthrow the way of the Lord as Satan did in the Garden of Eden when he questioned Eve if God really said that.  Again the judgment of God is given to its maturity to the fool and it will be cut out, cut off, and eliminated.  There is no middle road with God or partial tongue.

v.32 - The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.

We come to the end of another chapter in the book of Proverbs with a last verse focusing on the main weapon and main tool of the fool and the wise.  How is our tongue being used?  Is your tongue showing a maturity that displays what is happening deep within you that is acceptable, a pleasure to God, and according to the will of God?  Or is your tongue showing a maturity that displays what is happening deep within you that is perverted, a turning away from God?  Our speech is an indicator of the condition of our souls.  

Friday will come with an end of the chapter devotional that I have been thinking about and hope to share with you about the temptations that come when things don't go the way we think they should.  We are tempted to abandon the way of the Lord or the practices of the Lord, to make it seem more right in our eyes but the end result of our efforts takes us farther from Him.  Maybe this will be a up to date example of the wise and the foolish.  Let's pray.

"Lord, what a chapter of comparison between the wise and the fool by looking at one part of the body, the tongue.  Thank You for engaging us to listen to what we are saying to see if it is walking with You or trying to overturn You.  Thank You also for giving the whole picture of the outcome or the maturity of those actions.  You do not leave us hanging about what is to happen.  May we have opportunity to use that God given tongue today to speak of You and love others with Your wisdom.  Amen."

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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