Proverbs 12:13-16 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 12:13-16, which read,

v.13 - An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will escape from trouble.

An evil man, one who doesn't follow after God, is ensnared or trapped by the transgression or rebellion of the right of his lips or his language that is on the edge.  He is being choked by the very ungodly action of his own speech.  It is the scene where one lie has led to another and then to another and you start to forget all the lies that you have told and to who and it catches up with you.  

The righteous, one who follows after God, will escape or come out or exit from trouble or straits or distress.  He will reap the benefit of following the righteousness of God that when trouble comes upon him, he will continue to do what is right and exit from its temptation to rebel against God.

v.14 - A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, and the deeds of a man's hands will return to him.

What you say and what you do are both important.  The old saying, "Do what I say and not what I do" should never be said.  The two are to be in agreement with each other.  Who would follow someone who is saying one thing and doing another?  We seem to do that a lot because we have many who can talk a good walk but are not really walking it. 

The man's words will fulfill him with what is pleasing and beneficial by the produce of speech that honors God.  The man's deeds, his dealings with others, of his hands will turn back on him.  You could take this in a good way or a bad way.  How are your words and your deeds coming back to you?  Are they bringing fruit that is fulfilling and satisfying or that they yielding entrapment to say more evil or do more evil?

v.15 - The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

I have heard this proverb many times.  The way or the journey or the manner of a fool, one who acts foolishly, is right or straight or correct in his own eyes meaning not in consultation with God's eyes.  It looks good from this vantage point but how does it line up with what God says?

But a wise man, one who is acting wisely, is one who listens or hears to obey counsel or advise with purpose.  The wise one seeks out others who know God to look at this situation with their eyes as they purposely line it up with God's Word.  This is what you want your counsel to do.  You want them not to tell you what they think but point you to what God says about the matter.  They may have some experience either way of following after God or venturing from His steps in the matter at hand but the key is for the counsel to end up standing on what God says rather than whatever feels right to you.  The wise seek out this type of God focused counsel.

v.16 - A fool's anger is known at once, but a prudent man conceals dishonor.  

Notice that both the fool and the prudent get angry but it is just the demonstration of it that is different.  The fool when he gets angry lets you know right now and has no regard to its affect but the prudent man, or the sensible man looks at the big picture and the person that God created in front of him and conceals or covers or hides it with the purpose not to dishonor or shame him.

What do you do with your righteous anger?  What do you do with your unrighteous anger?  The righteous anger is okay but it needs to be brought out in a righteous way and many times that is not saying what first is on your mind.  Righteous anger keeps in view the whole situation and the purpose of godly transformation to take place.  I may have been right but there are plenty of times that I did not convey that right in the right way if you know what I mean.  The unrighteous anger always needs to be taken to the foot of the cross seeking forgiveness and leading to repentance. 

Our words need to match up with our deeds and those words and deeds are helped by our listened to counsel of godly wise people who have words that match up with their deeds that match up with God.  Our anger will then come out with a purpose to see positive change rather than create more damage to mop up later.  Let's pray.

"Lord, You truly have not left us in the boat without oars.  We have Your Word and we have Your children, our brothers and sisters to call upon for counsel. When our eyes are full of what we see, may we seek out the counsel of others to show us what they see and what You say from Your Word.  You are a great God.  Amen."

Pastor Adam