Proverbs 14:5-8 says....

Today's verses are Proverbs 14:5-8, which says,

v.5 - A trustworthy witness will not lie, but a false witness utters lies.

This is pretty straight forward but when you start blurring the lines in culture of what is right and what is wrong then the obvious needs to be stated.  We tend to play with even the terms that bring confusion.  Remember when people would say that something was "bad" meaning it was really "good"?  It may have been a creative way to get some attention or communicate but that fad had people questioning what the speaker was saying when it should have been obvious.  Word re-definitions lead to ungodly actions that are easily excused as acceptable during this time or at least for me but maybe not for you.

A trustworthy or faithful witness or the one who repeats, will not lie or fail to tell the truth in the singular form meaning every single time.  A false or deceptive witness or the one who repeats utters or breathes out lies in the plural form over and over again.

v.6 - A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.

Something has to change to the scoffer or the one who speaks arrogantly if that one is going to find wisdom.  They have to cease being a scoffer.  Their actions need to change otherwise they will not receive or put into practice what they have heard.  It is kind of like we want to be blessed by God but at the same time we are not living a life that is a blessing to Him.  We want God to give to us what we are not willing to give to Him.

To the one who is living a life following in the footsteps of Jesus, knowledge that gets transferred over to wisdom of application comes easy.  It comes swiftly to the one who is sacrificial to submit to God rather than scorn and scoff Him and His words and ways.

v.7 - Leave the presence of a fool, or you will not discern words of knowledge.

Walk from being in front of a fool or a stupid fellow.  Sorry about the use of the word stupid but it is a word used to describe a fool.  If you put yourself in front of a fool instead of walking away from their empty talk which is contrary to God's then you will not discern or know words of knowledge.  This verse is all about our physical position in which we put ourselves with those who spread lies and live in scorn of God.  I think we could say in our digital world not to put ourselves in front of sites on the internet that blur the lines of truth.  It will affect us.  It will start us to think like they are thinking, speak like they are speaking and act like they are acting.  We will not get away unscathed if our practice is to put ourselves in front of them to take in their foolish teaching.

v.8 - The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, but the foolishness of fools is deceit.

Do you understand your way?  Do you understand what it means to be surrendered and submitted to God?  Do you know that there is no other way and you live your life in relationship to that fact?  Do you acknowledge that God is God and even though you don't understand everything about Him, you follow after Him because He is God?  Can you say, "I am a follower of Jesus and I take my cues from Him because of who He is.  I understand this fact and totally rest upon it."?  If so, you are wise.

The way of the fool is described probably most often as deceit or casting or hurling in another direction.  Instead of seeking God and submitting to His path, the fool casts off in another direction and with the casting off comes a bunch of undesirable ungodly results.  They may look good for a while or at the time but they will turn if you do not turn from that path.  

Some obvious proverbs today to say the obvious in a very blurred world.  Speak the truth each time; be the person rather than ask for something you are not willing to be; watch very closely what you are taking in for it will affect you either for the good or the bad; and understand or know God's way to be your way and decisions become clearer in this blurred world.  Let's pray.

"Lord the obvious needs to become obvious again.  Common sense based on the words of You need to reign in our lives and foolishness needs to be eliminated from our paths.  May we see through the lies because we have been standing in front of the truth today.  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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