Proverbs 14:17-21 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 14:17-21, which read,

v.17 - A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.

A quick-tempered man or one who is short and impatient acts foolishly and a man of evil devices or one who is planning and plotting destruction is hated.  There is nothing of good in this verse to follow so we take it as it is and add it to all those other verses that have been given to us about the downfalls of not following after God.

v.18 - The naive inherit foolishness, but the sensible are crowned with knowledge. 

The naive or the simple minded with an openness to whatever inherit or take possession of foolishness.  If you allow your mind to take in whatever then you will grab ahold of whatever is out there.  The sensible or the ones who receive prudent counsel are crowned or surrounded with knowledge.  If you train your mind to take in those things that please God then you will receive from Him more knowledge to act upon in wisdom.  One inherits more problems while the other is crowned with something to admire.

v.19 - The evil will bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

This proverb is played out in Scripture many times.  We see Esau the older to serve the younger Jacob.  We see Joseph ruling over his many older brothers.  We see the small army of Gideon defeating the large army of the enemies of God.  As we read this accounts in the Bible, we notice that it doesn't happen immediately and maybe some of them will not bow until the final judgment but this proverb will come true.  Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.  Let's bow and let's confess as followers of God rather than evil and wicked against Him.

v.20 - The poor is hated even by his neighbor, but those who love the rich are many.

It is a fact that the poor are seen in our world as a burden.  They are people to avoid.  They are people to speak ill of.  Even if they live right next door, the treatment of them is poor to the poor.  The rich man walked by Lazarus every day that sat at his gate desperately needing help.  People are not lining up to hang out with the poor.

It is a fact that the rich are seen in our world as someone to be close to.  We love to say we have seen them or got a selfie with them.  We love to imitate them by wearing a jersey with their number on it.  We want to rub shoulders with them with some agenda to be rich like them.  People are lining up to hang out with the rich.

v.21 - He who despises his neighbor sins, but happy is he who is gracious to the poor. 

Simply put, if I treat the poor, my neighbor, that way then I am sinning.  God puts people in our path to serve them.  You may need to figure out how best to serve them but they are to be helped in some way.  Some will receive the help and some will reject it but that doesn't negate your offering a hand in the name of the Lord.  

If you are gracious to the poor, if you are not contempt but show favor to them, then you will be happy or walking the straight path of God's blessedness.  You have no idea who God has placed before you.  Entertaining strangers is sometimes entertaining angels as it says in Scripture.  There is sometimes not an immediate positive outcome to helping the poor or maybe not what you would hope but the promise from God is that happiness will come from Him from a gracious response and not a despising one.

May we have God's eyes as we look at those He brings into our path.  May we have our minds on God and His ways so that we receive more knowledge from Him.  May we treat the poor and the rich equally in love.  Let's pray.

"Lord, You want us to serve.  We tend to pick who we want to serve but Your pick for us is always better for them and for us.  Help us to flood our minds with You so that we respond to whomever You bring with gracious actions and words.  Amen."

Pastor Adam