Proverbs 29

Read Proverbs 29:1 – 16. These sixteen proverbs speak frequently about cycles of thriving in the lives of the wicked and the righteous. Those who choose righteousness thrive in the long run, and bring good things to those around them. Those who choose wickedness may thrive, but bring hardship and death to those around them. One particular verse jumps out in the middle of the passage. “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” We tend to believe our anger is justified and therefore worthy of being expressed. Yet, Solomon teaches us that only a fool gives full vent or expresses fully his anger. While many of us keep our anger corralled, so that it does not manifest itself physically, fewer of us restrain our tongues. We feel compelled to explain why we are right and the other person wrong. We feel compelled to enlist the sympathy of others. In so doing, we often become the fool. Think about the last time you were angry. Did you feel compelled to tell the person at whom you were angry? Did you rehearse your anger in your head, keeping it alive? Did your anger accomplish what you hoped? Is your relationship better because you spoke?

Read Proverbs 29:17 – 27. The underlying theme of this passage is discipline. Sons and servants are disciplined in the hope that they will make wise choices. Pampering the same will result in future foolishness. Verse 18 is best known in its King James version, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” This verse is often quoted in political seasons as an admonition to candidates to lead better by casting good vision. But, this difficult-to-translate proverb has less to say about leadership than about discipline. The NIV translation gets it better, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” The word translated “revelation,” means a prophetic admonition from God, telling people to correct their behavior. In other words, if there is no discipline, people behave more and more foolishly. Consider your recent life. Is there an area in which you are “getting away with” a particular sin? Have you become more bold or careless in exercising it, because you haven’t been disciplined? Choose today to confess it and to turn away from that behavior before discipline comes.

Choose one proverb from this chapter, which fits your life today. Memorize it. Read it aloud several times, emphasizing a different word each time. Close your eyes and recite it. Repeat this process several times until you are confident you know it. Pray and ask God to bring it to mind several times today. Recite it mentally each time it occurs to you. At the end of the day, take a moment to consider how it has applied to your life.