Proverbs 3:27-35
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you.
Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.
For the devious are an abomination to the LORD;
But He is intimate with the upright.
The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.
The wise will inherit honor,
But fools display dishonor.
{{ So, lets break it down one statement at a time:
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
(( it is not your reasonability to provide for the entire world,
but if God has given you the means to do so it is your reasonability to help provide for those who are in the Lord who have a need.
The ungodly will drain you dry but the godly will only ask for what is truly needed. If they ask at all.
That does not mean that if you see the ungodly down and out,
in need you do not give them food clothing or shelter,
this is where wisdom comes in,
to be able to see and understand who is truly in need and who is a only a user.
The user will always be in need,
and will take all you have jest because they say they have need of it. ))
Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
(( If you have the means to help are going to help someone in need do not use it as leverage over them,
give it at once, to withhold you may think it gives you power over them, but what it really shows is the evil in your heart. ))
Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
Do not contend with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.
For the devious are an abomination to the LORD;
But He is intimate with the upright.
The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.
(( We are not to plot against those around us,
Life is not a commutation with those around us,
To contend is to compete with,
(keeping up with the Johnsen attitude)
This causes envy, strife, bitterness it makes you both rivals,
causing you to compete between each other.
And can lead to violence.
We are not to envy the ungodly and as a Christian should not desire any of their ways,
or their possessions.
Those who live an ungodly life no matter what they may possess the are still an abomination to the LORD,
and why would you want to a part of that?
“the curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked” (the ungodly).
But the house of the righteous He blesses.
Even tough you may not have all the toys or fine goods as your neighbor,
If what you have has been given to you by the LORD your GOD it should be enough,
If you Love the LORD and are seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness,
what He provides will bring you great contentment.
Striving to have what others have only brings discontentment and anguish.
Wisdom, understanding, discretion should be attributes we are striving for.
Not the thing of the world nor its ways.
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Proverbs 3:35
The wise will inherit honor,
But fools display dishonor.
The foolish strive to keep up with the world (the ungodly)
But the wise strive after the ways of the LORD their GOD,
Seeking wisdom and understanding, to live a life of discretion,
a life of honor,
excepting instruction and discipline from God.