Honesty Guides Good People

Today's Reading:

• Proverbs 10:31 - 32
  
• Proverbs 11:1 - 3

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Proverbs 10:31 - 11:3
I combined two readings from Numbers in my previous post, so today's entry consists of a double reading of Proverbs, and for that reason will be short and sweet -- just like the Proverbs themselves!  I must say that I'm really enjoying reading Proverbs, simple yet powerful verses to guide one's life by.  They really are little treasures.  Okay, here goes:

10:31  The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.

10:32  The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.  

 I am so thankful that the Lord has given us his Word to guide our lives with, to gain wisdom from, so that we can absorb all we can and strive to multiply wise words that truly help others, instead of speaking with deceit that stems from hate or simple ignorance.

11:1  The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights.

11:2  Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

11:3  Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

I feel better after reading that last verse.  "Honesty guides good people."  I know I am an honest person at heart.  Not that I've never been dishonest, held a secret, or stolen anything in my life. But that is the past, this is now, and this is who I am now.

I am the person who has called the bank when they made a 4-figure errors in my favor.  I am the person who has, on two occasions, notified my employer when they have overpaid me.  I would not hesitate to return a wallet, or an expensive item that was found.  Yesterday someone at a checkout counter missed an item, and I pointed it out.  I would never purposely try to walk out of a store without paying for an item.  I am also the person people turn to when they need an honest opinion about something.

This makes me feel better because so much of what I read reminds me of how much I fall short of the grace of God.  I know that everyone falls short without the blood of Jesus Christ, but I also know that I should strive to be like Him, to live my life as God sees fit.  So it's a nice little verse that just tells me that I am not all bad, because honesty guides good people.  And I am an honest person.