Proverbs 18 & James 3

0:00Wisdom establishes before it directs. Welcome to wisdom daily meditation. This is a space to slow down and let God's wisdom establish what urgency cannot. This is your moment to be present as we sit with scripture today. Allow the word to steady your thoughts and gently order your day. Let be and be still and know, recognize and understand that God is God. Now, inhale and exhale. Let's begin. Proverbs 18. A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness and defies all

1:05sound judgment. A fool has no delight in understanding but only in revealing his own opinion. When wickedness comes, contempt also comes and with shame comes disgrace. The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook. To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good nor to deprive the innocent of justice. A fool's lips comes into strife and his mouth invites beatings. A fool's mouth is his destruction and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels. They go down into a person's innermost parts. One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is master of destruction. Yahweh's name is a strong tower. The righteous run to him and are safe. The rich man's wealth is his strong city like an unskellable wall in his own imagination. Before destruction, the heart of man is

2:10proud but before honor is humility. Be who answers before he hears that is folly and shame to him. A man's spirit will sustain him in sickness but a crushed spirit who can bear. The heart of the discerning gets knowledge the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men. Be who pleads his cause first seems right until another comes and questions him. The lot settles disputes and keeps strong ones apart. A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city. Disputes are like the bars of a fortress. A man's stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth with the harvest of his lips he is satisfied. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Those who love it will eat its fruit. Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor of Yahweh. The poor plead for mercy but the rich

3:12answer harshly. A man of many companions may be ruined but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. James 3, let not many of you be teachers my brothers knowing that we will receive heavier judgment or we all stumble in many things. Anyone who doesn't stumble in word is a perfect person able to bridle the whole body also. Indeed we put bits into the horse's mouth so that they may obey us and we guide their whole body. We hold the ships also though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds are yet guided by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. So the tongue is also a little member and both great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large force and the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue which defiles

4:13the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature and is set on fire by Gehenna for every kind of animal bird creeping thing and sea creature is tamed and has been tamed by mankind but nobody contained the tongue it is a restless evil full of deadly poison with it we bless our God and Father and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing my brothers these things ought not to be so does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water can a fig tree my brothers yield olives or a vine figs thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water who was wise in understanding among you let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom but if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart don't boast and don't lie against

5:18the truth this wisdom is not that which comes down from above but is earthly sensual and demonic for where jealousy and selfish ambition are there is confusion in every evil deed but the wisdom that is from above is first pure in peaceful gentle reasonable full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy now the fruit of righteousness is sewn in peace by those who make peace thank you for listening to wisdom daily meditation if you desire to grow spiritually by staying rooted in scripture not rushing the word but letting it take root I invite you to continue this practice with us on youtube at youtube.com or slash at the renewal well there we gather weekdays at 6.30 a.m. Pacific time for our devotional reset reading the word slowly returning to

6:23it daily and allowing scripture to form how we listen discern and live this is a space for nourishment before movement so wisdom can be received and obedience can be steady I look forward to meeting you there and may the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord cause his space to shine upon you and be gracious to you may the Lord lift up his countenance towards you and give you peace have an amazing day