22 Tweetable Treasures From Proverbs
For over thirty years, archaeologist Howard Carter diligently searched the deserts of Egypt for a “hidden treasure” – something that most people thought didn’t exist – the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Most experts believed that everything in the Valley of the Kings had already been discovered, but Carter continued his search.
After five more years without any results, Carter’s major sponsor, Lord Carnarvon of England, indicated that he would stop funding the search. In November of 1922, during his final season of work, Carter uncovered a hidden staircase near the tomb of Ramses VI. He sent a cable to England which said, “At last have made wonderful discovery in Valley; a magnificent tomb with seals intact.”
Carter had indeed located the tomb of King Tut, one of the greatest archaeological treasures ever discovered. After months of careful work, the golden treasures of the tomb were cataloged, and the first intact royal mummy ever found was removed from the place where it had rested for more than three thousand years. Carter’s search was driven by his firm belief that there was treasure to be found, even though he could not be certain that he was correct. We have an even better opportunity – a treasure hunt with guaranteed success. If we diligently seek the wisdom of God, the reward is ours!
In Scripture, the book of Proverbs offers God’s clear instructions and a wealth of information to guide us in the art of skillful living. Practical life wisdom awaits us within the pages of this special book – the profound genius of these gems lies in their distilled truth for everyday life.
A proverb is a pithy statement of bite-sized wisdom. Dealing with practical topics such as relationships, integrity, communication, money management, people skills, conflicts, struggles and much more, the book of Proverbs remains to this day a marvelous source of life-changing and insightful information.
In the pursuit of living healthier, wiser, stronger lives, millions of Christians across the globe faithfully tap into the book of Proverbs each day. Here are some of my favorite selections, sourced from the Message Bible – which of these 22 pearls of wisdom most speak to you?
1: “It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God” (Proverbs 16:20).
2: “Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces” (Proverbs 13:20).
3: “It’s a school of hard knocks for those who leave God’s path, a dead-end street for those who hate God’s rules” (Proverbs 15:10).
4: “Intelligent children listen to their parents; foolish children do their own thing” (Proverbs 13:1).
5: “A simple life in the fear of God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches” (Proverbs 15:16).
6: “Get wisdom – it’s worth more than money; choose insight over income every time” (Proverbs 16:16).
7: “Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds; sound leadership has a moral foundation” (Proverbs 16:12).
8: “It’s stupid to try to get something for nothing, or run up huge bills you can never pay” (Proverbs 17:18).
9: “A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree” (Proverbs 11:28).
10: “God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is His business” (Proverbs 16:11).
11: “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that” (Proverbs 29:25).
12: “You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them” (Proverbs 28:13).
13: “A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank” (Proverbs 22:1).
14: “Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget” (Proverbs 19:11).
15: “Don’t hang out with angry people; don’t keep company with hotheads. Bad temper is contagious – don’t get infected” (Proverbs 22:24-25).
16: “The wise watch their steps and avoid evil; fools are headstrong and reckless” (Proverbs 14:16).
17: “People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?” (Proverbs 19:3).
18: “Escape quickly from the company of fools; they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words” (Proverbs 14:7).
19: “Better a bread crust shared in love than a slab of prime rib served in hate” (Proverbs 15:17).
20: “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller” (Proverbs 11:24).
21: “The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch” (Proverbs 14:8).
22: “Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust” (Proverbs 11:6).
Wisdom can be defined as “skillfulness in the use of knowledge.” It is more than just education and the accumulation of facts. Wisdom is being instructed in God’s views and values and then living accordingly. Wisdom is godly morality. Wisdom is so essential for our lives, that God has given us an entire book of the Bible designed to instruct us to live wisely.
What about you? Is your Bible just another book sitting on the shelf collecting dust? Do you wonder what its content has to do with your life today? As you can see, from my selection of 22 tweetable maxims, the book of Proverbs delivers ancient wisdom in concise and compelling ways, giving out real advice on real issues that real people face.
In what area of life do you most need to grow in wisdom? Take time to meditate on “the book of wisdom” and allow God’s Word to shape the development of your values and life principles – and you will receive tremendous benefits of wise living (Proverbs 3:13-18).
Proverbs describes what our everyday lives should look like when we’ve put our spiritual lives in order. Find God’s help for every decision, and apply His life-giving insights to the broad range of challenges you experience in your life – family, friendships, finances, right and wrong thinking, righteous and unrighteous desires, the power of the tongue, dealing with conflict, and much more.
Wisdom is all about making the right decisions in your daily life. Wisdom is discretion and discernment of right and wrong, stupid and smart, what path to take and which one to avoid. Wisdom understands and reads situations. Wisdom is listening to God’s instructions and receiving His guidance (Proverbs 3:5-7).
How much better to get wisdom than gold! We all need to read and heed the wisdom of Proverbs again and again throughout our lives. Wisdom is not a goal to attain; it’s a pursuit that you spend your whole life on.
