Proverbs 25 ~ if you have found honey, eat only enough

Proverbs 25

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1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.

2 It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.
3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from the silver,
and the smith has material for a vessel;

5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence
or stand in the place of the great,
7 for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

What your eyes have seen
8 do not hastily bring into court,
for [or else] what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another's secret,
10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
and your ill repute have no end.

11 A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded,
and a soft tongue will break a bone.
16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,
lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,
lest he have his fill of you and hate you.
18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.

19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble
is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.
20 Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart
is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
and like vinegar on soda.

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
22 for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.

23 The north wind brings forth rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.
26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.
28 A man without self-control
is like a city broken into and left without walls.

~ It is not good to eat much honey,
nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.

This would be amazing to most of the world. A lot of Proverbs is like this, over and over again God tells us to make the most of our time, not to be lazy. Yet God tells us all promotion, all gifts are from God.

Striving to go forward... away from countries where the leadership seeks only it's own glory

When we look at revolution, we don't see anything new in the world. Gandhi's revolution was peaceful and India exists today. Africa has tremendous amounts of tribal warfare, yet South Africa's Bishop Desmond Tutu & Nelson Mandela, offering a policy of honest admission of sin and forgiveness has stabilized South Africa. Tremendous results for faith combined with those seeking God and the desire to strengthen others in Him.

These were not despots seeking their own glory, not men seeking to promote their religion while sitting in fine palaces, without providing education, jobs, and kindness to their own, to women and orphans. A two class society of haves and have nots. Religion is false when works to help each other do not exist. Rules of faith seek only to bind to ideology, without hope.

Iran had fighting in 1979, briefly we believed it would be for democracy.

Looking back at France's revolution, it added to years of turmoil. Mindless hate with only the idea of change promotes nothing. Once started, revolution cannot usually be stopped. Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you.

But it requires the fighters to become tired of war. We haven't seen war yet, but I doubt many of these regimes will change without war. Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.

We don't know where all this unrest is headed, but to be glad of this much unrest isn't good; To assure each other it is just democracy at work. The situation really requires prayer.

Father God, you asked us in the Book of Psalms to pray for Israel, and we do. Let Your Light shine brightly there. After Jesus Christ's sacrifice, Father, You spread the Word around the world. Father God, we pray where there is need, You will fill it. When Hurricane Katrina hit, Father, the Churches of Houston, Baton Rouge, Dallas and others, as the body of Christ, met their need each day. Father, we ask for the people of God to meet this need in prayer. People who are hungry need food, You can provide. People who need work which brings opportunity and dignity need Your blessings.

Father God, we pray about the food shortages. The weather Russia had this summer killed crops. We pray about the huge amounts of corn put into ethanol and the shortage of corn and rice. Father God, we lift up to You the increase in cost globally for food.

Father God, in several places of Scripture You've said take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. We pray for the leaders of nations to have the welfare of others determine their length of duration in power. We ask for Your justice and righteousness.

Father God, You are not limited as mankind is. We ask for Your help. We depend upon You, as all of mankind. Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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