By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,

but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

Proverbs 14:3 ESV

Because a fool doesn’t control his mouth, hardship will be his lot in life. That may come in a variety of forms, including physical correction. The wise person controls his mouth, thus he typically avoids the need for physical correction.

What do you prefer?

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,

    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

Proverbs 14:4 ESV

This proverb could be restated, “You have to break a few eggs to get an omelet.” In other words, productivity comes at a price.

Here, the writer causes us to ask, “What is my objective?” If I want a clean manger, then I can’t have any oxen in it. However, if I want abundant crops, I can’t have a clean manger.

Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord,

    but he who is devious in his ways despises him.

Proverbs 14:2 ESV

I want to focus on the second clause in this verse. “… but he who is devious in his ways despises [the Lord].” This reveals God’s view of sin, and perhaps our own weak view of the sinfulness of sin. Sometimes we may think, “A little lie is not right, but it certainly doesn’t mean I despise the Lord.” Well, this verse argues against that effort to minimize the nature of sin. I don’t think we sit around thinking about these kinds of things, but perhaps we should.

How does being devious indicate that I despise the Lord? Primarily because it means that my affections are for that which is the opposite of the Lord. Jesus said that we can’t serve two masters (Mt. 6:24), but so often we try to do just that. We try to serve the flesh and the spirit. We chase death, but want life.

Think back over the last week or so. Have you done, said, or thought things that suggest you despise the Lord? If so, did you recognize it on the moment, or are you realizing it now after seeing the connection in this verse?

Lord, please help to see – in real time – how my actions/thoughts/words betray my love for you.

“The wisest of women builds her house,

  but folly with her own hands tears it down.”

Proverbs 14:1 ESV

Often the impression one can get from reading Proverbs is that foolishness is reserved for men. Here is a warning, Ladies. You can be fools too, and the damage can be equal to the damage done by a male fool.

“Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.”

Proverbs 14:7 ESV

Here, the writer warns us of the company we choose to keep. If your goal is gaining words of knowledge, the fool is not going to be helpful to that end. In fact, it is likely that the fool will lead your heart away from knowledge, not just keep you from gaining knowledge. Beware!