Coping with now

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post in the archives, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog.

Thursday, September 24, 2009
Devotions: Proverbs 27
Don’t boast about the future; you have no idea what a day may bring forth. Let others praise you—strangers, not yourself. Stone and sand are weighty, but heavier still is the provocation of a fool. Wrath and anger are cruel and forceful, but no one can stand before jealousy. Better an open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are wounds from a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. To the hungry, even what is bitter seems sweet, while the sated loathe even honey. A man who strays from his home is like a bird flown far from its nest. Oil and perfume gladden the heart, but trouble tears the soul. Keep faith with your friend and the friend of your father; do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your calamity. Better a neighbor nearby than a brother who is far away. My son, be wise and gladden my heart, so that I may answer one who reproaches me. A prudent man notices danger and hides, while the fool plunges ahead and suffers for it. Take everything a man offers when he co-signs for a stranger; hold him to his pledge when given for foreigners. Even a blessing spoken loudly in the early morning will be judged as if a curse. A contentious woman is like a continual dripping on a rainy day; to restrain her is like grasping the wind, or trying to hold oil in one’s hand. Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Tend a tree and eat its fruit; guard your master and be honored. As still water reflects one’s face, so one’s thoughts reflect oneself. Death and Destruction are never satisfied; neither are the eyes of a mortal. Crucibles try silver and the furnace tests gold; a man is judged by his praise. Crush a fool like grain crushed by mortar and pestle, yet you cannot separate him from his folly. Pay attention to your flocks and herds, for riches and power do not endure; when grass is gone and new grass grows and the hay is gathered, your lambs provide clothing, your goats bring income, and there is food enough to feed your household and resources to maintain your estate.