Day 16 of Pastor Chris' Paraphrase of Proverbs Devotional

Day 16 We can scheme to get what we want and set out to accomplish our plans, but God knows what's really best. He knows when our desires are out of line, when our motives are wrong, and when our steps are misguided. Ultimately, God is in control. He is behind the scenes directing the way things turn out. Pastor Chris' Paraphrase of Proverbs 16:1-3, 9, 25, & 33 1 People scheme to get what they want, but the Lord has the final say. 2 People always think they’ve done right, but the Lord looks deeper. 3 Surrender what you want to Jehovah and your plans will take root and grow. 9 People choose their destination, but the Lord determines where they go. 25 There’s an easy road before everyone that seems good, but it leads to death. 33 When the dice are rolled, the Lord decides what they say. The wise person sees that God is the righteous Ruler of all and bows to the Lord and surrenders everything to Him. The Lord sees things so much deeper and fuller than we can ever imagine. The Lord knows what's right and the best way to get there and He will ultimately accomplish whatever He decides to do. Only a fool ignores the Lord's plans or tries to convince Him their way is better. Wise people align themselves with God's plans. Prayer "Lord of all, forgive me when I forget You are Lord of all and try to go my own way. Help me to align my will with Yours and always live accordingly. Amen." Read Proverbs Chapter 16
New American Standard Bible	Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase
Proverbs 16 Contrast the Upright and the Wicked 1 The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the [a]motives. 3 [b]Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established. 4 The Lord has made everything for [c]its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil. 5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. 6 By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the [d]fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil. 7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8 Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice. 9 The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. 10 A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not [e]err in judgment. 11 A just balance and scales belong to the Lord; All the [f]weights of the bag are His [g]concern. 12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness. 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks right is loved. 14 The fury of a king is like messengers of death, But a wise man will appease it. 15 In the light of a king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the [h]spring rain. 16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his [i]life. 18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. 19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20 He who gives attention to the word will find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. 21 The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of [j]speech increases [k]persuasiveness. 22 Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, But the discipline of fools is folly. 23 The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds [l]persuasiveness to his lips. 24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. 25 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 26 A worker’s appetite works for him, For his [m]hunger urges him on. 27 A worthless man digs up evil, While [n]his words are like scorching fire. 28 A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends. 29 A man of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good. 30 He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass. 31 A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness. 32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city. 33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord. Footnotes: a.    Proverbs 16:2 Lit spirits b.    Proverbs 16:3 Lit Roll c.    Proverbs 16:4 Or His d.    Proverbs 16:6 Or reverence e.    Proverbs 16:10 Lit be unfaithful f.     Proverbs 16:11 Lit stones g     Proverbs 16:11 Lit work h.    Proverbs 16:15 Lit latter i.     Proverbs 16:17 Lit soul j.     Proverbs 16:21 Lit lips k.    Proverbs 16:21 Or learning l.     Proverbs 16:23 Or learning m.   Proverbs 16:26 Lit mouth n.    Proverbs 16:27 Lit on his lips	Proverbs 16 1 People scheme to get what they want, but the Lord has the final say. 2 People always think they’ve done right, but the Lord looks deeper. 3 Surrender what you want to Jehovah and your plans will take root and grow. 4 Jehovah made everything for a reason, even the ungodly for destruction day. 5 Arrogance is disgusting to God; you can be sure He will punish arrogant people. 6 Your misdeeds are excused through kindness and loyalty, and you avoid evil by revering Jehovah. 7 When you please Jehovah, He even makes your enemies live at peace with you. 8 It’s better to live the right way and scrape by than to get a lot by cheating the system. 9 People choose their destination, but the Lord determines where they go. 10 A king has vision; it’s not a sin for him to pronounce judgment. 11 Jehovah always judges accurately because He made the standards. 12 Governments hate crime because their authority depends on the rule of law. 13 Leaders really appreciate when people live right and speak the truth; they love those who are honest. 14 You better watch out when the one in charge is furious; if you’re smart, you’ll make things right. 15 There’s real hope when your leader believes in you; their help and encouragement are like spring rain to a garden. 16 It’s way better to get wisdom than gold! Pick knowledge over money. 17 People who live right take a bypass around trouble; they’re safe because they watch where they’re going. 18 You get a big head right before it explodes. Arrogance will trip you up. 19 A humble life with the poor is better than looting with people who think they’re better than everyone else. 20 Good comes to people who tend matters carefully. Those who trust Jehovah are blessed. 21 Smart people who get things done are brilliant. They know how to sweet talk people into helping them. 22 Listening and learning are a source of life to those who are willing. Only a naive fool would try to help an idiot who mocks them. 23 A wise person chooses their words carefully to help people understand things better. 24 Kind words are like honey: they give you a sweeter point of view and strength to carry on. 25 There’s an easy road before everyone that seems good, but it leads to death. 26 What a worker craves drives them to work even harder. 27 People who dig up trouble and say things that set the world on fire are useless and ungodly. 28 It's really evil to whispers things that cause dissension and drive good friends apart. 29-30 A cruel person lures those closest to them down a crooked path to no good. They weave evil schemes with a blink of their eyes. Their secret whispers bring trouble. 31 It’s a beautiful honor to have a head full of gray hair. It means you’ve lived the right way for a long time. 32 Someone who remains patient when others would grow angry is better than a powerful warrior. It’s more important to control your temper than conquer a city. 33 When the dice are rolled, the Lord decides what they say.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation	Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase of Proverbs (PCP) Copyright © 2018 by Chris Mullis