Proverbs 1-6

We shall be schooled in moral ways. First, a lesson for gang bangers. Do not join them! They set an ambush for their own lives. I know this first one mean more broadly, don't follow sinners into sin. Stand strong, as they will get theirs in the end, but to me it really felt like it should be read to young boys threatened by gangs.

It also brought another strange thought to my head. When you exercise everyday and you eat right, you feel SO much better. But for some reason, most of us struggle everyday to get that done. EVEN though we know we will feel better, we just don't want to listen. That's what I thought of when he spoke of continually throwing knowledge and wisdom at us and us not accepting it. We know we feel better when we do right, yet sometimes even though we know what we're doing is wrong, we do it anyway.

chapter 2 says to me something I always felt to be true. If you surround yourself with upright, good, happy, honest, creative, positive people, then you too will be upright, good, happy, honest, creative and positive. Surround yourself with the opposite and you too will be as they are. Open yourself up to the good feelings and teaching and they shall come.

My favorite vs in chapter three says "Let not mercy and kindness and truth forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart." LOVE LOVE LOVE that. To me that says to always first try to see the kindness in people, seek the truth before making any judgements, and show mercy as often as possible.

I simply love that.

I work with many people who will find the bad in a situation faster than a fat kid at a cake buffet. YUCK is all I can say about those kinda people.

Chapter 4 is all about staying on the straight and narrow as Solomon learned from his dad, David. Who perhaps learned from his mistakes, from his NOT staying on the straight and narrow? But ironically had David not strayed off the path Solomon wouldn't be around to learn and subsequently to teach us these lessons. Keep you eyes on the prize is something else that I thought of when reading this chapter.

Chapter 5 is dedicated to adultery, Here I wonder though about these kings who are writing these. These guys had tons of wives and concubines. What was adultery to them, if they saw a women they wanted they need only to take her. Of course, I'm not advocating adultery, I'm just saying it had to a heck of a lot easier when theoretically you had a different woman every night. And what says God to this? This is alright to him, it says love the wife of your youth and be happy with her forever. But David didn't, and Solomon didn't. What did it mean to them?

chapter 6 is seems to first speak of hard work, not being lazy. Then is says God hates these 6 things and that 7 of them are an abomination to him? Then lists 7, so is there one that He hate but isn't an abomination? Curiouser and curiouser? Lots of loose woman talk, where there NO loose men? Did the women need never worry about men just wanting to sleep with them?