Proverbs 13:10-14

Proverbs 13:10-14 are maxims concerning the importance of taking good advice, and being patient in issues of life.

Verse 10--By insolence the heedless make strife,
but wisdom is with those who take advice.

Verse 11--Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle,
but those who gather little by little will increase it.

Verse 12--Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Verse 13--Those who despise the word bring destruction on themselves,
but those who respect the commandment will be rewarded.

Verse 14--The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
so that one may avoid the snares of death.

What are some practical lessons we may learn from these proverbs?
1. The haughty [insolent] think they know it all, that they have nothing to learn from others or from God. But the wise listen to advice, and change their lives by following good advice, thus becoming more and more what God wants them to be (verses 10, 13-14).
2. A common human tendency is to want what we want "right now." But this is not the way life is; this is not the way God works. Often God answers our prayers--but long after we have forgotten we uttered those prayers, and in ways much better than we envisioned. V. 11 alludes to the desire to "get rich quick." People who desire wealth think they should get rich very early in life, then spend the rest of their lives enjoying what they have accumulated. Sometimes it happens that way, but most of us must learn to be patient--and thankful for whatever God gives us. V. 12 alludes to those who anticipate receiving a certain blessing or gift or honor, but not receiving what they expect. When this happens, we feel like we are failures, that life or God is against us. But, again, God's answers often come much later than we wish--and in much better packages.

John Willis