Proverbs Blog-Along: Days 25 and 26

3 more posts in this Proverbs Blog-Along series, and we'll be done!!! Today, I'm tackling chapters 25 and 26 and will be discussing any verses that catch my eye. Please feel free to share what jumps out to you from these chapters, in the comments :)

CHAPTER 25

5Evil people must be removed before anyone can rule with justice.(CEV)

Dear Nigeria... enough said.  

12Listening to good advice is worth much more

than jewelry made of gold. (CEV)

Sometimes you hear people saying that you should never quit at this or that. But truthfully, there are some things that at the end of the day aren't worth pursuing. It takes wisdom to know when it's time to move on (moving on sounds better than giving up).

17Don't visit friends too often,

or they will get tired of it

and start hating you. (CEV)

Lol, this one made me laugh. I like hanging out with friends and family but I don't think I do too much of it. I don't think this verse applies to only visiting, especially in today's social media world - BBM, Whatsapp, Facebook, etc. Some people just don't know when to stop, and it can grate on someone's nerves. What I do if I feel like I'm in someone's face too much is take a step back, and wait for the person to miss me :D

19A friend you can't trust in times of trouble 

is like having a toothache or a sore foot. (CEV)

What's the point of having a friend, if you can't rely on them during the hard or bad times? You might as well suffer from a persistent toothache, the Bible says. 

20Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart 

is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather 

or pouring vinegar in a wound. (NLT)

20Singing to someone in deep sorrow is like 

pouring vinegar in an open cut. (CEV)

This is a touchy subject for me. Too often, especially in Nigeria, when someone is in mourning, people tell them not to cry and start with the Christianese phrases. Now, there's nothing wrong with trying to make them feel better, but a lot of times, it's better to just be quietly supportive. Even the Bible says there's a time to mourn. If your friend is going through a difficult time over a death, or job loss,  or break up, or whatever, let them know that you understand how they feel and that if they need a shoulder to cry on, yours is available. Of course, you don't want them to wallow in the pain, so it's not like I'm saying you should roll on the floor with them. The point here is to be EMPATHETIC (understanding and sharing their feelings).


CHAPTER 26
This chapter talks a lot about fools and lazy people! You might have to take your own time to go through all the verses.

4Don't make a fool of yourself by answering a fool. (CEV)

This one's easy enough. 

17It's better to take hold of a mad dog by the ears 

than to take part in someone else's argument. (CEV)

I was just talking about this the other day. Once or twice, I've jumped to someone's defense and raged and Voltron'd on their behalf, and at the end of the day, I was the one who looked stupid because the person was only temporarily offended for a very short time. The offender and I barely talk now, and yet the offender and offendee still gist like nothing happened. *rolls eyes*

23Hiding hateful thoughts behind smooth talk 

is like coating a clay pot with a cheap glaze. (CEV)

Do you know someone who's all sweet on the inside, but inwardly is a BIA BIA? This verse is about them :p It's very easy for the cheap glaze to wear off, and the true person revealed.

Alrighty, I'll be back tomorrow with 27/28, then 29/30, and finally 31!!!

xoxo