Thoughts for reflection
(Proverbs 19:1) Why is it said that a poor person whose walk is blameless is better than a fool whose lips are perverse? Does this mean poverty is better than wealth?
Why does ignorance become a calamity for the rich?
What are the spiritual reasons behind cancer?
Is someone who likes to say I don't care necessarily a wise person?
After reading this chapter, in what areas do you think a person's ignorance and folly are mainly manifested? How can the problems of human ignorance and folly be solved?
Wealth is a calamity to the ignorant
Greetings. Proverbs chapter 19 continues to discuss knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. When seeking the theme of this chapter, I initially struggled a bit because I encountered many words such as poverty, wealth, and money. But later, I realized that it is actually about the corruption of ignorance and folly. This ignorance and folly is truly deadly. I was not particularly satisfied with this theme, and then I reviewed the themes from chapter 1 to chapter 18, and found that they were all positive themes, but the theme of this chapter seems to be a negative one. In fact, the corruption of ignorance and folly, conversely, speaks of building with knowledge, insight, and wisdom.
Better is a poor person whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. (Proverbs 19:1)
What is this passage saying? Is it saying that the poor are better than the rich? No. It is actually saying that a foolish and perverse rich person is not as good as a poor person whose walk is blameless. Of course, a foolish and perverse poor person is certainly not as good as a foolish and perverse rich person. A foolish and perverse poor person is poor, perverse, and foolish, so the rich person is slightly better than such a person, but a poor person whose walk is blameless is better than this foolish and perverse rich person. If we were to rank them, the foolish and perverse rich person is utterly corrupted. Ignorance cannot save the life of a rich person. Wealth coupled with ignorance is the tragedy of the world!
A long time ago, someone was caught by the police and said, My father is Li Gang. To be able to say this sentence demonstrates this person's ignorance and folly! Foolishness plus arrogance is called folly. A person who is wealthy and foolish is simply a human tragedy! Therefore, people must have a pursuit of knowledge. Why would a person be so ignorant? Because he does not know that saying this sentence brings calamity. A person's folly undermines his way, and he does not even know it.
The ignorant and foolish toil in vain
A person’s own folly subverts their way, but their heart rages against the Lord. (Proverbs 19:3)
Some people ask me if their behavior is very lao ma (old horse - a derogatory term for someone who is out of touch). I see that they are so lacking in knowledge and do not even realize it, so I say, At best, you are a donkey, not even at the level of a horse. Others ask me if what they are doing is loving the world, but they are not even qualified to love the world. The corruption brought about by ignorance and folly is so profound that a person's ignorance and folly, to a certain extent, will develop into cancer. How does cancer come about? It is caused by ignorance and folly developing to a very deep level.
I have encountered many Christian cancer patients, and among ten people, occasionally one is willing to repent. Even if they repent, it is only after much prodding and coaxing. So cancer is a very evil disease. If you work in a cancer hospital, after coming into contact with these cancer patients, you will find that their temperament and habits are very strange. When foolishness reaches a certain level, they do not know that they are the root cause of their cancer, and they still rage against the Lord in their hearts.
A person without knowledge walks quickly, but it is useless. The faster they do things that ruin themselves, the more they ruin themselves. So human ignorance is truly corrupting. Only by solving the problems of human ignorance and folly can we truly solve the problem. When a person is ignorant to a certain extent, they cannot even distinguish whether their behavior is lao ma or whether it belongs to loving the world. A person’s own folly subverts their way, yet their heart rages against the Lord. I have seen many Christians suffer a lot of hardship, such as cancer. Cancer is very painful, and until death, they do not know what happened. They still cry out in their hearts, God, why is this happening? God also wants to ask you why this is happening.
Better is a poor person whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. (Proverbs 19:1)
It is truly a tragedy when a person has money and is also foolish. I have ministered to some people who have a little money, and when I tell them that wealth is a curse, they not only do not believe it but also insist that a cursed person cannot have money. Foolish and perverse people can also be rich. People should not think that earning some money can prove that they are intelligent and knowledgeable, but that is not the case. My research shows that neither poverty nor wealth can represent whether you are spiritual, there is no relationship between them.
Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them. (Proverbs 19:4)
The poor are shunned by all their relatives— how much more do their friends avoid them! Though the poor pursue them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found. (Proverbs 19:7)
If a poor person has knowledge inside, he will maintain his knowledge and bring about purity of conduct, and eventually he will emerge from poverty. So a poor person whose walk is blameless is a knowledgeable person; temporary poverty is not a big problem. Having many friends does not prove anything. Many pastors like to be with wealthy people. I was talking to a wealthy person about a certain pastor who recently died of cancer, and this wealthy person immediately said that he had eaten with this pastor. This is what I just said, having many such friends cannot solve any problems. Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them, even so, a poor person whose walk is blameless is better than a foolish and perverse rich person.
Brothers and sisters who are wealthy, please don’t think I'm talking about you here, I'm talking about foolish and perverse rich people. Everyone must obtain knowledge, wisdom, cherish life, guard understanding, and obtain benefits; by no means be an ignorant person. Even if you are a donkey, you can be a knowledgeable donkey. Don't think I'm scolding people. Some people ask me if they are an old horse? I want to say that you are actually just a donkey, not yet developed to the point of being an old horse, and there is still the possibility of being transformed. When you can obey and submit, perhaps you can become the donkey that Jesus rode, which is also a glorious thing. The problem is that if a person has no knowledge, he is not even qualified to be an old horse, which is very terrible ignorance!
I often tell the leaders among us who do pastoral care that those who cannot be pastored can be handed over to me to handle. For example, for some tasks, reviewing assignments only takes fifteen minutes, but some people take two hours, which is an eightfold difference. Of course, it is very hard to do something with an eightfold investment. The reason why they find it so hard is that they never learned to study from a young age, nor are they willing to learn. I not only have to teach him how to do it, but if his attitude is not good after teaching him, I will scold him again. An incorrect attitude is not a matter of one or two years, it is a matter of how many years he has lived, which is quite deadly.
Can the pastors and leaders among us work with me to set our minds on solving the problem of Mingding Destiny and tackling difficult problems? Everyone should develop the good habit of constantly learning and not making wild guesses. Don't just pat your head and think that way, and be stubborn about it, that's even more deadly. Let's solve the problem of ignorance together, I don't believe we can't fix it, even if you are a little sample, we can fix it. No matter how difficult the problem is, it cannot stump God.
The corruption of ignorance and folly is very serious, so we must solve problems from the root. A person with knowledge does things quickly and has no pressure. Some people say that I am a hardworking person, working all day long and solving endless problems. After thinking about it carefully, I feel that it is not right, I should be a laboring person! A hardworking person feels tired when working, while a laboring person feels joyful when working because they are very clear in their hearts that if I don't work, there is nothing else to do. Once you are defined as a hardworking person, you are finished, you feel tired in everything you do, and after a few years, I might get brain cancer. A laboring person is a knowledgeable person. Because I have knowledge in this area, I know the meaning of human work, so I am a laboring person instead of a hardworking person.
The ignorant and foolish do not know how to live
Precisely because I have knowledge, I know that if I don't work, there is nothing to do. If there is nothing to do, should I go to a coffee shop and be like some old people, holding a cup of coffee every day? These people have no knowledge and feel that drinking coffee day after day is enjoying life, is what he can do. As a result, they can no longer drink coffee in the end, and their life comes to an end. If they want to drink again, they have to wait for someone to burn a cup for him. When people go to the underworld, without knowledge and work, they cannot toil or labor even if they want to.
So it is good for people to have knowledge, a hardworking person becomes a laboring person, I just like to work, my life is like this. I am also tired after finishing work, it is a lie if I say I am not tired. After being tired, I open the refrigerator, take something, pour a glass of wine, and after drinking it, I feel so good, super enjoyable! So people who come into contact with me say, Teacher, you are super good at living! That's right, if I myself don't know how to live, how can I teach you? Knowing how to live is a kind of knowledge.
A person’s own folly subverts their way, but their heart rages against the Lord. Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them. False testimony will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free. (Proverbs 19:3-5)
People cannot be without knowledge, especially the knowledge of God. If you know God and then do according to God's word, I guarantee you will enjoy blessings all your life! Therefore, a person’s folly subverts their way, undermines their life, undermines their life, and finally life becomes a dog's life, and a dog's life becomes a donkey's life, life is like a stubborn donkey. Still complaining to God in their heart, competing with God, isn't this just looking for trouble? How do these people subvert their way? They think that wealth attracts many friends, and that pouring out lies is good, and after they finish these things, they give gifts, do good deeds, etc. In the end, those who deceive him are his friends, because those are all fair-weather friends.
The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. (Proverbs 19:8)
Brothers and sisters, observe carefully, don't observe others, just observe yourself well, see what kind of life you are living, how you have come through the past years.
It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury— how much worse for a slave to rule over princes! (Proverbs 19:10)
How can a fool live in luxury? If he lives in luxury, he will eventually be punished and overthrown! Therefore, brothers and sisters, be sure to be a person with knowledge, insight, intelligence, and wisdom. Is it hard to do this? Hard! But ignorance is even harder!
Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools. (Proverbs 19:29)
Brothers and sisters, start to come out of ignorance and folly. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! Start turning back from the path of ignorance, don't rush wildly on the path of ignorance and folly, but run on the path of knowledge! If you know God, how can people use money to buy friends? How can it be possible to live by feasting and enjoying life? Eating big meals all day long, eating out high blood pressure and diabetes, and finally you can't eat even if you want to, and you can't have fun even if you want to!
A foolish child is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the unceasing dripping of a leaky roof. Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. (Proverbs 19:13-14)
It is not a problem whether a child has money or not, it is not a problem how much money you leave him, ignorance is the real problem. Therefore, if you teach your children, teach them to be knowledgeable people and develop the habit of learning. If you have my skills, that would be good, nothing is a problem. Houses and wealth are inherited from ancestors, and they are not of great significance. Only what God gives to people is grace, so you must know the knowledge of God and receive grace from God!
Whoever obeys instructions guards their life, but whoever is careless of their ways will die. (Proverbs 19:16)
If you have knowledge, you will not value money so much; everyone can observe carefully, how much joy can money bring to people? When I first started working, three hundred dollars was a large sum for me. I only made a little over a thousand dollars a month, and after deducting rent and food, there was nothing left. When my boss went out, he could buy a three hundred dollar printer and five hundred dollar items at will. After I saw it, I felt incredible, but he had money! At that time, I thought it was good to have money, and when I had money, I would buy whatever I wanted.
But later I found that no matter what I had, the feeling of sorrow and joy in my heart was almost the same, almost no change. Whether you have money or not, you don't feel anything. Others have money, and I don't have money, and it doesn't matter. That is to say, a person's inner life has little to do with the amount of money. Then why do people worry about money? If you set a small goal to earn 100 million. Later, I thought about what to do with earning 100 million? I can't manage it if I put it in stocks, and then this 100 million becomes my problem. Of course, if you don't have a penny in your hand, it won't work, a penny can stump a hero, that is very hard! If you already have enough food and clothing, it seems that it doesn't matter if you have more money!
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done. (Proverbs 19:17)
If what we value is not money, you will have compassion on the poor, this is a kind of knowledge. Everyone must have compassion on the poor, compassion on the poor is not giving him money endlessly. Giving him money only satisfies his hunger, this is called sending charcoal in the snow. The most important thing about compassion is to drag people out of the curse of poverty, that is God's heart. Therefore, to have compassion on the poor according to God's word is to lend to the Lord God. The Lord will also repay your good deeds. You have to have this knowledge, and slowly you will know that knowledge is very important. A person without knowledge will put his hope in money.
Better is a poor person whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. (Proverbs 19:17)
Let us ponder what exactly we are lacking? What can give us life? Especially the knowledge of how we are to live, which is crucial. I study the matter of how people live all day long, all learned from my teacher. My teacher is Jesus, not Guiguzi. Sun Bin, after learning from Guiguzi and descending the mountain, ended up losing his knees, and Pang Juan was killed by Sun Bin, so his way is not viable. But I came down from the mountain of the Lord Jesus, inheriting the way of Jesus Christ, and ultimately I do what Jesus Christ did.
Although this disciple of mine is not yet comparable to the teacher, Jesus Christ, one day I will become more and more like Jesus. I have a pursuit within me, which is to be filled with the stature of Jesus Christ! We must be like Jesus in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and in the understanding of things. How Jesus sees, we see; how Jesus speaks, we speak. If people carry out this concept to the end, they will become more and more like Jesus, and the speed of solving problems will become faster.
A few days ago, a sister called me and said, Teacher, I experienced a very miraculous thing. That day, the devil came to oppress me, and I felt very uncomfortable. I was about to call the teacher, and the devil ran away, and I no longer felt uncomfortable! I said, that's great! Do you all think we are becoming more and more like Jesus! If people value money too much, they will not value knowledge too much; if people rely on money, they will not rely on God; if people rely on God, they will not rely on money. If people rely on God and gain the knowledge of Jehovah God as the sea fills the ocean, then you are powerful! So people should not rely on money.
An Ignorant and Foolish Person Is Quick to Anger
A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again. Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.(Proverbs 19:19-20)
Fury is a manifestation of ignorance. Those who love to be furious basically have no knowledge to speak of. People have no solution for this matter and no solution for that matter. Seeing this matter is unsolvable and that matter is also unsolvable, then they become furious. Conversely, a person with spiritual knowledge knows how to handle things, and you basically won't see him furious or needing to lose his temper.
Discipline your children, for in their hope there is always something good. But if you fail to do it, you will be responsible for their destruction. (Proverbs 19:18)
Discipline your son well while there is hope; if there is no hope, then forget it. How to discipline him? It is to let him turn back to the path of seeking knowledge. If a person is ignorant, he always likes to ask ignorant questions. He never learns well, is not flexible, and is particularly self-righteous, and has a big temper. So, if a person walks the path of ignorance too much, besides growing older, growing wrinkles, growing a temper, growing blood pressure, and growing blood sugar, he gains no knowledge at all! So, wouldn't it be a tragedy if an ignorant person only uses ignorant ways to discipline an ignorant son?
Everyone should know that if things fall into my hands, I will definitely try my best to manage them according to my methods and understanding. But people have ignorance inside, only worldly knowledge, and they think I want to harm her son. They don't understand and will say to me, Teacher, if you keep doing this, you will kill people! In fact, I am bringing people back to life, but people don't know!
Knowing the Knowledge of God Can Solve the Problem of Human Ignorance
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.(Proverbs 19:21)
I manage according to God's way, how can it not work? So, only according to Jehovah's plan can it be established, and knowing God should be like the sea filling the ocean. Things must be solved in a spiritual way, and it is not right to solve them according to people's inner thoughts.
Whoever fears the Lord will live; then he will be content, untouched by trouble.(Proverbs 19:23)
People really need to be taught, and people really need to have knowledge, because the corruption people reap from ignorance and foolishness is beyond your imagination. If a person is often furious and often loses his temper, how much punishment will he suffer? Once I answered the phone and heard a very strong tone on the other end. Why? Because of the knowledge of good and evil, he wanted to reason with me. He told me that the facts were not like this, but like that! He also wanted me to tell him who was gossiping behind his back. After listening, I thought, he really took me for a fool.
A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.(Proverbs 19:11)
Why do people have no insight? Their minds are filled with the stuff of old women, how can they have insight? If a person has knowledge inside, he will not be easily angered. If you get angry as soon as your temper rises, know that you are an ignorant person. There is also a kind of ignorant person who will say that I don't care, but as soon as you hear his tone, you know that this is a manifestation of the knowledge of good and evil, because he is actually very dissatisfied inside, a dead pig not afraid of boiling water, a fake indifference. In fact, it is indifference without ability or capital.
But if a person has ability and knowledge, he will start to care again. Before, he was a dead pig and a dead horse, but now he has become alive. Before, he was not qualified to love the world, but now he is qualified to love the world. So, our brothers and sisters cannot live in that kind of situation. It is not a question of whether to care or not, or whether to forgive or not. If a person has no knowledge, it is a tragedy.
If you strike a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you rebuke the discerning, they will gain knowledge. (Proverbs 19:25)
Shepherding is very difficult. Why? Sometimes it is necessary to use very stimulating words to stimulate the person being shepherded. Some time ago, I stimulated a brother. That brother often likes to ask questions that have answers but doesn't know what to do. This path cannot be taken like this! Some people ask even stupider questions, already having a point of view, and still ask, isn't that stupid? I said some words of beating and rebuke. I was worried that this brother would be hurt, but later he told me that he was not hurt, which comforted me.
It is really not easy to solve the problem of ignorance and foolishness. Sometimes when I minister in the room, my colleagues will hear my voice getting louder and louder, because if I don't do it that way, I can't turn them around. I try my best to turn them around, but I will not judge good and evil with them; I am very fierce and have a fiery temper, but I am conveying God's love, so that they all know one thing, that the teacher is doing it for my good. With this foundation, many things are easier to handle. Those demons are very bad, typing through the released sisters, saying that I want to kill her every time, but you are watching her too closely. You are too bad, I hate you to death. I think it is very glorious for the demons to hate me, because I am watching them closely with God's love.
If a person is ignorant, it is very difficult to manage, and you can only teach him little by little. Yesterday, I shepherded a person born in the 2000s, who said that he was very confused. Without knowledge, how can you not be confused? Knowing nothing, he heard a pile of foul things through hearsay. He doesn't know how to make a career plan, and he doesn't know what to take the postgraduate entrance exam in. Knowing nothing, if you are not confused, who is confused? I have to teach him. So I taught him together with his pastor. After finishing yesterday, his pastor said to me, Teacher, thank you for not giving up on me at the time. To be honest, as long as you don't give up, I won't give up. What I am most afraid of is people like porcupines, who put all the thorns on their bodies onto me. In the end, all your thorns are on me, and I become a porcupine. That would be troublesome.
Brothers and sisters should know that when shepherding, sometimes you need a whip, sometimes you need rebuke, and sometimes you even need punishment. Anyway, all kinds of weapons must be used well. Shepherding is to shepherd people into the realm of knowledge. So, brothers and sisters, don't play fake!
Better is a poor person whose walk is blameless than a rich person whose ways are perverse. I lead you in prayer for half an hour and ask you if the pain is better? But you ask me if I want to hear the truth or a lie? My goodness, how ignorant! I said, of course I want to hear the truth. Then tell me it's not better. Actually, wouldn't it be over if you said it bluntly? The pain is in your body, not in mine. Who are you fooling? What kind of brain is this? Do you think that asking is a great honor to me? No! That is a manifestation of your ignorance! If it is not better, it seems like I am losing face. The pain is in your body, why am I in a hurry? So people should not play fake, but be serious. Be serious, truly be a person with knowledge and wisdom, and no longer be ignorant and foolish.
I tell you all, the problems caused by human ignorance and foolishness are very deep. I will tell you a few things, how to have wisdom and intelligence. If people put down important things and pick up unimportant things, that is foolishness. Why? Because they have reversed what is important and what is not. So, when you see what a person values, you know the person's level of knowledge. Some people are not good enough and don't study, but they still talk nonsense. If you say it deeply, it won't work; if you say it shallowly, it is useless. I am very emotional.
When I was doing training, someone asked me for leave, saying that they could not come to the training. I asked him why he couldn't come, and he said that he was preparing for training and would train others tomorrow. I thought, with your skills, it is better to come and be trained first. The order is all messed up. Sometimes, I tell some brothers and sisters to reflect on themselves. As a result, they feel that they have changed a lot. Then I ask them where they have changed and how they have changed, but they can't explain it clearly. This trick of mine is very effective, so it is useless to fool me. It is useless to feel that you have changed yourself. How you have changed is important. If he can explain how he has changed, he is really clear and has really changed.
I usually give people tasks, and I explain them earnestly and repeatedly. My hair is white, not because I am old, but because I am overworked. I am destined to work hard. When a person knows that he is ignorant and foolish, he is blessed. Some people get this disease or that disease and are tossed enough; some people get cancer or this syndrome or that syndrome and still think they are the most perfect in the world. Then I will say to them, Brother, Sister, a person as ignorant as you is only born once every five thousand years. You are the boss in the world; a person like me is only born once every two hundred years, but we are different.
A rogue testifies mockingly; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. (Proverbs 19:28)
Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace. (Proverbs 19:26)
Many of the things that many people do are embarrassing to think about. Some people tell me that they are not respected at home. I asked him what he had done. He said that his mother was still alive, so he asked his mother to transfer the house to his name. I thought, who would respect you for being like this? Who would respect you? While the old lady is not dead, he wants to push the old lady to become a poor household. I think there are all kinds of things in this world. God in heaven sees someone like him and originally only gives him one curse, but now adds twice as much. When will he stop adding curses?
So when the curse comes, people should wake up. Some people feel very good about themselves before their illness is cured; they feel like they are going to heaven as soon as their illness is cured; they think they are great as soon as they turn from negative to zero, before they have accumulated to a certain extent.
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.(Proverbs 19:24)
Sluggards bury themselves in sleep; the idle spirit has pangs of hunger.(Proverbs 19:15)
Brothers and sisters should know that learning knowledge is very hard. People get sleepy as soon as they study and hungry as soon as they do some work. What do you say about this? In the final analysis, it is a manifestation of human laziness. You hold a cake in your hand, shout that you are hungry, and say that you have no strength. You get sleepy as soon as you read a book, and you feel uncomfortable as soon as you study. I sighed, how ignorant is this? Whoever does these things of reading and working will be tired. I have been reading since I was a child, and I have a big box of things I have written. At that time, my hands were sore from writing and I was tired! If a person is ignorant, he will feel that this is a chore. If he has knowledge, he will know that the foundation is that I must study well no matter what. So, brothers and sisters, can you develop a habit of having knowledge? The corruption of ignorance and foolishness is quite far-reaching.
Summary
Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.(Proverbs 19:29)
A whip can send a foolish person to hell or to heaven; some are whipped to the east sky, and some are whipped to the west sky. So brothers and sisters must know, don't rely on your ignorance anymore. Start to make up your mind and be a person with knowledge. Develop good habits of learning and good habits of overcoming difficulties. The corruption brought by ignorance will become less and less, and then the places where life gains benefits will become more and more.
Whoever keeps commandments guards his life, but whoever is careless with his ways will die.(Proverbs 19:16)
I give you a promise that if you have a difficult problem that you cannot overcome, I will work with you to solve it. If I can't solve it alone, I will solve it one by one until your difficult problem is overcome. Our pastors can hear clearly, I will work with you to solve it, all for free. I wish that one day God would give me a very good comment, that I am smart, wise, diligent, and distribute food to God's people in due season. Truly a smart and faithful servant! I long to be such a person. Someone asked me, can this thing be eaten as food? This is much better than food. I have eaten enough Northeastern cuisine and Cantonese cuisine, and I want to eat this dish, called the crown of glory.
I wish that all brothers and sisters would become knowledgeable people, knowing how to do shepherding and knowing how to be shepherded, and then run desperately forward on the road of knowing God. No longer relying on useless money, nor wanting to be an old horse, let alone an old donkey, whether we were born as dogs, donkeys, horses, or other animals in the past. Today we become human, from human to divine, living a life like gods. That is so good!
May God bless you all!