The Bible Study Podcast, episode 476. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of the book of

Proverbs with chapter 14. Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

We continue our march through Proverbs. When we get to 16 and a half, we are halfway through, so we're almost there.

Again, we get a series of Proverbs, this time 35 of them, so please be patient as we deal with them one at a time.

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands, the foolish one tears hers down. I don't think

they're saying that foolish people are really bad at construction, but what I think they're saying is

that as we build a house, as we build a life, we do it with care. And if we are careful of our actions,

if we're wise with our actions, we will build things up. If we are foolish, we will probably without intent tear things

apart, whether that be families or lives or maybe even houses. Whoever fears the Lord walks

uprightly, but those who despise him are devious in their ways. So upright we get here is,

think about it as being just kind of open and obvious. I am the same

person in private that I am in public. That's what upright means. I don't mean that I am. I hope to be

and I try to be, but I am not always. But that's what upright means is basically you're straight with

God. You're basically doing all the right things.

You don't have to be devious. You don't have to think about who is this person and who am I with

them. I talk the same to you as I do behind your back about you. A fool's mouth lashes out with

pride, but the lips of the wise protect them. Again, how many times have we talked about lips and what you say?

And don't, it says, lash out with pride. If we're not so prideful, if we don't think so highly of

ourselves, we don't have to attack people who may have said something against us. We are protected

by humility, and we're protected by watching what we say.

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty.

From the strength of an ox comes abundant harvest.

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