Proverbs 18:1 - Isolation and Separation Can Be Signs of Selfishness and Pride.
Proverbs 18:1 - Isolation and Separation Can Be Signs of
Selfishness and Pride.
Proverbs 18:1 (NKJV) A man who isolates himself seeks his own
desire; He rages against all wise judgment.
Proverbs 18:1 (NASB) He who separates himself seeks his own
desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.
Proverbs 18:1 (ESV) Whoever isolates himself seeks his own
desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
Proverbs 18:1 (HCSB) One who isolates himself pursues
⌊selfish⌋ desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.
Proverbs 18:1 (NIV) An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he
defies all sound judgment.
Proverbs 18:1 (NCV) Unfriendly people are selfish and hate all
good sense.
Proverbs 18:1 (NLT) Unfriendly people care only about
themselves; they lash out at common sense.
Proverbs 18:1 (TEV) People who do not get along with others are
interested only in themselves; they will disagree with what everyone else
knows is right.
Isolates himself: One who always insists on his own way will
break with his friends and companions. [Passages Of Life SB]
Friendship has its risks (v. 19), but the isolated person is not
wise (v. 1). We belong to each other, and we need each other (v. 14).
We may have many acquaintances, but we have few real friends. The
person with too many friends may end up in trouble (v. 24 margin). Be a
true friend and God will give you true friends who will stick close
to you throughout life. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by
Warren Wiersbe re Prov. 18]
A real friend can be trusted (Prov. 11:13; 17:9) and will stay
with you when you are in trouble (Prov. 17:17; 25:19). Friends love
you too much to pamper you (Prov. 27:6, 17), and their counsel helps
you (Prov. 27:9). A real friend is good for generations (Prov.
27:10)! Some people do not make good friends: those who tempt you to sin
(Prov. 1:10ff.); gluttons (Prov. 28:7); drunkards (Prov. 23:20-21);
gossips (Prov. 20:19); the violent and angry (Prov. 16:29; 22:24-25);
and flatterers (Prov. 27:14). Your best friends are those who have
Jesus Christ as their Friend and seek to be like Him (John 15:12-15).
[Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re Prov. 18]
When you were a little kid, best friends really meant best
friends. You played together every day. You invited each other over all
the time. You stuck up for each other when the neighborhood bully
showed up. You shared secrets, passwords, and favorite things. It was
all about one thing: loyalty.
Proverbs 18 covers friends-the loyal ones, the kind you can't
do without. As you read, you will find a challenge to live up to
the standard of an ideal friend. You will also find a warning to
avoid those who pretend to be friends but aren't...
Today, more than ever, friendlessness plagues many people.
With all the advances in technology, people, for the most part, are
no longer dependent upon one another. It's no wonder, then, why
some people feel cut off and alienated from others, even those they
consider "friends."
God, however, made us to be social beings, in need of close,
meaningful relationships. Each one of us needs a friend who will listen,
care, stick close, and offer help whenever we need it-in good times
and bad. One such friend means more than dozens of superficial
acquaintances (Proverbs 18:24).
If you're lonely and in need of a good friend, take the first
step to developing great friendships: seek to become a true and loyal
friend to someone else. Ask God to reveal this person to you. Then take
on the challenge of being a true friend by caring, listening,
helping, and affirming. Your friends need your friendship as much as you
need theirs. [The One Year Through the Bible Devotional by Dave
Veerman re vv. 15-24]
It is an old and common saying, that "coming events cast their
shadows before them"; the wise man teaches us that a haughty heart is
the prophetic prelude of evil.... When men have ridden the high
horse, destruction has always overtaken them. Let David's aching heart
show that there is an eclipse of a man's glory when he dotes upon his
own greatness.... See Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty builder of Babylon,
creeping on the earth, devouring grass like oxen.... Pride made the
boaster a beast, as once before it made an angel a devil. God hates high
looks, and never fails to bring them down.... O Christian, is thine
heart haughty this evening? For pride can get into the Christian's
heart as well as into the sinner's; it can delude him into
dreaming.... Art thou glorying in thy graces or thy talents? Art thou proud
of thyself?... If we forget to live at the foot of the cross in
deepest lowliness of spirit, God will not forget to make us smart under
His rod.... Wherefore, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the
Lord." (Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon) [Inspirational SB]
What is it that keeps you from seeing yourself as you really
are, others from seeing you as you wish you really were, and God from
helping you become what you would really like to be?
As you ponder that riddle, take a look at the lesson
contained in 18:12. (It's so important, you'll find it also in 16:18-19.)
Pride-in yourself, your possessions, your abilities - brings
destruction. Humility - before God, before others, before yourself-brings
honor. God delights in raising up the lowly (3:34), but He despises the
proud (6:16-17; 16:5). A proud person fights himself (8:36), others
(13:10), and God (16:5), and eventually his end is destruction. Just as
pride caused Lucifer to want to be greater than God (Isaiah 14:12-14),
resulting in condemnation (1 Timothy 3:6), so pride can ruin your life.
Look for opportunities today to exercise humility instead of
pride. Nothing is as hard to do gracefully as getting down off your
high horse - and nothing is as necessary! Look for one person whose
needs and interests you can place above your own today. Go out of your
way to express a word of sincere appreciation. Remember, all you
have and are is given to you by God (1 Corinthians 4:7).
And if you had trouble with the riddle, remember that pride
covers your own sins; pride obscures the view of others; and pride
hinders service for God! [Your Daily Walk SB]
The yoke of the Lord Jesus will never fit on a stiff neck. [Your
Daily Walk SB]
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Grace Notes: http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php
Excellent Spiritual Resource Site:
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/
More Spiritual Resources: http://www.aBible.com
TWO INCREDIBLE TESTIMONIES:
Finding God in a Prison Cell:
http://www.itiswritten.com/television#episodes/1212
With Christ in the Desert:
http://www.itiswritten.com/television#episodes/1211
