Proverbs 23:1-18

When you’ve been invited to dine with a very important leader, consider your manners and keep in mind whom you’re with. Be careful to curb your appetite and catch yourself before you fall into the trap of wanting all you see. Don’t crave their delicacies, for they may have another motive in having you sit at their table. Don’t compare yourself to the rich. Surrender your selfish ambition and evaluate them properly. For no sooner do you start counting your wealth than it sprouts wings and flies away like an eagle in the sky— here today, gone tomorrow! Be sensible when you dine with a stingy man and don’t eat more than you should. For as he thinks within himself, so is he. He will grudgingly say, “Go ahead and eat all you want,” but in his heart he resents the fact that he has to pay for your meal. You’ll be sorry you ate anything at all, and all your compliments will be wasted. A rebellious fool will despise your wise advice, so don’t even waste your time—save your breath! Never move a long-standing boundary line or attempt to take land that belongs to the fatherless. For they have a mighty protector, a loving redeemer, who watches over them, and he will stand up for their cause. Pay close attention to the teaching that corrects you, and open your heart to every word of instruction. Don’t withhold appropriate discipline from your child. Go ahead and punish him when he needs it. Don’t worry—it won’t kill him! A good spanking could be the very thing that teaches him a lifelong lesson! My beloved child, when your heart is full of wisdom, my heart is full of gladness. And when you speak anointed words, we are speaking mouth to mouth! Don’t allow the actions of evil men to cause you to burn with anger. Instead, burn with unrelenting passion as you worship God in holy awe. Your future is bright and filled with a living hope that will never fade away.