Chapter 19
I have another reflected question: Have you ever watched someone make one bad decision… and then double down with an even worse one? It’s like ignoring the GPS because you obviously know better (we’ve talked about that already). And then, even after you realize you’ve messed up, you figure it’s still a good idea to turn right again… even though the directions are basically yelling at you to turn left. Next thing you know, the sun is going down, the GPS is so mad she stops talking to you, and you’re officially, hopelessly lost. Yup — I’ve had a few moments like that over the years.
Proverbs 19 feels like a guidebook for not being that person. It gently — and sometimes not-so-gently — calls us to slow down, wise up, and stop sprinting into walls.
This chapter is packed with wisdom, warnings, and a few reality checks. It talks about what happens when we rush ahead without thinking, when we ignore advice, or when we let our temper drive the bus. Spoiler alert: it usually crashes. Proverbs 19 asks us to look at our motives: Are we chasing wealth or character? Listening to wise voices or just doing our own thing? Are we reacting out of pride or walking with humility?
And then there’s discipline. Nobody loves it. (If you do, maybe get that checked out.) But this chapter reminds us that discipline is part of wisdom — and ignoring it is like ignoring the warning light on your dashboard and hoping the low oil level, or low tire pressure just “fixes itself”
Personally, I’ve had more moments than I’d like to admit where I didn’t want wisdom — I just wanted a shortcut. I wanted quick results, not godly character. And, shocker, that didn’t work out so great. Proverbs 19 reminds us that wisdom doesn’t always feel urgent, but it always leads somewhere better.
And like the chapters before, it speaks to the heart. It presses us to ask: Am I actually listening? Am I living like I trust God? Or am I just winging it and hoping He blesses the mess later?
Because here’s the thing: when we reject wisdom, we’re not just ignoring good advice — we’re ignoring the One who created us, and the Author of that good advice. But when we lean into His correction, even when it stings, we find ourselves walking in step with the heart of God.
That’s exactly how Jesus lived. He didn’t chase status, comfort, or control. He didn’t react in pride or panic. He listened, He trusted, and He obeyed — even when it led to the cross. His life was full of humility and wisdom. And because of that, we now have life, too.
So if Proverbs 19 could talk, it might say something like: “Don’t be the guy who ignores the manual, crashes the car, and then blames the GPS.” Slow down. Listen. Choose wisdom over impulse. And don’t just ask, “What should I do?” — ask, “Who am I becoming?”
1 Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
2 Desire without knowledge is not good–how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD.
4 Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
6 Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.
7 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.
8 The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury–how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
11 A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.
16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.
18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.
19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
22 What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.
23 The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
27 Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29 Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.