In Proverbs 14 we read that God can bless a nation or curse a nation by the by the way that a nation respects and follows His Word. Each person within that nation can feel those blessings or cursing, and see the respect given Father by the actions and events going on around them. Sure, the nation may be on a downward slide, but the righteous person can be blessed, even when it appears things are not right. When you try to do what is right in all matters, God counts is approved and to righteousness. So to sum up that chapter, it dealt with wise compared to the foolish, and the rich to the poor in their interaction with each other.

So now we will look into how we should get along with other religions, and interact with them.

Proverbs 15:1 "A soft answer turneth away wrath: But grievous words stir up anger."

When people of another faith or belief come at you over your beliefs, let the word of God do your speaking for you. Don't allow your imaginations be the proof, but seek the proof directly from the Word. For if they do not accept the truth, you are wasting your time, for they will not listen to anything you say, nor do they care what you say. God's Word is soft, but it is tough love at times, but it gets the job done.

Proverbs 15:2 "The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: But the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness."

If you have milk in a milk bottle, then the only thing that will come out of that bottle is milk. If you have knowledge in your brain, and you desire to speak, then you will speak with the knowledge that you have put there. If a person puts nothing but trash in his brain, that trash is the only thing that will come pouring out of that fools mouth. The only thing that comes out of a man or woman is what he or she feeds their brain with.

Proverbs 15:3 "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Beholding the evil and the good."

It doesn't matter where you go, or how you try to hide you actions, Father sees you where every you are, and He can read your thought and know the intend of your mind. God records all your thoughts and deeds, the good and the bad [evil]. Nobody gets away with anything, and God keeps a book on you. The day will come when those things will be judged and you will stand accountable.

Revelation 20:11 "And I saw a great white throne, and Him That sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."

This great white throne judgment before the throne of God is following both this earth age, and the thousand year millennium age of Jesus Christ's kingdom. There will be no place to hide from this throne.

Revelation 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

The books judge your works, where as the "book of life" has only your name recorded. For those evil deed are washed away and blotted out under the blood of Christ through your repentance. That is why we pray in Jesus name, for Jesus' name is the only credentials that you have at the throne of God. He is the only way, the truth and the life [eternal life]. God observes the good also, because that is where our blessings come from, and the eternal rewards. This judgment will be a wonderful time.

Proverbs 15:4 "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: But perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit."

This is a comparison between the spiritual body, as opposed to the flesh body. The flesh tongue is flesh, and speaks from a flesh mind. It follows physical direction and is directed to physical matters. The tongue only speaks that which comes out of your physical mind. Any time your tongue speaks "perverseness", it creates a "breach in your spirit" and can damage you spirit which is the "intellect of your soul". We are talking about damage to your eternal soul.

However, when you have placed spiritual thoughts and studies from God's word in your mind, to where you understand spiritual matters, Then your spiritual thinking process becomes wholesome, and words that you speak will reflect those spiritual thoughts and attitudes. What you put into your mind, is what determines the words that come out of your mind.

Proverbs 15:5 "A fool despiseth his father's instruction: But he that regardeth reproof is prudent."

The fool will not listen to instruction and correction, and thus he does not have the knowledge to use common sense. Prudence again is the ability to exercise sound judgment in practical matters especially in dealing with your own interests. When you listen to sound instruction as a child, you learn to develop a thinking pattern to exercise sound judgment in your actions and speech. You tend to think things through and don't make quick and rash decisions.

Proverbs 15:6 "In the house of the righteous is much treasure: But in the revenues of the wicked is trouble."

It simply doesn't matter how much profit there is in the wicked man's house, there will always be trouble. If you were crooked in your methods of obtaining your wealth, you are endanger of even getting rid of it.

Proverbs 15:7 "The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: But the heart of the foolish doeth not so."

Back to that old saying, "garbage in, garbage out: Knowledge in Knowledge out". You only speak according to what your mind is able to speak. The mind of the fool has no direction, so there is wisdom that come for their speech.

Proverbs 15:8 "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: But the prayer of the upright is His delight."

Any gift or sacrifice that a wicked man makes with his ill-gotten gains is an abomination to the Lord. It become stench in Father nostrils and He will allow it. He doesn't want it. However, Father will bless you for living a righteous life, and you become a delight to him. The choice is between gain by doing it God's Way, through his blessings; or following a wick path to selfish gains.

The man that spends all his time ripping everybody off and gaining a great wealth, then when the offering plate is passed on Sunday, he feels that he can make thing right in his giving. God is telling us here that that person's sacrifice "is an abomination to the Lord", to Him. So that forces that man to stay with that which is evil.

Proverbs 15:9 "The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: But He loveth him that followeth after righteousness."

God loves all those that will try to follow His Ways, the path of righteousness. God will bless them that make a commitment to Him, even if it telling Father that you love Him.

Proverbs 15:10 "Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: And he that hateth reproof shall die."

"Sharp correction is for him that forsaketh the way:" The man or woman that takes pride in dealing wickedly will get his just due in the end. So what this is saying, is that if you hate God's warning, you are going to die: die the spiritual death on judgment day.

Proverbs 15:11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord: How much more then the hearts of the children of men?"

"Hell", the place of holding for judgment; and "destruction" is one of Satan's names. Revelation 9:11 "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit [Satan], whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon [destruction], But in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon [destruction]." God cares what you think, and he is aware of everything that you do and say. He knows if your mind is given to destruction or righteous ways. God wants you to love love Him.

Proverbs 15:12 "A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: Neither will he go unto the wise."

The scorner just doesn't care about wisdom, to learn it or to listen to anything warnings and instruction given to him. In that all wisdom comes from God, the scorner is a non-believer. A scorner does not respect nor fear God, nor will he respect or fear anything that you say. If you know this, be wise in what you say or do around him.

Proverbs 15:13 "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."

This is so true, you can tell by looking at a person exactly how they feel.

Proverbs 15:14 "The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: But the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness."

The mind of those that seek after truth and understanding will study and seek after knowledge: But the fool just doesn't care what is said or written. The only place to seek knowledge in setting the course for your life is from Father Word.

Proverbs 15:15 "All the days of the afflicted are evil: But he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."

"A merry heart", will be expressed as "a peace of mind". A humble heart will give a constant peace that can not be taken from you. Along with that peace of mind, we have all the promises that Father has given each of us through His Word. We can count on those promises and blessings.

However those that seek to do evil will be afflicted with the curses that God also promised in His Word. We read of those curses in Deuteronomy 28:15-57.

Proverbs 15:16 "Better is little with the fear of the Lord: Than great treasure and trouble therein."

Your path through life will always be better by loving the Lord and receiving His blessings: than to spend time worrying about those bills and what people will say about you. Worry is the biggest waste of time for a man or woman of God, for God has promised you that he will go before you and clear the path for you.

Proverbs 15:17 "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith."

It is better to have only herbs for dinner in a household of love, that a big stake dinner where there is hatred in the family. Have you ever sat done at a fine meal, and all you hear is arguing and gripping, and bickering between the family? That is what this is talking about. It is better not to eat, than to be fighting while your eating. However to those enjoying God's blessings, there is eating of the fine steak, and having the love of God and your family at the dinner table.

Proverbs 15:18 "A wrathful man stirreth up strife: But he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife."

Trouble follows a wrathful man where ever he goes. He is quick to anger and with little or any forethought in what he does. But a wise person will give a soft word to that anger, and it will calm down the anger and strife. A soft word spoken turneth away wrath.

Proverbs 15:19 "The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: But the way of the righteous is made plain."

A "slothful man" is a lazy person. The lazy person will build a a hedge of thorns or excuses for anything you ask him to do. When you come to a hedge of thorns you don't go through it, but around it. God just doesn't have much use for lazy people.

A better way of saying "the way of the righteous is made plain", God paves the way of the righteous that goes before them. He makes it easier to get around the obstacles that show up in our lives.

Proverbs 15:20 "A wise son maketh a glad father: But a foolish man despiseth his mother."

It takes a very brash person to despise his mother. The person that does not love His loving mother has very little love for anything else. The last person in the world that will give up on you is your mother.

Proverbs 15:21 "Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: But a man of understanding walketh uprightly."

The fool take pride and joy in being stupid and without wisdom: However the righteous man with understanding has it all together. He know what he is doing and where he is going. There is a plan in and for his life.

Proverbs 15:22 "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: But in the multitude of counsellers they are established."

Without direction and planning, there is no direction in your life, and thing just will not go your way. A wise person seeks out the instruction and guidance before they start a project or sets a course for their life. You are going to study the advice given you and understand it before you start with the course of action. Never start a business that you are ignorant of, learn the business before you put your money into it, or you will fail. Seek advice from those that are successful in that business.

Proverbs 15:23 "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: And a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

A man that can give good advice and helps other, will benefit in the long run. When a word is given at the right time, where it will benefit someone at a critical time, will be rewarded. That is what we are to do with the Word, learn it and pass it on to others.

Proverbs 15:24 "The way of life is above to the wise, That he may depart from hell beneath."

To the wise person, their path in life is always leading upward. He is focused on the ways of the Lord, and there is no way that he will be lead astray. This applies both to your spiritual life, as well as your vocation and family life.

Proverbs 15:25 "The Lord will destroy the house of the proud: But He will establish the border of the widow."

There is tenderness in this verse. Remember that it was Satan's pride that caused his fall in that first earth age. Our Heavenly Father does not like a person with a proud heart, because that person has put himself before the Lord and His ways. However our God that will destroy the proud and wicked, will set the land marks of her borders, and protect that woman from being taken advantage of. God take care of the widow, and those that take advantage of her had better look out.

Proverbs 15:26 "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: But the words of the pure are pleasant words."

The thoughts of a righteous person is a pleasure to the ears of our heavenly Father. Have you told Father that you love Him today, He loves to her those words coming from your lips. That is why you were created...Revelations 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." When you please God, he blesses you. However when your thoughts are wicked, you become an abomination to Him.

Proverbs 15:27 "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; But he that hateth gifts shall live."

One that can't get enough of anything, money, land, fame or what ever stands in his way, will place that before his own family. The family suffers while he is off chasing his own dreams. Sure he may say he is doing it for the family, however in the long run, it is for his own personal pride gain.

Of course the last part of this verse doesn't make sense. The word "gifts" in the Hebrew text is "bribes". If a verse doesn't make sense, then something was wrong with the translation. "He that hateth bribes shall live [eternal life]". The one that does it God's Way will have eternal life, and God expects his children to enjoy all that He has given them. When you study God's Word, trust your common sense, and when it appears that the Word is going against itself, it is time for a little more study.

Proverbs 15:28 "The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things."

The righteous man or woman will meditate and think about his or her answer before speaking on a matter. The wicked man will talk before he thinks of what he is going to say. If he doesn't have an answer, he will make one up. In that this is a religious chapter, it is also referring to who you will listen to for you truth from God's Word.

Proverbs 15:29 "The Lord is far from the wicked: But He heareth the prayer of the righteous."

This answers all sorts of questions, as to what the Lord does and does not do. A wicked person that follows his own imaginations and not the Word, probably doesn't think of himself as wicked, however the Lord knows his heart. He is not going to help them while in that condition. God both hears and answers the prayer of a righteous person. If you are having trouble in your prayer life, it is time to see if you are following the rules God set forth here in Proverbs.

Proverbs 15:30 "The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: And a good report maketh the bones fat."

This is referring to your spiritual eyes, that are reflected in your mind within its thoughts. When your spirit, the intellect of the soul, is controlling your physical mind, your heart or mind rejoiceth and you have peace of mind. Then you can see the workings of God in your life, and in the world around you. You know that God is in control, and you can see the blessing and promises as they are given and take place. Friend, when you see any prophecy coming to pass, good or bad, that is good news for God is letting you know that He is in control and you will know the times and season you are in.

Proverbs 15:31 "The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise."

The persons that can't be correct is one that is a "know it all". They already have their mind made up, and they think they are right. However if you expect to have the blessings of the Father, you had better be tuned and ready for reproof, when you hear the correction coming from a wise teacher.

Proverbs 15:32 "He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: But he that heareth reproof getteth understanding."

You gain understanding by the instruction and reproof from the wise and God's Word. Those that turn their backs to the Word, sets his course of life that leads to destruction, and the death of his soul in the end. This not only applies to your spiritual life, but in everything you do. Your business can fail, if you refuse to pay attention to the little things going on within your business.

Proverbs 15:33 "The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; And before honour is humility."

When you love the Lord, you also love to be instructed by His Word. You do not mind the reproof and correction that comes into your life, because you know you will be better off with it. It is the beginning of wisdom, because we know that all wisdom comes from God. If God gives you a gift or talent, it is God that gets the glory when you use it for His kingdom. Your humility and praise to Father for allowing you to use the gift must come before allowing honor and glory to ourselves. Any glory and honor of any spiritual gift or talent belongs to Father. As we use those talents for Him, God will bless you for doing it His way. It isn't a bribe, but your reward for doing it God's way.