Again, we are going to take a view of the pious and the ungodly with the reference given to our heavenly Father. We will look at their life and actions, and why they do what they do.

Proverbs 16:1 "The preparations of the heart in man, And the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord."

This is looking at the mind of man, the thinking process of the physical, as well as the spirit of man, the intellect of his [her] soul. This is dealing with the person that is a child of God, and God's hand will be in everything that person does. When you have a thought, than He is the one that inspired those words that you utter. If it is words of wisdom, remember that all wisdom comes from God. If you say something that inspires another person, it was not you that brought it to pass, for God allowed you to be the instrument of use in his hand for that moment. Though man can make his plans, the outcome of those plans are in the hand of God.

Proverbs 16:2 "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; But the Lord weigheth the spirits."

Each of us usually gives ourselves the benefit of the doubt when there is a problem that comes up. Remember that your spirit is the intellect of your soul, not the flesh or your thinking brain [mind]. It is that part of you that lives eternally with your soul. This is not looking on your brain, or the physical part of you. When the Lord "weigheth the spirits", Father looks at your moral and spiritual intent of your spirit before He places value judgments to your spirit. God knows what you can and can not do, and the effort that you put forth doing the tasks that you do. God knows the intent of your spirit whether it is for good or for evil, and man simply cannot do that. Man can only judge your motives by outward appearances, and by what you say.

Proverbs 16:3 "Commit thy works unto the Lord, And thy thoughts shall be established."

When you commit your works to the Father, those thoughts going into the planning of those works will prosper. This is talking about being able to know that you will be successful before you even start the job. You become a can-do type person, for you know that it will be both you and God taking part in that works. Remember that all things that work to the good for them that love the Lord. When you have done all that you can do, commit it to Him, and ask God for His blessings.

Proverbs 16:4 "The Lord hath made all things for Himself: Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil."

Did you ever wonder why you are here on earth, or ever were created? This tells you that the Lord created everything for Himself, even you. Revelation 4:11 "Thou are 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." Sure, he loved and created all the souls, even of the wicked. For we were created to give him pleasure, and that could only happen if each of us had the power to choose whether we would love and respect Father, or turn our backs on Him. Father will give each soul the right to enter this earth age, live our life and chose Him and His ways, or follow Satan. There will be a separation coming in due time, following the judgment, but until that day, man [and woman], each soul has the right to follow God or Satan. It doesn't please the Father that He has to blot out the souls of those that will go astray, no our Father has emotions also. That is why our Father has patience and long suffering for those who follow evil, to give them every chance to come back to Him. Each person has their own freewill to be where ever they end up for the eternity. You will be where you select for yourself.

Proverbs 16:5 "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: Thought hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished."

Every one that has boasted himself or herself it a high position within his own mind, becomes an abomination to the Lord. That person has taken their eyes off the Lord, and elevated their position above the Lord as a created being. Even though many people get together and shake hands, or vote on your high position; just as sure as your pride will come, so will your fall. You can depend on it. Remember, that was Satan's downfall; His pride. Putting himself before God and thinking himself higher than Father. The wicked get away with nothing, for every thought and deed will be accounted for.

Proverbs 16:6 "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: And by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil."

"By mercy and truth all guilt is purged:" It is by the grace of God and the truth from God's holy Word that through repentance all gilt is gone. Anytime your mind turns to Father and His Word, you can't help it, evil will flee from you. Christ's atonement comes over you and puts you one with the Father. When your eyes turn to our Lord Jesus Christ and the great sacrifice He made for you, making us His child; then we become joint heirs with Christ.

Proverbs 16:7 "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him."

When a man tries to please the Lord by the path he take for his life, then even his enemies will get along with him. The central focus in our mind is how can we please our heavenly Father. Now if a person, enemy or not, is to have a change of mind, it will be God that makes the thoughts of that person change. When you try to please God, you will have an great number of friends because God is promising that he will change their minds to make it so.

Proverbs 16:8 "Better is a little with righteousness Than great revenues without right."

It is better to have enough to give you peace of mind, that to have great wealth and all the worry that goes with it. When you take on ill-gotten gain, your mind has taken on a load.

Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart deviseth his way: But the Lord directeth his steps."

A man thinks with his his mind, and is lead by the intellect of his soul. It is you that choses the way that you will go. No one can blame anyone else for anything that they do, once they have the wisdom from God. You think the process through and set the course for your own life. All wisdom comes from God and it is there free to all that will take it. Then the Lord will guide you through your life as you use the wisdom that He is giving to you.

Proverbs 16:10 "A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: His mouth transgresseth not in judgment."

Notice from the start, we are talking about a "divine sentence", so if the king is a servant of God, seeking to please God, he will make a wise decision.

Proverbs 16:11 "A just weight and balance are the Lord's: All the weights of the bag are His work."

This "just weight and balance" are from God, and that is the only type of justice that the king will deal with. The weights [stone, rock] of the His bag are the laws and ordinances that he makes his judgments with. God has a stone with your name written on it. Revelation 2:17 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." God loves all your just weights and your just decisions and He will reward your for following them. God promised us that he will take care of us when we strive to please him. He will even alter our plans when they are for our best interest.

Proverbs 16:12 "It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: For the throne is established by righteousness."

When someone that has been placed in authority to do wickedness, they become an abomination to the Lord. Any throne that is established will last far past the death of the king. So for that throne to remain, the set of laws and order that comes from that throne must be set with God's laws of righteousness. If the king chooses wickedness, his throne will not last. This applies to your business and your family life also. If you plan and follow a course of wickedness, it will not last. Your business will fold, and your family will end in divorce. However by following God's ways, both your business and family will prosper.

Proverbs 16:13 "Righteous lips are the delight of kings; And they love him that speaketh right."

Your word, and its value and respect given by others to it, is one of the most valued things that you can have. It should be protected as the most valued possession you have. Your name is only as good as your word. If you promise something to a child, keep that commitment, for those memories are very long lasting.

Proverbs 16:14 "The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: But a wise man will pacify it."

The wrath of a king could cause your death, but a wise person is one that is able to explain to the king that wickedness is not the things that that you do. If you did something wrong, by giving your motive could pacify him and delay his judgment on you. This applies not just to the king, but to all authority over you.

Proverbs 16:15 "In the light of the king's countenance is life; And his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain."

This is speaking of the government, and if you are on the side of the government of your country, then you are trouble free. When you respect the laws of the land, that government protects you when you teach God's Word. Of course this is speaking of the time we are living in today. The early rain is when the seed is planted, but the latter rain is needed to bring the fruit to maturity and ready for harvest. The profits come from the harvest, yet that would not happen without the planting of the seed and the early rain to bring it along. Those little things are necessary in the beginning in order to prepare the way for the gospel to go forth within any nation.

Proverbs 16:16 "How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!"

These are the perfect gift for anyone, Wisdom and Understanding. When you seek after wisdom, and gain the understanding, then the gold and silver comes easy. However if you give a fool a lot of gold and silver, it will flow right through his fingers and into another's hand. He will get ripped of right away. Father will only give you what you are able to handle, for the rest will be wasted, and given away. That is God's blessings.

Proverbs 16:17 "The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul."

The way of the righteous always follows an upright path and stays away from evil. If you faithfully follow Christ, you are on the right path to eternal life for your soul.

Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall."

"A haughty spirit" is one that is full of pride. When you think you are the best, you are on your way down. Pride was the fall of Satan, and caused him to fall. God tells us in Ezekiel 28:15 "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." Then we see that Satan saw the great beauty that he was, and acted on that beauty. Ezekiel 28:17 "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee." Pride is how Satan works in boasting you up, and letting you fall. The results of that pride are in the eighteenth verse.

Ezekiel 28:18 "Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, but the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee." This end to Satan and all that follow him and his ways is recorded in Revelation 20:14, 15; "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." [14] "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." The second death is the death of the soul and spirit. This comes at the end of the Millennium age.

Proverbs 16:19 "Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud."

It is better to humble with those that suffer, than to have a victory and divide the spoil with the proud. Why, they are going to hell. Remember the pride comes before the fall. That was Satan's sin, and we say from Revelation 20:14 what the end results of that sin is. Your are better off suffering for a while following God's way through humility, than reaping the temporary victory in Satan's camp following Satan's ways.

Proverbs 16:20 "He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: And whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."

When you use good common sense and follow the ways of the Lord, the end will always have good results. Remember, if you trust in the Lord, that documents your faith, then once God see the faith that you have, He will assist you in that matter. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. As you read the Word and store it in your mind, the confidence that you have by and through your actions based on that knowledge, establishes your belief [faith]. Get it? Faith requires action on your part, demonstrating that you are willing to rely completely on the Word you have absorbed. What good is a Cain or crutches is you are afraid to put you full weight on it. You get a Cain that will hold your weight, then you trust it to hold your up. The Word is your Cain, so trust it to hold you up. And thank God for the promises He gives us through His Word. So, happy is he that trusteth in the Lord, in God's holy Word. You can count on it. God's promises and guarantee is written in that Word.

Proverbs 16:21 "The wise in heart shall be called prudent: And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning."

The person with a wise mind, shows prudence in his actions. Prudence is using common sense in all that your do. So what this is saying is that with wisdom, comes respect. "Sweetness of the lips" is not based on the sweet things that you can say, for Satan is an expert at saying all the right things to deceive and lead you astray. Sweet lips are the lips that teach the truth of God's Word causing the listening minds to increase their learning. The person with the sweet lips cares about the listener's soul.

Proverbs 16:22 "Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: But the instruction of fools is folly."

A "wellspring" is a spring that never runs dry. The pure water continues to flow from it and you can rely on it. When you have the understanding of God's Word, then that Word become a fresh supply of spiritual water for the rest of your life. Do you have it? The results that comes from the rejection of wisdom becomes the fools folly. Folly is the fruit or results of the actions brought by the fool.

Proverbs 16:23 "The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, And addeth learning to his lips."

The mind of a wise person thinks before he opens his mouth. He learns from his mistakes and builds on them. He is wise enough to learn from the first mistake, and does not do it over and over. God's judgment starts at the pulpit and with those that teach God's Word. That is why it is very important that the mind of the teacher gives only truth from God's Word in his or her teaching, God holds each teacher accountable for what they teach. It is very serious to be substituting the teaching of the traditions of men over the Word. If you are teaching, be careful what comes from your lips.

Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."

Just as the bones are the foundation to the body and give the body stability; so also the pleasant words from God's Word are the foundation to your soul, and spiritual life. It give you stability in your everyday life. The honeycomb stores the honey and sweetness for a later time. The "pleasant words" from the Scriptures stores wisdom in your mind for use at a later time. "Sweet" is the truth that gives health to your mental stability.

Proverbs 16:25 "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death."

We get use to many everyday saying, and when we hear them they seem so right. They are established by traditions, and we get use to saying those words without even thinking. That is why we must think what we say before we say it. If you are not careful by what words you say and follow, it can lead you to the death of your soul. It doesn't matter what man's traditions are, for God is the Judge. God is on the throne, and the final authority is in the hand of our Heavenly Father. Check out your thought to see that they conform to God's Word.

Proverbs 16:26 "He that laboureth laboureth for himself; For his mouth craveth it from him."

A working man's hunger encourages him on to continue in his work. When a man sees his children in need of food, it encourages him to get up, and go to work. There is nothing like hunger pangs to get the mind headed in the right direction; to work.

Proverbs 16:27 "An ungodly man diggeth up evil: And in his lips there is as a burning fire."

An ungodly man just can't help that evil continually comes his way. He finds pleasure setting traps for those around him to fall into. When you see one like this, mark him well and stay clear of him.

Proverbs 16:28 "A froward man soweth strife: And a whisperer separateth chief friends."

A perverse man can not help that he soweth strife where ever he goes. The "whisperer" is a "back biter", one that talks behind your back and gossip about you, can cause trouble between two friend in a moment. Don't ever take what someone says about you as truth, unless that person has said it to your face. Many good friendships are broken up for years, only to find out later that the trouble was build on a lie or misunderstanding. They had a "back biter, a strife maker" in their midst. Mark those "froward" men and women well.

Proverbs 16:29 "A violent man enticeth his neighbour, And leadeth him into the way that is not good."

This violent man is just as dangerous as the froward man, for he can lead you into trouble just as fast as the gossiper and whisperer. Be prepared to avoid violence when you see it coming. Stay away from those that are always trying to prove a point at any cost. Use wisdom with good common sense.

Proverbs 16:30 "He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: Moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass."

This is speaking of the violent man, the back biter, and froward man [woman] from the prior verses, and instead of thinking of how to keep peace with those around him, he is always looking for ways to cause trouble. They find pleasure in messing those around them. This action is a sign that this person feel themselves inferior.

Proverbs 16:31 "The hoary head is a crown of glory, If it be found in the way of righteousness."

A "hoary head" means "gray hair", but there is a qualification to this gray head of hair. "If" that man with the gray hair follows the way or path of righteousness, then it become a crown of glory. That senior citizen has experience all the pit falls of life, and has learned to walk in the righteous path of Christ for him or herself. What type of advice can that senior person give you, one of wisdom or of the ways of the world?

Proverbs 16:32 "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."

We are talking about self control, and self conquest here. The "spirit" is the intellect of your soul. This looks into the eternity, for the one that controls their spirit, the intellect of their soul, walks in the path of righteousness. However, you can be a great hero in battle and take a city, but in the end, lose your very soul. It is a matter of your commitment to the things and way of God that determines the outcome for your soul. You must seek the path to the Father by the way He has set forth, through Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord."

This is talking about the lots cast, the stone, or ephod. These stones were cast by the priests in the early priests to determine the outcome of some event, or to make a judgment on some matter. However today, through Christ's Spirit we are able to have the correct leadership without the casting of stones. Today we can read the Scriptures and know the will of the Father, rather than setting our course in life by looking at two rocks. The lot is like rolling dice to see the outcome, only it was thought that God set the outcome of those stones. Rolling the dice today is going strictly by chance, and not with supernatural direction.

So what this is saying is that you can cast your lot, but it is God that determines what the outcome will be. However, today God doesn't work that way today. God has spelled out in detail exactly what we are to do, and what the end results will be when we follow that course of action. In the end, the result will be what ever God wants it to be.