Let Someone Else Praise You

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.

Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

Like a bird that flees its nest is anyone who flees from home.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.

Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

Proverbs 27:1-10

My children were thrilled, but I felt uneasy. During a vacation, we visited an aquarium where people could pet small sharks kept in a special tank. When I asked the attendant if the creatures ever snapped at fingers, she explained that the sharks had recently been fed and then given extra food. They wouldn’t bite because they weren’t hungry.

What I learned about shark petting makes sense according to a proverb: “One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet” (Proverbs 27:7). Hunger—that sense of inner emptiness—can weaken our discernment as we make decisions. It convinces us that it’s okay to settle for anything that fills us up, even if it causes us to take a bite out of someone.

God wants more for us than a life lived at the mercy of our appetites. He wants us to be filled with Christ’s love so that everything we do flows from the peace and stability He provides. The constant awareness that we’re unconditionally loved gives us confidence. It enables us to be selective as we consider the “sweet” things in life—achievements, possessions, and relationships.

Only a relationship with Jesus gives true satisfaction. May we grasp His incredible love for us so we can be “filled to the measure [with] all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19) for our sake—and the sake of others.

What are you most hungry for in life? Why does Jesus fulfill you in a way that nothing else can?

Those who see Jesus as the Bread of Life will never be hungry.

Our Daily Bread – June 29, 2019