Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith

Proverbs 25:4

Dross is, according to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, "the scum, or impurity, that forms on the surface of molten metal". This dross is useless to the metal. It makes it less valuable and, in some cases, makes it completely worthless. When the scum is gone, it makes the metal so much more valuable and usable.

This is much like it is in our own lives. Our lives are worthless and unvaluable because of all of the things that we have done to add dross to our lives. We add scum and impurities to our lives and make ourselves less important. When we allow God to come in and take out all of the impurities and scum in our life, we become more valuable. We are then able to be used by God for His purpose.

It's not a one-step process either. We have to be continually cleansed and made pure by God. We constantly need to be refined in order to keep our "usability" pure. When we allow God to change us into something better (which is all that he ever does), we allow ourselves to become more valuable, not only to others, but also to the kingdom of God.

There's No "Game Planning" In Life

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21

God's will is better. It's as simple as that. We need to consult God before we make plans for our lives. Our plans will not last. We don't know when our last day will be. We don't know what lies ahead in our lives, but God knows everything. He knows every step of our life. He knows the steps we have taken and the steps we will take. He knows the people we will meet and the people we have known our whole lives. He knows what is best. Just like a parent will try to do what's best for you, God will lead you in the way that you need to go. But unlike a parent, God knows exactly what is going to happen. Parents, as great as they may be, can make mistakes. God won't. He ALWAYS knows best. You can always trust him. In Proverbs, it also says this:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Proverbs 3:5

God knows what is best. Surrender completely to Him, and your life will be right. It may not always be easy, and it may not always be "SO much fun!" but it will be right. It will be satisfying in the end. And in the end, you will be in a place of eternal perfection with the God Almighty, who gave you life and led you through it.

Check!

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.

Proverbs 18:2

The words of a man's mouth are deep waters

Proverbs 18:4a

A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

Proverbs 18:6-8

He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame.

Proverbs 18:13

From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:20-21

Wow! All those verses about our words, and that's only one chapter! Obviously, this is a big matter. What we say can really hurt, or even really help someone. Words are the hardest thing to keep under control. In James it says "If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." (James 3:2) That is how important what we say is. What we say controls how we live and what we do. James also calls the tongue a "restless evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3:7) We need to constantly keep our words in check.

How do we keep our words in check? By keeping our mind in check. Don't let rude or corrupt thoughts continually go through your head. Pray for help to keep ungodly thoughts out of your mind. Keep yourself in check with what God wants for you. Remember that we are representing God and we are to be disciples for Him. No one is going to believe that we are representing the children of God if we are being rude, even if it's just to each other. Therefore, keep your words under control. It helps you to control the rest of you also.

Give

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25

Give. We don't like that word a lot of the time. We think that it means that we will get less. We think it will make us less happy. Well, this verse tells us differently. When we give, we gain. We will grow rich when we are generous and give to others. Maybe not rich in worldly money, but we will become abundant in something good, something even better than earthly money. It kind of reminds me of the movie, Cars. In the movie, Doc tells Lightning McQueen to "turn right to go left." Doesn't seem to make much sense, but it works. When you give, you gain. Another verse also says the same thing:

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Luke 6:38

God will give you something greater and in more quantity than what you gave away. He will replenish you with the things that you truly need in your life. So do what He says: give.

Joy

The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing. The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

Proverbs 10:28-30

Okay, so this is what I learned from today's chapter of Proverbs: Strive for joy. When we can't seem to obtain joy by ourselves, go to God for joy. God will always be there to help us obtain joy because He has done so much for us that we will be able to find something to be joyful about, even in the hardest circumstances.

Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.

Proverbs 10: 4,26

Another thing I learned from today's chapter of Proverbs: Do something. When you don't do something, you are hurting others and annoying them, too. It's troublesome for everyone else. If God tells you to do something, you need to do it. Also, In James 1:22, it says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." We need to follow God and His Word so that we can be more like Christ and be a witness to others.

What did you get from today's chapter of Proverbs?

Guard your hearts

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4:23

I think this verse is pretty self-explanatory. Guard yourself from evil. Don't wear your heart on your sleeve for anyone to take. Don't go around spilling everything to everyone. If you need someone to talk to, God's always there. You can't get much better than that.

Titus

For the grace of God that brings salvatioin has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliess and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Titus 2:11-14

I have one word for you- AMAZING! I was just reading Titus this morning and those verses stuck out to me. With the temptation around us, we need to have something that will help us to resist it. Sometimes we get impatient and tired of doing the right thing, but we can stand on the hope that God will always be with us and be helping us through life. No matter what goes wrong (or right), God will help us out. He will be with us forever.