Pull up a chair, I'll share with you what I read tonight (technically last night, but I haven't gone to bed yet so it's still Friday to me).

I read Proverbs chapters 21 and 22, but what my journal highlighted for me out of it was 21:21, which says "Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor." What it then asked me was this:
"What are your priorities? How could you change your daily activities to align them with God's priorities of godliness and love? Ask God to help you put first things first. Meditate on His promise that 'life, godliness, and honor' will follow."
This is what I replied:
"I guess we think of priorities as things like money, work, family, etc. And I have to admit that my priority of money needs to be kept in check. But things we don't even realize as priorities, can be. If I watch TV instead of being with God, as I know I should, then I'm saying that TV is my priority. Not God."
I do have a problem with this, that's why I used this example. I don't think I'm really addicted to TV, but I'll admit that when I'm being lazy I'll sit and flip it on, when I know full well that it's taking time away from the productive things I need to be doing. Namely: my bible reading. I just do it (Bible) once a day, usually in the evening or night, but I know that a lot of times I use the excuse "well it's late and I'm tired." But I wasted a lot of the day being lazy with the TV on. Which one of those would have been the best use of my time? Now, on to the verses that stood out to me in these two chapters:

21:2: "All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart."

There are just too many examples to use this verse in. So use your imagination. We always think we're right, don't we? And we do things by what we feel, and in turn fail miserably. Time and time again. You'd think we'd learn. But I guess we're not that bright.

21:4: "Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!"

Wow. Pride is "the lamp of the wicked"? No one likes pride in others, but I don't know if we'd go that far in describing it. Sounds like a lesson well stressed, though.

21:16: "A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead."

21:17: "He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich."

Living for self, to please your every desire, is not only an ungodly lifestyle, but dangerous.

21:23: "He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself from calamity."

Ouch.

21:25-16: "The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing."

Can we say "welfare"? Yeah, I probably just made some people mad. I do think that there are people deserving of welfare. But far too often it's just our government handing out money to those who don't want to work. It's not fair, and it's unbiblical (above; 2 Thess. 3:10). It kind of goes along with this one Prov. 22:29, which says, "Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men." Work hard. It will be honored.

22:4: "Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life."

Too many people are worried about how they can get ahead and succeed in life. Rarely do any of them think "if I live to honor God, I'll do well!" Doesn't seem too logical. But, then, what in the bible does? God honors those who honor Him.

22:26-17: "Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you."

This one just made me laugh. Repossession in the bible.

22:28: "Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers."

At first I went, "what?" But then I realized, if those who have gone before you 'set up a boundary,' it's probably because they knew what they were talking about. We choose to ignore the words of the wise, and usually end up in trouble for it.

Sooooo yeah. That was all over the place (hey, it's Proverbs. Just about each verse is different), but hopefully some of it made sense!