“The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.” Proverbs 14:15 NIV
This verse has two contrasting individuals – the simple and the prudent.
The simple believe anything……this reminds me of our current world train of thought in that the trend is to believe and do what works for you. There is no right or wrong for you as an individual, so long as you’re not hurting someone else. Ultimately, there are no fixed principles by which to go by, and no guidelines to follow – no one can tell you what to do. What’s right for you, may not be right for me, but that’s okay. Furthermore, this begins at a very young age in the scenario of a child given the ability to decide their “sex” (at a later date) for the purpose of their birth certificate based on how they feel, and not by biological fact.
But the prudent give thought to their steps……to be prudent, one acts or shows careful thought for the future. It’s a careful thought, being cautious, and considering things maturely before doing. Like that of a young child, we need parameters and doctrine to follow too. May we always refer back to the Word of God which is a light unto our path, and which also removes us from death and brings us into eternal life.
Lock Your Wings 
True thoughts.
This stood out for me: “Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.”
Proverbs 14:4 NLT
Yup. An unused stable would be immaculate. It would be easy to keep it that way if it stayed empty. It’s immediate gratification…
no ox = stable in pristine condition.
However, the long term consequences of having no oxen means a large harvest is impossible. This could mean lots of hands on heavy labour, not getting the harvest done in a timely manner, or that it will be expensive if you have to hire outside help to harvest.
This can be applied to other areas of life specifically the choice to have children or to prevent having children. Without children in your house, your house will undoubtedly be cleaner. However it also means you don’t have ’labourers’ for growing God’s kingdom. You also may not be able to have children in a timely manner. The money you ‘save’ and the clean house you gain may be an expensive sacrifice later in life when you don’t have the family tree of children and grandchildren supporting you as you age or you realize too late that the messy house was just a small price to pay for the joy children and grandchildren bring.
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