In Proverbs 21 we read:
2 We justify our actions by appearances;
God examines our motives.
3 Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors
mean far more to God than religious performance.
> The motives are important to the Lord, not only the actions. In our world, the end justify the means with no care about actions and even less motives. The Lord is not interested in religious performance in itself.
4 Arrogance and pride—distinguishing marks in the wicked—
are just plain sin.
> Arrogance and pride are very difficult to detect in our own heart and even in others, but they are against wisdom and the fear of the Lord.
5 Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run;
hurry and scurry puts you further behind.
> The Bible incentives us to careful planning, to use our minds.
8 Mixed motives twist life into tangles;
pure motives take you straight down the road.
29 Unscrupulous people fake it a lot;
honest people are sure of their steps.
> It is very good to walk with a firm direction, with pure motives. The one with mixed motives walk in a tortous direction.
9 Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack
than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.
19 Better to live in a tent in the wild
than with a cross and petulant spouse.
> Be careful to choose your spouse!
12 A God-loyal person will see right through the wicked
and undo the evil they’ve planned.
> This verse is translated in many ways. In this translation, A person understands that another is evil and deals properly with him. In other translations, the Lord deals properly with evel people. Jesus told us to be wise as the serpents. It is necessary to deal properly with evil people: when to treat them in a good or bad way.
13 If you stop your ears to the cries of the poor,
your cries will go unheard, unanswered.
> If you are not merciful to others you will not receive mercy.
16 Whoever wanders off the straight and narrow
ends up in a congregation of ghosts.
> A verse saying that is necessary to watch and pray in order to keep in the narrow way.
20 Valuables are safe in a wise person’s home;
fools put it all out for yard sales.
> The wise person knows how to keep valuables.
21 Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind
finds life itself—glorious life!
> Don't waist your life! Pursue what is right and kind.
22 One sage entered a whole city of armed soldiers—
their trusted defenses fell to pieces!
> It seems to me like a story plot to be developed.
23 Watch your words and hold your tongue;
you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.
25 Lazy people finally die of hunger
because they won’t get up and go to work.
> There are consequences for our laziness.
26 Sinners are always wanting what they don’t have;
the God-loyal are always giving what they do have.
> God-loyal people are generous. God-loyal people work, so that they have what to share.
28 A lying witness is unconvincing;
a person who speaks truth is respected.
> The one who lies is not respected, not trusted.
30 Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived,
can get the better of God.
31 Do your best, prepare for the worst—
then trust God to bring victory.
> The Lord does what He wishes and even so, he commands us to be prepared for the battle of our lives.
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