Proverbs 12 English Standard Version (ESV) Verses 1-7 12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,     but he who hates reproof is stupid. 2 A good man obtains favor from the Lord,     but a man of evil devices he condemns. 3 No one is established by wickedness,     but the root of the righteous will never be moved. 4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,     but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. 5 The thoughts of the righteous are just;     the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. 6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,     but the mouth of the upright delivers them. 7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,     but the house of the righteous will stand.

Main Points:

1) Verse 1 hits the nail on the head by tying knowledge and discipline together because without struggles or conflict, where is the incentive to learn? Romans 8:25 talks about how we hope for what we do not have and thus learning each day is how God leads us to bringing these hopes into reality! 2) The next 6 verses are direct lessons that we learn to keep from being lead astray and keep the Lord in the foreground towards reaching goals. 2-3 stresses the importance of God being in our favor versus overshadowed by sin/ wickedness. 4-5 talks about excellence in our relationships. Thoughts of righteousness that are just will lead you to see your significant other the way God sees him or her. From here God can work through you to help them to keep that excellence shining like each time you see them was the first time again. Verses 6 and 7 emphasize the importance of Love and righteousness versus being blood thirsty and full of hate. If you ever are in the frame of mind that life is a zero sum game, PRAY! God is with us constantly in victories over sin and death everyday. Where He isn't is in conflict for the sake of conflict. Also remember that proving someone wrong is NOT the same as solving a problem. God helps in finding solutions not building our pride like a win loss record of our intelligence. 3) In conclusion, we learn from being open to the Lord guiding us. Whichever season we are in, we must value the gift of learning and bring it ahead so we grow the faith, hope, and love we have in our lives!( I Corinthians 13)