Proverbs 19

“He who gets wisdom loves his own soul” (v8).  At a child’s level of morality, “good behavior” is that which earns an adult’s favor or avoids punishment.  But the Bible urges us to go beyond simply keeping the rules out of fear. As we mature, we understand that “good behavior” (doing what God loves) is actually the very thing that nurtures our bodies and souls; it is the only way which “leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil” (v23). 

Our Creator knows exactly what kind of life leads to real joy, and He has provided everything necessary for “life and godliness” (I Pet 1:3).