Proverbs 13

“From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good, but the desire of the treacherous is violence” (v2). The proverbs teach us that our choices reflect our real desires.  What we deeply want is revealed by what we say and do, which is why “a wise son accepts his father’s discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke” (v1).  A wise person truly wants to grow and learn; a “scoffer” just wants to feel smarter than others. 

“Desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (v12).  Our desires (whether good or bad) influence our words and actions, and these produce long-term fruit in our lives.