16:7 and 17:9

16:7 When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

- Here's yet another passage that presses me to consider the "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness....and THEN all these things will be added"....cuz there lately always seems to be this adversity (enemy) of person or attitude, etc. comin' at me. I shouldn't focus on elimating that struggle but rather seek to please the Lord....'living sacrifice, holy, and pleasing' :-)


17:9 He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

- This passage seems awfully relevant in a recent context of working to develop intimacy in some small group contexts. I think I'm scratching the surface of learning how the 'coverage' includes 'accentuating the positive' while Christ works to 'eliminate the negative'....