The Hebrew sages who compiled Proverbs wrote down general truths about how life works much of the time. (Other books, like Job, were the counterpoint, reminders that life doesn’t always work as neatly as we’d like.) “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” had to be qualified a bit. Verse 8 showed that some plans (e.g. making profits unrighteously) just couldn’t be “committed to the Lord.” It was important to define “succeed” on God’s terms: “Better a little with righteousness than great profits without justice.”

• What are the main measures by which you determine “success” in the work you do right now? Do you choose those measures yourself, or does someone else assign them? In what ways can you align those measures with the wisdom of Proverbs? What measures define your long-term vision of a successful life? What role does God’s wisdom play in that vision?
• In our world, with digital scales and pre-packaged goods, verse 11’s stress on “honest balances and scales” may seem trivial. The Message worded it this way: “God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business.” Is there any part of your “business” that you’d just as soon leave God out of? How can you more fully work God’s measures of success into all your business dealings?