A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;
    a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.

32 The speech of a good person clears the air;
    the words of the wicked pollute it.

11 God hates cheating in the marketplace;
    he loves it when business is aboveboard.

2 The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
    but down-to-earth people stand firm.

3 The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;
    the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.

4 A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
    but a principled life can stand up to the worst.

5 Moral character makes for smooth traveling;
    an evil life is a hard life.

6 Good character is the best insurance;
    crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.

7 When the wicked die, that’s it—
    the story’s over, end of hope.

8 A good person is saved from much trouble;
    a bad person runs straight into it. (The Message)

Again, there is much to reflect on in this next set of Proverbs, but I want to highlight verse 8. Just recently, I fulfilled a long held ambition to visit Castle Drogo in Devon. It has been described as the last castle to be built in England.

Julius Drewe made a fortune from his business, ‘The Home and Country Stores’. So much so that he could retire at the age of 33. According to ‘Wikipedia’:

‘…in 1910 he bought about 450 acres (1.8 km2) south and west of the village (Drewsteignton); by the time of his death he had bought up an estate of 1,500 acres. He then went to Edwin Lutyens, a prominent architect of the time, and asked him to build his castle. According to his son Basil, he did so on the advice of William Hudson, proprietor of Country Life, who was both a patron and a champion of Lutyens. Drewe was now 54 years old, but he still had time, energy and money to create his new family seat. On 4 April 1911, Drewe’s 55th birthday, the first foundation stone was laid.

The castle took many years to complete, with the First World War and the economic downturn causing many delays. Castle Drogo was finally completed in 1930, a year before Julius died. Castle Drogo was the last castle to be built in England, and probably the last private house in the country to be built entirely of granite.’

As we toured the magnificent building, I was struck by the sight of a smaller bedroom next to a much grander one. Our guide explained that this was where Julius was confined after his stroke, and where it was easier for him to receive full time nursing care. But it is only today, in reading up on some of the history, that I realise how little time he had to enjoy any of it.

The words of Jesus come to mind: ” For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36 KJV)

I am not saying that Julius was not a believer. I don’t know and I can’t comment. But maybe you can see why he came to mind when I read Proverbs 11:4. There was something salutary about that smaller bedroom.