Proverbs

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“Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor” (Proverbs 21:21 NLT).

August 19, 2019

THE PURSUIT THAT ONLY CHRIST CAN SATISFY The wisdom God gave to Solomon revealed what one must pursue to find life, righteousness and honor. There appear to be two pursuits, yet they are really one. For righteousness and unfailing love are found only in Christ. Many have tried to pursue righteousness by human effort, but

“Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich” (Proverbs 21:17 NLT).

August 17, 2019

WHAT WE LOVE MATTERS The one who loves pleasure and comfort will eventually live in poverty. So says the proverb, and also anyone who has lived for any length of time. For loving comfort the one fails to work and failing to work, comfort cannot be afforded. Yet, might not the proverb be reversed? So,

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5 NLT).

August 12, 2019

PROSPERITY, POVERTY AND PATIENT PERSEVERANCE This proverb teaches a proposition of success including its corollary, which leads to failure. The proposition is that “good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.” Notice that planning and work are further defined as “good” and “hard.” For there is certainly a thing called “bad” planning and “lazy” work.

“Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin” (Proverbs 21:4 NLT).

August 11, 2019

OUR NEED FOR ONE WHO SHEPHERD’S THE HEART This proverbs speaks to the reality that sin is more than an action, but is preceded by an attitude and heart condition. Jesus addressed this reality in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5) when he connected the outward prohibitions of the Decalogue with the attitudes of

“People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart” (Proverbs 21:2 NLT).

August 9, 2019

HAVE YOU RECEIVED THE RESULTS FROM GOD’S HEART EXAM? We all love our own opinions, especially opinions of ourselves. We tend to judge others harshly, but we always have an excuse for our own shortcomings and sins. In our hypocrisy, we declare ourselves righteous in our own eyes.   Yet the Lord knows us better

“Ears to hear and eyes to see— both are gifts from the Lord” (Proverbs 20:12 NLT).

July 31, 2019

THE GIFT OF SPIRITUAL RECEPTIVITY One can have ears and eyes, yet still be deaf and blind. The Lord has made both the physical and the spiritual ability to hear. Both are grace. The physical we all understand, but few recognize the spiritual. The first offers wisdom of the physical world, the second makes one

“For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:15 NLT).

May 17, 2019

HEART CONDITION DETERMINES PERCEPTION Our heart condition determines how we perceive life. Yet, how do we have a “happy heart?” David knew something about this. When life circumstances turned from bad to worse around him, the Bible says that he “encouraged himself in the Lord” (1 Sam. 30:6). His circumstances didn’t immediately change, but his

“Gentle words are a tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4 NLT).

May 13, 2019

THE GENTLE WORDS OF MOTHERS In our One Year Bible reading today I was looking for something to say to bless and encourage our mothers. This passage from Proverbs seemed appropriate.   I often remember the gentle words of my mother. She always sought to encourage her children and grandchildren with her words. What made

“Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything” (Proverbs 11:24 NLT).

March 23, 2019

GIVERS ARE GLAD, BUT MISERS ARE MISERABLE Generosity is a blessing both to the recipient and to the giver. But misers are miserable. This is a spiritual principle that reverberates in the physical world, although its effect is often slow to see. The wealth of the generous is paid in dividends that include more than

“The Lord will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:3 NLT).

February 18, 2019

NEED OR GREED The righteous look to the Lord for provision. They sow and labor for the harvest, yet they look to the Lord for the increase. They know that both the seed and the fruit are from the Lord, so they work while trusting God for their food. The Lord meets their needs, so