July 19, 2023
“Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives” (Proverbs 19:18 NLT). There is a short window of time for teaching children obedience. During this time there is hope that parental discipline might eventually become the child’s own self-discipline. It may seem a lot of work to discipline a child of
July 18, 2023
“If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you!” (Proverbs 19:17 NLT). This is an astounding proverb! God willingly makes Himself a debtor to the one who is kind and generous to the poor. Someone may hesitate to give to a poor person, but who would not lend
June 12, 2023
“Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart” (Proverbs 17:3 NLT). Faith must be tested. It must pass through life’s furnace, so that impurities may rise to the top and be removed. This testing not only purifies, it verifies, proving faith genuine. Only the Lord can do this. As
June 8, 2023
“It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on” (Proverbs 16:26 NLT). A wise observation by King Solomon: Hunger motivates work. In other words, hunger can act as an incentive for one to labor for himself. Self-employment is hard, but often the most rewarding, for both the stomach and
April 19, 2023
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12 NLT). Having to wait for any expected good certainly affects our attitude. In this sense, the writer of the proverb accurately observed the growing despondency of the heart that waits unfulfilled. Yet, it is even more intense in
January 10, 2023
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT). What does the Bible mean by the “heart?” It is a metaphor for the inner self, where a person’s character, with its
January 1, 2023
“These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair” (Proverbs 1:1-3 NLT). The
December 30, 2022
WHO CAN FIND A VIRTUOUS AND CAPABLE WIFE? This is a proverb made more timely by the current culture’s low view of marriage. Neither the art of being a wife, nor a husband are held in high regard today. Yet, for those who would have a marriage as God designed, desiring to experience the joy
August 20, 2022
WATCH YOUR WORDS How many have wished they could take back their words? Yet, once said, they linger on. If only there were a delete button to erase ill chosen words. Instead, the more poorly spoken words tend to linger the longest. Better to keep quiet and stay out of trouble. Begin to fill your
August 9, 2022
GOD’S SPIRITUAL EKG Our self-awareness is limited. And we rarely hold a mirror up to our own attitudes and actions. We tend to judge others harshly, but we always have an excuse for our own shortcomings and sins. In our hypocrisy, we often declare ourselves righteous in our own eyes. Yet the Lord knows us