Proverbs 15:18-33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,and humility comes before honor. Proverbs 15:33 I am sure most of us have heard teaching to the effect that the word “fear” in the phrase “the fear of the LORD” doesn’t mean “fear” at all, but rather “respect” or “reverence.” That’s a common teaching, …
Author Archives: John S.
July 11 / Proverbs 15:1-17
Proverbs 15:1-17 A soft answer turns away wrath,but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 So true. How many times have you seen the truth of this proverb play out? And how often has it gone down the positive (soft) path vs. the negative (harsh) one? My guess is we’ve all witnessed the negative …
July 10 / Proverbs 14:18-35
Proverbs 14:18-35 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,but he who is generous to the needy honors Him. Proverbs 14:31 Truly, I say to you, as you did [not do] it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did [not do] it to Me. Matthew 25:40,45 Enough said.
July 9 / Proverbs 14:1-17
Proverbs 14:1-17 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. Proverbs 14:4 Or how about a Bluegrass equivalent: “You don’t win the Kentucky Derby without shoveling a lot of horse ____.” (I’ll let you fill in the blank with whatever term you like.) Yes, real …
July 8 / Proverbs 13:14-25
Proverbs 13:14-25 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20 It matters with whom you hang out. But that begs the question: how is it that one “falls into” a given crowd? We do not always get to choose our associates. In particular, we don’t choose our …
July 7 / Proverbs 13:1-13
Proverbs 13:1-13 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. Proverbs 13:4 My guess is that Solomon primarily had material supply in mind here, where being a sluggard results in poverty, but diligent effort results in material gain. I think we can all attest to the …
July 6 / Proverbs 12:15-28
Proverbs 12:15-28 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15 We can probably all relate personal stories where we’ve seen the truth of this proverb, particularly the first half. How many parents have witnessed their children making stupid decisions, refusing to take any advice …
July 5 / Proverbs 12:1-14
Proverbs 12:1-14 No one is established by wickedness,but the root of the righteous will never be moved. Proverbs 12:3 I hope we can all agree that this proverb should be true. Yet as we observed in our study of Job, things do not always work out so nicely in this life. Sometimes (oftentimes) the wicked …
July 4 / Proverbs 11:16-31
Proverbs 11:16-31 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. Proverbs 11:28 I find it interesting that this proverb contrasts trusting in riches with being righteous. With a little life observation, I think most of us would fairly readily agree that trusting in riches is unwise (though the …
July 3 / Proverbs 11:1-15
Proverbs 11:1-15 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,but a just weight is his delight. Proverbs 11:1 How is it that we all understand what is meant by a false balance or why it would be an abomination to the LORD? Why is it that we need laws governing weights and measures and …