A Moment of Hope

by Marilynn Chadwick "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Proverbs 11:2 NIV Proverbs 11:2 warns us about the destructive nature of pride. The Message paraphrase provides a commonsense twist, "The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm." Let's face it. Boasting is practically a national pastime. It's as American as apple pie. Our a...

by Marilynn Chadwick "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." Proverbs 3:24 NIV I remember the time our children's school observed that a growing number of students were experiencing symptoms of sleep deprivation. They sent out an email reminding parents of the importance of ensuring our kids got enough sleep—especially those in high school. Today's...

by Marilynn Chadwick "The wise in heart will accept and obey commandments, but the foolish of lips will fall headlong." Proverbs 10:8 AMPC In the Hebrew language, the words "listen" and "obey" are represented by the word " shema ." This means to hear, pay attention, and act upon what is heard. It embodies the concept that true listening includes obedience. In Hebrew and Greek, the original languag...

by Marilynn Chadwick "Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding." Proverbs 3:13 NIV People talk a lot about profitable investments and especially the ROI, or "return on investment." According to Proverbs, there are very few investments in life as profitable as the gaining of wisdom. Threaded throughout Proverbs are admonitions to seek wisdom. The gain from wisdom is "better t...

by Marilynn Chadwick "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 Can practicing thankfulness actually improve your health? Some think so. I read about a study in which participants were asked to list the things for which they were thankful. They were instructed to write their gratitude list and sustain this exercise for exactly five minutes. The resul...

by David Chadwick "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it." Proverbs 15:17 Better is dinner with herbs, a meager meal, where there is love, laughter, and joy, than a dinner with feasting and luxurious food where there is hatred. I don't know about you, but some of my best memories with my family of origin were around the dinner table. My dad, mom, brother,...

by David Chadwick "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers." Proverbs 17:6 Grandchildren are the crown of those in old age. And the glory of children is their fathers. This proverb has two great insights. Let's take a look at them together. First, grandkids are a crown for faithful parents. Marilynn and I now have 12 grandchildren. Yet we vividly remembe...

by David Chadwick "An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue." Proverbs 17:4 Evildoers listen to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. I don't think any healthy individual would desire to be called an evildoer or a liar. Who has wicked lips? I actually think many could fall into this category. Those who seek to slander and essentially kil...

by David Chadwick "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts." Proverbs 17:3 Silver is refined in the crucible, as is gold in the furnace. Similarly, our hearts and lives must be tested, purified, and refined by the Lord in whatever ways he sees fit. Titus 2:14 says that Jesus "gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself...

by David Chadwick "Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife." Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry, crusty morsel of bread in a peaceful home than a house with delicious food and delicacies that is full of strife. Strife. Defined as "conflict or an angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues," strife ruins relationships. It hinders momentum and stops the Gospel...

by Marilynn Chadwick "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man." Proverbs 6:10-11 NIV I am not a naturally self-disciplined person. But I discovered early on that it was impossible for me to take the kids beyond where I had gone myself. If I was undisciplined, it was hard to discipline the chil...

by Marilynn Chadwick "My child, sinners will try to lead you into sin. But do not follow them." Proverbs 1:10 ICB Proverbs warns about the danger of bad companions. We were careful with our children and who they chose as friends. We made the decision to send our children to secular schools, knowing they would be surrounded by a variety of kids. But a troubled kid was always welcome in our home. So...

by Marilynn Chadwick "My son do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Proverbs 3:11-12 NIV Children are generally asking two questions: "Do you love me?" and "Can I have my own way?" They seem to thrive on love and limits. So as parents we would say, "Yes, I love you, and "No, you can't alw...

by Marilynn Chadwick "Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." Proverbs 11:28 Wealth tricks us, tempts us, and promises what it can't deliver. So, we humans buy the lie and exhaust ourselves—chasing after that which fades . Riches. Achievements. Beauty.  All are satisfying at first. But they don't last. Anyone who has watched a loved one age and...

by Marilynn Chadwick "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness." Proverbs 23:4 It's been said that Americans are the only people who worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship. Maybe that's why keeping Sabbath is so hard. Many of us enjoy feeling productive, and taking a day off seems to slow us down. The word "Sabbath," or sabat in Hebrew, simply mea...

by David Chadwick "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." Proverbs 16:33 Traditionally, casting lots has been a way to make a decision without bias and outside influence. In biblical history, there are even some cases where the casting of lots was used to determine the Lord's will, most notably in Acts 1:26. After Judas died, Peter, under the leadership of the Holy...

by David Chadwick "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life." Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of glory and is gained by a righteous life. Some perspectives and insights only come through a righteous life. Often the only way that you can learn how to make wise decisions is by making wrong ones. And the only way you can learn from wrong decisions is to live long enough to...

by David Chadwick "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seems right at the moment, but the end result is really destructive. This principle speaks to the blessing of being aware of long-term consequences over short-term urges. How do you make decisions? Do you surrender to an authority greater than yourself to lead and guide...

by David Chadwick "Pride comes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 One of the most powerful and well-known verses in all of Proverbs says that pride comes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall. Pride is the chief of all sins. It is what caused the devil to become the devil. He became the author of destruction by claiming to know more and know better t...

by David Chadwick "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." Proverbs 15:3 We are continuing our study through some of the proverbs found in God's Word. God is highly majestic, the creator of the universe, all-powerful, and all-consuming, yet he provides instructions for his followers that are very practical. Did you know that God's eyes are everywhere? He s...

by Marilynn Chadwick "A hot-tempered person stirs up strife, but one who is slow to anger quiets contention." Proverbs 15:18 Be slow to anger. The book of Proverbs has lots to say about the problem of anger. Over fifteen different verses warn of the dangers of an unbridled temper. Anger is described as foolish and destructive. Being slow to anger is a sign of moral strength. So dangerous is anger...

by Marilynn Chadwick "Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears." Proverbs 26:17 My husband, David, recently addressed Proverbs 26:17, but I find it so important that I want to expound upon it again today. Proverbs 26:11 says that if someone repeats their folly, they are fools. So, in an effort to walk in wisdom, let's look at this concept again. It i...

by Marilynn Chadwick "A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends." Proverbs 16:8 NIV The Bible mentions gossip and its related behaviors, such as slander, backbiting, and whispering, over 150 times. The sin of gossip is often mentioned alongside more seemingly serious sins, like theft or murder. "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and...

by Marilynn Chadwick "Strength and honor are her clothing." Proverbs 31:25 CSB The woman of valor in Proverbs 31:10 (CJB) is also described as a woman of "honor" (v. 25). Throughout the Bible, valor and honor go hand in hand. David's Mighty Men of Valor were an elite group of roughly 37 warriors in the Old Testament (2 Samuel 23, 1 Chronicles 11). They were renowned for exceptional loyalty, streng...

by Marilynn Chadwick "Every word of God is flawless." Proverbs 30:5a NIV I was around fifteen when I concluded God did not exist. I was not angry or rebellious. I simply no longer believed God was real. I had grown up in the church, attending Sunday School and Vacation Bible Schools. I was "confirmed" as a twelve-year-old. I even went on a couple of high school retreats. But over the years, I grad...