God’s Word For Today

Text: Prov 24:8-9 ESV 8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. 9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. -Prov 24:8-9 ESV BEWARE OF THE SCHEMER The schemer are our scammer today. The word means literally "master of plots" or "owner of evil plans" or "deviser of wickedness." They are also scoffers. As a note, "scoffe...

Text: Prov 24:5-7 ESV 5 A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, 6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth. -Prov 24:5-7 ESV WISDOM IS POWER Wisdom and knowledge make a man powerful. There is an allusion to engaging a war (Prov 24:6), Is not...

God’s Word for Today 15 May, 2025 3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. -Prov 24:3,4 ESV WISDOM BUILDS HOME Definitely, this is not about building a literal house building. Any effort benefits from the application of wisdom. Businesses do well to use common sense and ethical practices. A wise...

God’s Word for Today 14 May, 2025 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, 2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. -Prov 24:1,2 ESV BE NOT ENVIOUS OF EVIL MEN In general sense, the book of Proverbs warns against us associating with immoral people, needless to say, that of being envious with them. Jealousy over their success is being short-sighted (Prov 23...

Text: Proverbs 23:29-35 (ESV)   29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. 31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. 32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. 33 Your eyes will see...

Text: Proverbs 23:26-27 (ESV)   My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well.   GIVE ME YOUR HEART   Solomon urges his son to give him his heart, that is, he is to emulate him. There is a call to pattern his ethics after his father. The son has to lead a godly lifestyle like his father. To do that, the son would need...

Text: Prov 23:22-25 ESV 22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. 23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. 25 Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. -Prov 23:22-25 ESV BUY TRUTH AND DO N...

Text: Prov 23:19-21 ESV 19 Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. 20 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, 21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. -Prov 23:19-21 ESV BE NOT AMONG THE DRUNKARDS AND GLUTTONS Another reminder from Solomon for his son to make good use of his teachings. Life's choic...

God’s Word for Today 8 May, 2025 15 My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. 16 My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right. 17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. 18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. -Prov 23:15-18 ESV DO CONTINUE IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD A wise son makes his parents glad.[...

God’s Word for Today 7 May, 2025 13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. 14 If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. -Prov 23:13,14 ESV DISCIPLINE YOUR CHILD PROPERLY These verses follow the biblical teaching of proper child discipline. An appropriate loving discipline will train a child to avoid evil, sparing them from g...

Text: Proverbs 23:12 (ESV)   12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.   APPLY YOUR HEART TO INSTRUCTION   The entire book of Proverbs emphasizes the value of godly wisdom. He occasionally stops to highlight the importance of wisdom. This verse is one of those reminders.   Solomon used specific terms to depict levels of wisdom. The word "learning" is acquirin...

Text: Proverbs 23:10-11 (ESV)   10 Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, 11 for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you   THE REDEEMER OF THE FATHERLESS   The sin committed here is something like a modern person altering a map, uprooting surveyor's stakes, or moving a fence. The Lord specifically forbade this (Deut 27:17). Even worse tha...

Text: Prov 23:9 ESV 9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. -Prov 23:9 ESV WASTE NOT YOUR TIME WITH FOOLS The "fool" of the book of Proverbs is depicted as stubborn and thickheaded. His problem is not his intellect, but his intent. Having conversations with him is not worth at all for he is not willing to converse reasonably. Other prove...

Text: Prov 23:6-8 ESV 6 Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, 7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. 8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words. -Prov 23:6-8 ESV AN EVIL EYE Here, Solomon gives advice about those who give with ill intent. The descr...

God’s Word for Today 30 Apr, 2025 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, 2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. 3 Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. -Prov 23:1-3 ESV DISCERNMENT & SELF CONTROL For whatever reason, the rich may invite a poor person for luxurious dinner. There is a warning for the poor to control g...

Text: Prov 22:28 ESV 28 Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set. -Prov 22:28 ESV REMOVE NOT THE ANCIENT LANDMARK Landmarks are stones arranged or piled to serve as boundary markers of a field. (Gen 31:51–52) The Lord warns against stealing land by moving those stones, making it appear as if the border was in a different place (Deut 19:14; Job 24:2; Hos 5:10). Equivalent decepti...

Text: Prov 22:26-27 ESV 26 Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. 27 If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you? -Prov 22:26-27 ESV SECURITY STARTS IN YOURSELF The book of Proverbs warns many times over against unwise risks associated with other people's finances. A wise person avoids being caught up in cosigning for a loan...

Text: Prov 22:24-25 ESV 24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, 25 lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. -Prov 22:24-25 ESV BEFRIEND NOT AN ANGRY MAN An angry man is someone who cannot control their temper. The Bible clearly warns against such unrighteous anger. It should be noted that not all anger is immoral. Paul stated, "Be angry an...

God’s Word for Today 24 Apr, 2025 22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, 23 for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them. -Prov 22:22-23 ESV DO NOT EXPLOIT THE POOR Again, this proverb emphasizes the care of the feeble, weak, helpless members of society. (Proverbs 14:31; 19:17; 22:16). These disadvantaged people are easy prey from...

God’s Word for Today 23 Apr, 2025 17 Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, 18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 19 That your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today, even to you. 20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge, 21 to make you know...

Text: Prov 22:16 ESV 16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. -Prov 22:16 ESV DO NOT OPPRESS THE POOR This proverb is believed to be the end of a long string of proverbs attributed to Solomon, which began in chapter 10 (Prov 10:1). Solomon assures his readers that taking advantage of the poor and trying to buy the favor of those who...

Text: 1 Cor 15:54-58 ESV 54 Then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abound...

Text: John 19:28-30 ESV 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. -John 19:28-30 ESV IT IS FINISH...

God’s Word for Today 17 Apr, 2025 The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit; he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it. -Prov 22:14 ESV A DEEP PIT A pit is a disguised hole used to capture or injure prey. Falling into it means being trapped. The “forbidden woman" is a personification of temptation (Prov 2:16; 7:4–10). Sin, as a seductress woman, seems attractive and welcoming but what it d...

God’s Word for Today 16 Apr, 2025 13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” -Prov 22:13 ESV THE PROBLEM OF THE SLUGGARD Laziness is one of the often-repeated subjects in the book of Proverbs (Prov 6:6–11; 12:24; 18:9; 19:15). Here, Solomon notes the absurd reasoning to which lazy people make as an excuse for their lack of effort. The alibi that a lion might...