God’s Word For Today

Text: Prov 19:17 ESV 17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. -Prov 19:17 ESV BE GENEROUS The book of Proverbs is replete with instructions to care for the poor (Proverbs 14:21; 19:7; 21:13; 29:7). Helping the needy honors God. And, a person who does charitable acts does God's will and work. He gives not to bring for himself but to glorify God....

God’s Word for Today 13 Feb, 2025 16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. -Prov 19:16 ESV KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS AND LIVE The importance of following directions and instructions shouldn’t be taken for granted. Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself. [Prov 13:13] Failure to follow instructions in using machinery or tools, taking medicines,...

God’s Word for Today 12 Feb, 2025 15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. -Prov 19:15 ESV THE PERIL OF SLOTHFULNESS A lazy person is one like being in a deep sleep. He is oblivious to his surroundings and accomplishing nothing. The slothful is at great risk of poverty and hunger. “The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have not...

Text: Proverbs 19:13-14 (ESV)   13 A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. 14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.   GRIEF IN A HOME   Parents are deeply grieved when children make foolish choices in life. (Prov 4:1–4; 10:1; 17:2). They can "ruin" the parents. That is usually true emoti...

Text: Proverbs 19:12 (ESV)   12 A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.   THE KING’S WRATH   ‘Do not poke the bear’ is an idiom to not deliberately provoke or antagonize someone, especially someone more powerful than oneself. Those in authority have the power either to help or hurt those under them, haven’t they? Thus, it is wise not to provoke th...

Text: Prov 19:11 ESV 11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. -Prov 19:11 ESV DO OVERLOOK AN OFFENSE It's far more honorable to ignore insults than to overreact to them. Overreaction may escalate a volatile situation. However, the wise person dissipates it by remaining calm (Prov 15:1). When a person is easily irritated, he allows them to control him....

Text: Prov 19:10 ESV 10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes. -Prov 19:10 ESV UNFIT FOR THE TASK Both the fool and slave are unfit for the task of managing riches and kingdom, respectively. The fools, who are immoral and unwise, can become wealthy (Psa 37:7; 73:3] But, when they do, it's an unwelcome sight. A fool fails to understand that e...

God’s Word for Today 6 Feb, 2025 8 Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good. 9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. -Prov 19:8-9 ESV A SENSIBLE PERSON A sensible person cares about the state of their soul (Mark 8:36). That causes them to make wise, spiritually discerned decisions (1 Cor 2:14; Heb 5:14). God's...

God’s Word for Today 5 Feb, 2025 4 Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. 6 Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. 7 All a poor man's brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words,...

Text: Proverbs 19:2-3 (ESV)   2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. 3 When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.   HASTE MAKES WASTE   A person is putting himself at risk when he will pursue his ambition without diligence or knowledge. Without weighing all the facts of a matter, an ambitious person may ru...

Text: Proverbs 19:1 (ESV)   Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.   INTEGRITY   How valuable is personal integrity? it is more valuable than any riches or financial gain. The "crooked speeches" in Proverbs 4:24 and 6:12 imply something manipulative, immoral, or deceptive. For having a godly wisdom, it may give a person earthly...

Text: Prov 18:23-24 ESV 23 The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly. 24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. -Prov 18:23-24 ESV A FRIEND WHO STICKS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER In verse 23, Solomon mentions a sad reality about how human nature tends to indulge the wealthy while being impatient with the poor. Those perceived as &quo...

Text: Prov 18:22 ESV 22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD. -Prov 18:22 ESV A FAVOR FROM THE LORD The wife of a man is a ‘good thing’, a favor from the Lord. While the terminology here literally speaks to a man finding a "wife," the same principle applies to a woman who finds a "husband." A God-honoring spouse is a true blessing (Prov 12:4: 1...

Text: Proverbs 18:16-18 (ESV)   16 A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great. 17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. 18 The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders.   GIVING OF GIFTS OBTAIN FAVOR.   There is a general observation in life that giving gifts does influence. This is not an endorsement...

Text: Proverbs 18:13-15 (ESV)   13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. 14 A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? 15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.   LISTENING BEFORE SPEAKING   Solomon understood the wisdom of hearing both sides of a matter before rendering a judgment. Speaking before...

Text: Prov 18:11-12 ESV 11 A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination. 12 Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. -Prov 18:11-12 ESV A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY Riches do tempt people towards a false sense of security, don’t they? The love of wealth can interfere with our spiritual walk for it numbs us to our dependen...

Text: Prov 18:10 ESV 10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. -Prov 18:10 ESV THE NAME OF THE LORD IS A STRONG TOWER "The name" of God does represent His character, does it not? The righteous person finds security in all that the Lord is. Solomon has been encouraging us to rely on godly wisdom instead of worldly foolishness (Prov 1:7; 3:35)....

God’s Word for Today 23 Jan, 2024 9 Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. -Prov 18:9 ESV THE PRICE OF NEGLIGENCE Negligence is sabotage. Projects, property, and even relationships can be damaged equally through negligence as they can through some deliberate act. In practical ways, this describes someone who fails to maintain a machine, or a building, which eventually cause...

God’s Word for Today 22 Jan, 2024 4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. 5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice. 6 A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. 7 A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. 8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;...

Text: Proverbs 18:3 (ESV)   3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace.   WITH DISHONOR COMES DISGRACE   In the Scriptures, the classic example of disgrace is the couple Adam and Eve. Why? They rebelled against God in the garden of Eden. By failing to obey God, they experienced judgment. The death penalty is passed upon them and all their descendants.[Rom 5:12]...

Text: Proverbs 18:1-2 (ESV)   1Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. 2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion   THE FOLLY OF ISOLATION   This proverb speaks out against being hardened to the views and experiences of others. The context implies that this "isolation" is less about distance and personal...

Text: Prov 17:27-28 ESV 27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. -Prov 17:27-28 ESV THE WISDOM OF SILENCE Where there is restrain, there is silence. The Lord applauds the person who knows how to control his tongue. It is not just about...

Text: Prov 17:25-26 ESV 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. 26 To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. -Prov 17:25-26 ESV A FATHER’S GRIEF Previously, we read in verse 21. “ He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.” But, the term here translated as "grief&quot...

Text: Proverbs 17:15-16 (ESV)   15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. 16 Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?   GOD DETESTS PERVERSION   Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent —both are detestable to the Lord. It's especially perverted to defend evil and to condemn goodness (Isa...

Text: Proverbs 17:12-14 (ESV)   12 Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly. 13 If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house. 14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.   MUCH DANGEROUS THAN A BEAR   How dangerous is a man filled with foolishness? He is much dangerous than a mother bear ro...