God’s Word For Today

Text: Proverbs 29:7 (ESV)   7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.   JUSTICE FOR THE POOR   The poor is associated with a lack of money. But the Hebrew word here includes more. It includes the concept of weakness, being low, powerlessness, and many more. This description contrasts them with the enabled, supported, and most especially those...

Text: Proverbs 29:6 (ESV)   6 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.   THE EVIL OF FLATTERY   Undue compliments or excessive praises toward a person are expressions of flatteries. Being flattered is temptation, is it not?. A flatterer is dishonest. He is manipulative by lying (Prov 6:24; 26:28; 6:16–19). Smooth words set a trap for the person believing a flattery. An example o...

Text: Proverbs 29:1 (ESV)   1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.   BROKEN BEYOND HEALING   A thing that becomes useless when it is broken is disposable, is it not? These things generally are cheap and won’t last long. Such is the person who is unteachable. Their continual hardening may cause them to become stiff. When crisis comes and they brea...

Text: Proverbs 28:28 (ESV)  28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.   WHAT KIND OF LEADERS WE NEED?   When evil people come to power, they drive their subjects to hide (Prov 28:2, 4, 12, 15–16). That might not mean literally that people are cowering underground. But, it can include fear of speaking or expressing. The more a culture becomes wic...

Text: Prov 28:27 (ESV)   27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.   GIVING TO THE POOR   Caring for the weak and needy is following God's will. “ Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.” (Prov 14:31). This is one reason that those who are generous are more likely to succeed than those wh...

Text: Proverbs 28:23 (ESV)   23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue.   A REBUKE MAY GAIN FAVOR   If we genuinely "love" a person, we do care for his well-being, don’t we? And this may mean speaking uncomfortable truths in direct, loving ways at times. (Eph 4:15). A "reproof" or "rebuke" is a strong, bold or direct...

Text: Proverbs 28:22 (ESV)   22 A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.   -   BEWARE OF ‘GET-RICH-QUICK’ SCHEMES   Today, we are overwhelmed with ‘get-rich-quick schemes’ offers in the social media. These dishonest business practices often result in disaster. The Ponzi scheme is an example. It is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to it...

Text: Proverbs 28:21 (ESV)   21 To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.   THE EVIL OF PARTIALITY   Right judgment is needed in our relationships. It includes distinguishing between persons on a fair and reasoned basis. Otherwise, we will become partial. "Partiality," here, is giving an unfair preference to one person over another. A common example is...

Text: Proverbs 28:15,16 (ESV)   15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. 16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.   A WICKED RULER OVER A POOR PEOPLE   What is the effect an ungodly ruler’s oppressive rule has upon his subjects? Through violence, repression, hardship, or other difficult means...

Text: Proverbs 28:14 (ESV)   14 Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.   DO FEAR THE LORD ALWAYS   The term translated into English as "fear" may refer to both an emotional feeling or respect or reverence (Prov 1:7; Lev 19:32). Both concepts are important, but this verse is more inclined to the idea of alarm or dread. Those wh...

Text: Proverbs 28:13 (ESV) 13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.   CONCEAL OR CONFESS   The first and most foolish human error was the attempt to hide his sins from the Creator (see Gen 3:8–10). God knows everything (1 John 3:20). Nobody can hide from God (Heb 4:13). Those who hide from God don't respect His authority...

God’s Word for Today 1 Aug, 2025 11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out. -Prov 28:11 ESV RICHES CAN DECEIVE US It is not because one is wealthy that he is correct in any particular way of life. Wealth can be spiritually blinding in part because it tempts us towards self-reliance. At one time, Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you,...

God’s Word for Today 31 Jul, 2025 10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. -Prov 28:10 ESV THE BLAMELESS HAVE A GOODLY INHERITANCE History reveals the way sin spreads through temptation, eventually leading a culture to dire consequences (Prov 16:29; Jas 1:13–15). Convincing others to join in immorality seems like...

Text: Proverbs 28:9 (ESV)   9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.   PRAYER AND THE LAW   One of the more common wrong view of God is that He is as a vending machine, or a genie. They will ignore His laws and commands but He is still expected to hear and grant their prayer requests. God despises this attitude, both when attached to prayer and to sacrif...

Text: Proverbs 28:8 (ESV)   8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.   BEWARE OF USURY   Under the Mosaic law, the Israelites were forbidden to charge their fellow countrymen with usury on money, food, or anything else (see Lev 25:36–37). Usurious practices are wrong, even sinful. Loans were intended to help the poor. It is not to explo...

Text: Proverbs 28:7 (ESV)   7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.   BE A SON WITH UNDERSTANDING   A wise son pays careful attention to God’s law (Prov 1:7; 8:33–36). He is cautious in his associations with others for they will influence him either towards good or bad.(Prov 13:20). Close association with ungodly people risks trouble...

God’s Word for Today 26 Jul, 2025 6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. -Prov 28:6 ESV INTEGRITY Integrity is a consistent theme in the Bible, isn’t it? It is better to be right with God and lacking in worldly goods or accolades than to have material comfort and be spiritually doomed (Prov 16:19; 19:22; 22:2; Mat 16:26; 19:23). The word ‘croo...

God’s Word for Today 25 Jul, 2025 4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. 5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely. -Prov 28:4,5 ESV WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE LAW? God gave the law to Moses to expose sin and encourage righteous living among God’s people. Shortly before Moses died, he ch...

God’s Word for Today 24 Jul, 2025 3 A poor man who oppresses the poor, is a beating rain that leaves no food. -Prov 28:3 ESV WHEN THE POOR BECOMES AN OPPRESSOR Certainly, rain can nourish crops. However, a heavy rain may cause flooding a field and destroy plants. Sadly, what could have been a good thing becomes a curse. In a similar way, those who are poor could work for one another's mutual benef...

Text: Proverbs 28:2 (ESV)   2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.   STABILITY   A nation that rebels against God by tolerating sins may find itself cycling through many kings, rulers, or governors(Rom 1:18–20; Prov 14:34). Likewise, a nation with wildly inconsistent and incompetent leadership is prone to cha...

Text: Proverbs 28:1 (ESV)   1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.   THE RIGHTEOUS IS AS BOLD AS A LION   A coward is defensive. To be defensive even without an accusation is a sign of a guilty conscience, is it not? A person who feels guilty for something—or believes as much—may become excessive in attempts to clear their name. Their excessive claims of innoc...

Text: Proverbs 27:23-27 (ESV)   23 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, 24 for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations? 25 When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, 26 the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field. 27 There will be enough goats&#39...

God’s Word for Today 19 Jul, 2025 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him. -Prov 27:22 ESV FOLLY IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM Who is a fool? In this context, foolishness and "stupidity" are not linked to intelligence, but to how one interacts with wisdom and common sense (Prov 8:5). It is a heart issue. Biblical wisdom starts with a proper un...

God’s Word for Today 18 Jul, 2025 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. -Prov 27:21 ESV A MAN IS TESTED BY HIS PRAISE The quality of gold and silver is known through melting them by intense heat. Refiners melt these metals to reveal impurities that are to be removed. Solomon applies this idea of testing to praise, using it to measure a man. Sch...

God’s Word for Today 17 Jul, 2025 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man -Prov 27:20 ESV THE LUST OF THE EYES As part of the curse of man, death and destruction happen all the time. In the poetic sense, death's appetite is infinite, is it not? Death does not slow down because ‘sheol’ does become "full." Solomon uses this comparison to point out the insatiabl...