Wisdom for the Day - Standing Strong

Send us Fan Mail Rico Suave’ 23  Smooth words may hide a wicked heart,      just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot. 24  People may cover their hatred with pleasant words,      but they’re deceiving you. 25  They pretend to be kind, but don’t believe them.      Their hearts are full of many evils. 26  While their hatred may be concealed by trickery,      their wrongdoing will be exposed in public...

Send us Fan Mail Can’t Stand the Heat  20  Fire goes out without wood,      and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. 21  A quarrelsome person starts fights      as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. 22  Rumors are dainty morsels      that sink deep into one’s heart. Today's message from Proverbs is pretty obvious: without gossip, arguments will die down. But a quarrelso...

Send us Fan Mail Lazy AND Crazy 16  Lazy people consider themselves smarter      than seven wise counselors. 17  Interfering in someone else’s argument      is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears. 18  Just as damaging      as a madman shooting a deadly weapon 19  is someone who lies to a friend      and then says, “I was only joking.” The lazy person's self-importance is foolish. Jumping into...

Send us Fan Mail Lazy Bones  13  The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road!      Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!” 14  As a door swings back and forth on its hinges,      so the lazy person turns over in bed. 15  Lazy people take food in their hand      but don’t even lift it to their mouth. Today's three verses highlight the problem of laziness, which is also one of the seve...

Send us Fan Mail Dog Puke  10  An employer who hires a fool or a bystander      is like an archer who shoots at random. 11  As a dog returns to its vomit,      so a fool repeats his foolishness. 12  There is more hope for fools      than for people who think they are wise. Verse 10 of Proverbs has been tricky for translators, with various interpretations that don't always match up. But the me...

Send us Fan Mail My Dog Bob 7  A proverb in the mouth of a fool      is as useless as a paralyzed leg. 8  Honoring a fool      is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot. 9  A proverb in the mouth of a fool      is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk. Some people can't tell a joke because they don't get the humor behind it. Similarly, verse 7 says that a fool can't explain...

Send us Fan Mail Foolish Fools 4  Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,      or you will become as foolish as they are. 5  Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools,      or they will become wise in their own estimation. 6  Trusting a fool to convey a message      is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison! Proverbs teaches that fools hate wisdom (1:7, 1:22, 10:21, 23:9) and d...

Send us Fan Mail Sparrows and Horses 1   Honor is no more associated with fools      than snow with summer or rain with harvest. 2  Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,      an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. 3  Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle,      and a fool with a rod to his back! Honor isn't meant for a fool. In Proverbs, a fool isn&apos...

Send us Fan Mail Muddy Waters 26  If the godly give in to the wicked,      it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring. 27  It’s not good to eat too much honey,      and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself. 28  A person without self-control      is like a city with broken-down walls. The first proverb tells us to stand up for what’s right when it’s being challenged by evil. If a good...

Send us Fan Mail North Winds 23  As surely as a north wind brings rain,      so a gossiping tongue causes anger! 24  It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic      than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home. 25  Good news from far away      is like cold water to the thirsty. Verse 23 explains that negative, bitter words only cause anger and division, much like how a cold winter wind c...

Send us Fan Mail Singing and Shame  20  Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart      is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather      or pouring vinegar in a wound.[a] 21  If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat.      If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. 22  You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads,      and the Lord will reward you. Scholars disagree...

Send us Fan Mail Lame Foot 17  Don’t visit your neighbors too often,      or you will wear out your welcome. 18  Telling lies about others      is as harmful as hitting them with an ax,  wounding them with a sword,      or shooting them with a sharp arrow. 19  Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble      is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot. The prov...

Send us Fan Mail Broken Bones  14  A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it      is like clouds and wind that bring no rain. 15  Patience can persuade a prince,      and soft speech can break bones. 16  Do you like honey?      Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick! In Verse 14, people in hot, dry lands know the disappointment of seeing clouds but not getting any rain. It's the...

Send us Fan Mail Timely Criticism  11  Timely advice is lovely,      like golden apples in a silver basket. 12  To one who listens, valid criticism      is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry. 13  Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer.      They revive the spirit of their employer. These three verses praise a well-timed and thoughtful word. Even if it’s something hard to hear, l...

Send us Fan Mail Neighbor Gossip 8      don’t be in a hurry to go to court.  For what will you do in the end      if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat? 9  When arguing with your neighbor,      don’t betray another person’s secret. 10  Others may accuse you of gossip,      and you will never regain your good reputation. This proverb is fitting for today’s society, where people can be sued f...

Send us Fan Mail Sterling Audience  4  Remove the impurities from silver,      and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith. 5  Remove the wicked from the king’s court,      and his reign will be made secure by justice. 6  Don’t demand an audience with the king      or push for a place among the great. 7  It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table      than to be sent away in pu...

Send us Fan Mail God and King 1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah.   2 It is God’s privilege to conceal things      and the king’s privilege to discover them. 3  No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth,      or all that goes on in the king’s mind! The glory of kings is to seek out God's wisdom. Solomon was consid...

Send us Fan Mail Sleepy Bandit  32  Then, as I looked and thought about it,      I learned this lesson: 33  A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,      a little folding of the hands to rest— 34  then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;      scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. In Proverbs 6:9-10, the lazy person was told to learn from the hardworking ant. Here, in Verses 32-3...

Send us Fan Mail Payback  29  And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me!      I’ll get even with them!” 30  I walked by the field of a lazy person,      the vineyard of one with no common sense. 31  I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.      It was covered with weeds,      and its walls were broken down. The first proverb is like the Golden Rule but in reverse. Instea...

Send us Fan Mail Kiss Don’t Tell 26  An honest answer      is like a kiss of friendship. 27  Do your planning and prepare your fields      before building your house. 28  Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause;      don’t lie about them. Verse 27 is practical advice: Take care of the basics before pursuing comforts. Get a stable job before buying a house or expensive items. Make sure y...

Send us Fan Mail Innocent Guilty  23 Here are some further sayings of the wise: It is wrong to show favoritism when passing judgment. 24  A judge who says to the wicked, “You are innocent,”      will be cursed by many people and denounced by the nations. 25  But it will go well for those who convict the guilty;      rich blessings will be showered on them. Verse 23 tells us that showing favoritism...

Send us Fan Mail Future Rebels | 20  For evil people have no future;      the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. 21  My child, fear the Lord and the king.  Don’t associate with rebels, 22      for disaster will hit them suddenly.  Who knows what punishment will come      from the Lord and the king? Verse 20 continues from the lesson from just a few days ago, where we learned that wisdom brin...

Send us Fan Mail Don’t Fret  17  Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;      don’t be happy when they stumble. 18  For the Lord will be displeased with you      and will turn his anger away from them. 19  Don’t fret because of evildoers;      don’t envy the wicked. All three verses today form one proverb. Verse 17 tells us not to be happy when our enemy fails. Even though it’s not mentioned here, w...

Send us Fan Mail My Honeycomb 13  My child, eat honey, for it is good,      and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste. 14  In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul.      If you find it, you will have a bright future,      and your hopes will not be cut short. 15  Don’t wait in ambush at the home of the godly,      and don’t raid the house where the godly live. 16  The godly may trip seven times...

Send us Fan Mail I Didn’t Know 11  Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;      save them as they stagger to their death. 12  Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”      For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.  He who guards your soul knows you knew.      He will repay all people as their actions deserve. Wisdom and understanding are not the same as education and...