Wisdom for the Day - Standing Strong

Send us Fan Mail Listen or Mock  25  If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson;      if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser. 26  Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother      are an embarrassment and a public disgrace. 27  If you stop listening to instruction, my child,      you will turn your back on knowledge. Verse 25 The man who insults othe...

Send us Fan Mail Lords Protection 23  Fear of the Lord leads to life,      bringing security and protection from harm. 24  Lazy people take food in their hand      but don’t even lift it to their mouth. Verse 23 We must respect God - see Proverbs 1:7. If we respect God, then God will help us. When troubles come, he will protect us. See Psalm 46:1.  This proverb tells us that having respect and awe...

Send us Fan Mail Proper Planning 20  Get all the advice and instruction you can,      so you will be wise the rest of your life. 21  You can make many plans,      but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. 22  Loyalty makes a person attractive.      It is better to be poor than dishonest. Verse 20 Everyone needs to learn to be wise. Nobody is born wise. You, too, can learn to be wise. You must listen to...

Send us Fan Mail Gimme a Switch 17  If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—      and he will repay you! 18  Discipline your children while there is hope.      Otherwise you will ruin their lives. 19  Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty.      If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. Verse 17 God cares about poor people. He wants us to help them. See Matthew 25:31-46. ...

Send us Fan Mail Lazy Wives 14  Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth,      but only the Lord can give an understanding wife. 15  Lazy people sleep soundly,      but idleness leaves them hungry. 16  Keep the commandments and keep your life;      despising them leads to death. Verse 14 This man has a wise wife and careful parents. His parents have saved money to provide fo...

Send us Fan Mail Lions Faucet 12  The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar,      but his favor is like dew on the grass. 13  A foolish child is a calamity to a father;      a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping. Verse 12 When a king is angry, he is dangerous, like a lion. Stay away from him! But a king can be calm and quiet. Then it is good to be with him. This is like dew (water) o...

Send us Fan Mail Yachts Rock Anger 9  A false witness will not go unpunished,      and a liar will be destroyed. 10  It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury      or for a slave to rule over princes! 11  Sensible people control their temper;      they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. Verse 9 This is similar to verse 5. Here, at verse 9, it contrasts with verse 8. We have a choice. The wise m...

Send us Fan Mail Love is Wisdom 7  The relatives of the poor despise them;      how much more will their friends avoid them!  Though the poor plead with them,      their friends are gone. 8  To acquire wisdom is to love yourself;      people who cherish understanding will prosper. Verse 7 God loves poor people (Luke 4:18). As Christians, we must be the friends of poor people. Greedy people will no...

Send us Fan Mail Punished or Favored  4   Wealth makes many “friends”;      poverty drives them all away. 5  A false witness will not go unpunished,      nor will a liar escape. 6  Many seek favors from a ruler;      everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts! Verse 4 Many people prefer wealthy friends, and dislike poor people. Such behavior is wrong. See James 2:1-4, Proverbs 18:24, and L...

Send us Fan Mail Set Your Priorities 1 Better to be poor and honest      than to be dishonest and a fool. 2  Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;      haste makes mistakes. 3  People ruin their lives by their own foolishness      and then are angry at the Lord. Verse 1 A fool hates wisdom, so his words are lies. He tries to give a false impression. He should not speak these evil words. He shou...

Send us Fan Mail Rich and Poor 23  The poor plead for mercy;      the rich answer with insults. 24  There are “friends” who destroy each other,      but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. Verse 23 This is terrible. The rich man is greedy. He does not think that God cares about the poor man. The rich man does not use his wealth to help the poor man. Instead, the rich man wastes his money o...

Send us Fan Mail Kimmy’s Song 21  The tongue can bring death or life;      those who love to talk will reap the consequences. 22  The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,      and he receives favor from the Lord. Verse 21 When a judge makes his judgement, he can punish a man with death. When a thief makes an evil plan, his words can plot a man’s death. Our words also bring results. We can tell p...

Send us Fan Mail Eat Your Words 19  An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city.      Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars. 20  Wise words satisfy like a good meal;      the right words bring satisfaction. Verse 19 Family arguments can be serious problems. Relatives can struggle to solve an argument, if you upset them. It is hard to persuade your brother to fo...

Send us Fan Mail Not Judge Judy  17  The first to speak in court sounds right—      until the cross-examination begins. 18  Flipping a coin can end arguments;      it settles disputes between powerful opponents. Verse 17 A judge must listen to both opposing sides. Everyone believes the first person to speak. The lawyers must ask hard questions. Then they will discover whether this person’s words a...

Send us Fan Mail Smart Ears 15  Intelligent people are always ready to learn.      Their ears are open for knowledge. 16  Giving a gift can open doors;      it gives access to important people! Verse 15 This verse is a little bit of DUH! The wise man’s mind loves wisdom. So he studies to be even wiser. The wise man always listens with his ears. He listens so that he will hear more knowledge. Then...

Send us Fan Mail Sick Body or Spirit 13  Spouting off before listening to the facts      is both shameful and foolish. 14  The human spirit can endure a sick body,      but who can bear a crushed spirit? Verse 13 A wise man listens carefully before he advises anyone. A fool (that is, an evil man) does not need to listen. He already has plenty of foolish ideas to tell you. The fool thinks that he k...

Send us Fan Mail Destroy The Walls  11  The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;      they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. 12  Haughtiness goes before destruction;      humility precedes honor. In Verse 11.  A rich man trusts in a strong building. He thinks that his money is safe in his castle. He trusts his castle. He does not trust God. This rich man thinks that thieves cannot...

Send us Fan Mail Don’t Be Lazy 9  A lazy person is as bad as      someone who destroys things. 10  The name of the Lord is a strong fortress;      the godly run to him and are safe. Verse 9 If you are lazy, then this may cause trouble for other people. To be lazy is almost the same thing as to be dangerous. Verse 10 Think of a fortress as a castle. A castle was a strong building, which would be sa...

Send us Fan Mail  Zip it Up 7  The mouths of fools are their ruin;      they trap themselves with their lips. 8  Rumors are dainty morsels      that sink deep into one’s heart. Going Back to Verse 6 and now 7 A fool hates wisdom. A wise man thinks carefully about his words. But a fool does not think before he speaks. So the fool’s words cause arguments. His words cause trouble. And the fool deserv...

Send us Fan Mail God Ain’t Wapner 5  It is not right to acquit the guilty      or deny justice to the innocent. 6  Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels;      they are asking for a beating.  Verse 5 We should be fair to everyone, especially in court. An evil person does not deserve honor. He should not benefit from his evil actions. If he is guilty, he deserves punishment. We should respect...

Send us Fan Mail Wet Talking 3  Doing wrong leads to disgrace,      and scandalous behavior brings contempt. 4  Wise words are like deep waters;      wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook. Verse 3 Often, an evil person hates other people. He hates, because he is evil. He is evil, because he hates. This person will receive both shame and punishment. He will feel shame, when he receives h...

Send us Fan Mail Fools Say Too Much 1 Unfriendly people care only about themselves;      they lash out at common sense. 2  Fools have no interest in understanding;      they only want to air their own opinions. Verse 1 Look after people that you do not know! Sometimes angels (God’s servants from heaven) are our guests. (Hebrews 13:2) A sensible person should be friendly. If someone is not friendly...

Send us Fan Mail Fools Be Talkin 27  A truly wise person uses few words;      a person with understanding is even-tempered. 28  Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;      with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. Verse 27 A wise man thinks carefully. He does not suddenly become angry. Other people might think that he is slow. They are wrong, because it might take a long time to m...

Send us Fan Mail Bad Kids 25  Foolish children bring grief to their father      and bitterness to the one who gave them birth. 26  It is wrong to punish the godly for being good      or to flog leaders for being honest. Verse 25 This son refuses to learn to be wise. So, the son acts foolishly. He upsets his parents. And they suffer because of him. Verse 26 This verse is good advice for any person...

Send us Fan Mail Bribing Fool 23  The wicked take secret bribes      to pervert the course of justice. 24  Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom,      but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. Verse 23 The people might not know why a judge makes a wrong decision. They might think that he made a mistake. The truth is often that someone is evil. Perhaps a policeman, or a lawyer, o...