Wisdom for the Day - Standing Strong

Send us Fan Mail Commit to God 3  Commit your actions to the Lord,      and your plans will succeed. 4  The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,      even the wicked for a day of disaster. Verse 3 When we pray, we should give our plans to God. We ask God to bring about the best result. We cannot control our own plans. We do not even know what will happen tomorrow. See James 4:13. Verse 4...

Send us Fan Mail God Knows All  1 We can make our own plans,      but the Lord gives the right answer. 2  People may be pure in their own eyes,      but the Lord examines their motives. Verse 1 We should ask God to help us to speak the right words. The ‘plans of our hearts’ are our thoughts and ideas. We do not know everything. God knows the things that we do not know. We need his help to say the...

Send us Fan Mail Wise With Honor  31  If you listen to constructive criticism,      you will be at home among the wise. 32  If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself;      but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. 33  Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom;      humility precedes honor. Verse 31 If someone learns from words of correction, then that person will become wiser. We al...

Send us Fan Mail God Hears  29  The Lord is far from the wicked,      but he hears the prayers of the righteous. 30  A cheerful look brings joy to the heart;      good news makes for good health. Verse 29 ‘God is not deaf or weak. The result of your evil actions is that you have moved far away from God.’ (Isaiah 59:1-2) However, God is close to a good person. God even knows a good person’s silent...

Send us Fan Mail Bribes are Wicked 27  Greed brings grief to the whole family,      but those who hate bribes will live. 28  The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;      the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words. Verse 27 People give bribes (secret gifts) so that other people will do wrong things. For example, if a judge accepts a bribe, then he might punish an innocent ma...

Send us Fan Mail Proud and Evil 25  The Lord tears down the house of the proud,      but he protects the property of widows. 26  The Lord detests evil plans,      but he delights in pure words. Verse 25 Everything that God does is right. Some people will praise a proud man. Some people think that proud people are very great. God does not think this. In the end, God will punish proud people. Some p...

Send us Fan Mail I Shoulda Said That 23  Everyone enjoys a fitting reply;      it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time! 24  The path of life leads upward for the wise;      they leave the grave behind. Verse 23 An adviser should always try to give correct advice. He thinks and he prays about his words. He considers the probable results of his advice. He wants to say the right word...

Send us Fan Mail Foolish Plans 21  Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense;      a sensible person stays on the right path. 22  Plans go wrong for lack of advice;      many advisers bring success. Verse 21 If someone is not wise, then foolish (evil) things attract him. This is like a traveller who chooses the wrong route for a journey. Some people love to do evil things. They gladly choose t...

Send us Fan Mail Mom’s Briar Patch 19  A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers,      but the path of the upright is an open highway. 20  Sensible children bring joy to their father;      foolish children despise their mother. Verse 19 A slow man can be very slow. He has lots of excuses. Solomon uses humor here. Nobody could be so slow that plants grew on his path. The truth is that the man was...

Send us Fan Mail  Eat Your Vegetables 17  A bowl of vegetables with someone you love      is better than steak with someone you hate. 18  A hot-tempered person starts fights;      a cool-tempered person stops them. Verse 17 Many people want the best meat, instead of a few vegetables. But love is better than hate. We want to eat in a place where people love us. Sometimes it is better to be poor tha...

Send us Fan Mail Turmul Tummoy Toomoil 15  For the despondent, every day brings trouble;      for the happy heart, life is a continual feast. 16  Better to have little, with fear for the Lord,      than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. Verses 15-16 A Christian may be poor. But he has every reason to be cheerful. See Philippians 4:4, 1 Peter 1:8 and Psalm 96:11-13. God’s love is like a par...

Send us Fan Mail Don’t Be Mad..Be Glad 13  A glad heart makes a happy face;      a broken heart crushes the spirit. 14  A wise person is hungry for knowledge,      while the fool feeds on trash. Verse 13 Your thoughts and emotions control your whole body. We smile when we are glad. We are sad if our experiences upset us. If we pray, God will comfort us (James 5:13). Verse 14 Both a fool and a wise...

Send us Fan Mail Mocking Death 11  Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the Lord.      How much more does he know the human heart! 12  Mockers hate to be corrected,      so they stay away from the wise Verse 11 Some people think that God does not know their thoughts and actions. They are wrong. God even sees beyond the grave into hell. God knows all our thoughts, and all our actions. We...

Send us Fan Mail Wicked or Godly 9  The Lord detests the way of the wicked,      but he loves those who pursue godliness. 10  Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined;      whoever hates correction will die. Verses 9 Our behavior shows what sort of people we are. God hates the actions of wicked people. God hates their evil thoughts and plans. We should do the right things. We s...

Send us Fan Mail Lips and Hearts 7  The lips of the wise give good advice;      the heart of a fool has none to give. 8  The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,      but he delights in the prayers of the upright. Verse 7 The wise man teaches the things that he knows. Other people hear and they benefit from his advice. If we are wise, then we can help many people. The fool’s heart does not be...

Send us Fan Mail Parent's Treasure 5  Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline;      whoever learns from correction is wise. 6  There is treasure in the house of the godly,      but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble. Verse 5 If someone hates wisdom, then he hates instructions. He is angry if someone corrects him. A wise person learns from correction. He wants to know if he is wrong....

Send us Fan Mail Somebody's Watching Me 3  The Lord is watching everywhere,      keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. 4  Gentle words are a tree of life;      a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Verse 3 God knows everything (1 John 3:21). He knows what the result of our actions will be. He watches good people so that he can protect them. He watches evil people so that he can puni...

Send us Fan Mail Check your Tongue 1 A gentle answer deflects anger,      but harsh words make tempers flare. 2  The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing,      but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. Verse 1 If we choose our words carefully, then we will get a good reaction. When we tell people about God, we should be polite. We should not use angry words. These will upset people....

Send us Fan Mail Wise and Happy Kings 33  Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart;      wisdom is not found among fools. 34  Godliness makes a nation great,      but sin is a disgrace to any people. 35  A king rejoices in wise servants      but is angry with those who disgrace him. Verse 33 Another translation of the second line is, ‘Even fools can hear wisdom.’ The wise person does not only...

Send us Fan Mail Refuge for the Poor 31  Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,      but helping the poor honors him. 32  The wicked are crushed by disaster,      but the godly have a refuge when they die. Verse 31 Solomon tells us to help poor people, because God made them. When we love poor people, we love God. See Matthew 25:34-45. Verse 32 Evil people have no protection when troubles c...

Send us Fan Mail  Anger and Peace 29  People with understanding control their anger;      a hot temper shows great foolishness. 30  A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;      jealousy is like cancer in the bones. Verse 29 Patience is good. ‘Everyone should be quick to listen. Everyone should be slow to speak. Everyone should be slow to become angry.’ (James 1:19) A patient person will learn ma...

Send us Fan Mail Fear and Glory 27 Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain;     it offers escape from the snares of death. 28 A growing population is a king’s glory;     a prince without subjects has nothing. Verse 27 God protects people who respect him. Even their families can benefit. See Psalm 46 and 2 Timothy 1:5. Verse 28 Solomon was a king. If there were many people in a country, then the...

Send us Fan Mail Wise Security 25  A truthful witness saves lives,      but a false witness is a traitor. 26  Those who fear the Lord are secure;      he will be a refuge for their children. Verse 25 An honest man speaks the truth. He can rescue people from death, because he is honest. He will tell people if their actions are wrong. He will show them what is right and good. A man who speaks lies c...

Send us Fan Mail More Work, Less Talk 23  Work brings profit,      but mere talk leads to poverty! 24  Wealth is a crown for the wise;      the effort of fools yields only foolishness. Verse 23 In the end, even the best plan is only words. Words without work cannot earn money. Words alone do not achieve results. Only work can bring success. See James 2:14-17. Verse 24 A wise person deserves wealth...

Send us Fan Mail Best Laid Plans 21  It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor;      blessed are those who help the poor. 22  If you plan to do evil, you will be lost;      if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness. Verse 21 In verse 20, the neighbor tried to avoid the poor man. In verse 21, Solomon explains that this attitude is evil. God is pleased with the generous p...