Wisdom for the Day - Standing Strong

Send us Fan Mail Lord Loves Godly 21  No harm comes to the godly,      but the wicked have their fill of trouble. 22  The Lord detests lying lips,      but he delights in those who tell the truth. Verse 21 God protects good people. He does not protect evil people. See Psalm 91. Verse 22 Sometimes, we need to remember simple facts. Some wise words are complex, like a puzzle. Other wise words are ve...

Send us Fan Mail Time for Wisdom 19  Truthful words stand the test of time,      but lies are soon exposed. 20  Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil;      joy fills hearts that are planning peace! Verse 19 The truth does not change. If something is true now, then it will always be true. This is like wisdom (Proverbs 8:22-31). This is also like Jesus, because Jesus never changes (Hebrews 13:8...

Send us Fan Mail Witness Wisdom 17  An honest witness tells the truth;      a false witness tells lies. 18  Some people make cutting remarks,      but the words of the wise bring healing. Verse 17 If you want to know the truth, then ask an honest person. You cannot trust a person who lies. Verse 18 Words can hurt, and words can heal. An evil man’s words can cause much damage. He might upset or ins...

Send us Fan Mail A Fool's a Fool 15  Fools think their own way is right,      but the wise listen to others. 16  A fool is quick-tempered,      but a wise person stays calm when insulted. Verse 15 Some people always think that they are right. On a journey, they never ask for directions. When they are ill, they do not go to a doctor. Even if they do go to a doctor, they do not obey his advice....

Send us Fan Mail Traps and Rewards 13  The wicked are trapped by their own words,      but the godly escape such trouble. 14  Wise words bring many benefits,      and hard work brings rewards. Verse 13 An evil man’s words are like a hunter’s trap. He is like a stupid hunter who falls into his own trap. Verse 14 This verse encourages us to think about our words. Verses 11-13 remind us that work is...

Send us Fan Mail Work Hard for your Money 11  A hard worker has plenty of food,      but a person who chases fantasies has no sense. 12  Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot,      but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit. Verse 11 A farmer deserves his harvest. He has worked hard. He has looked after his animals. He has ploughed his land and he has sowed his seeds. He has protect...

Send us Fan Mail Pride Unwise 9 Better to be an ordinary person with a servant      than to be self-important but have no food. 10  The godly care for their animals,      but the wicked are always cruel. Verse 9 This is a puzzle. A famous person can be very poor. An unimportant person can be wealthy. Often, we do not understand why a person should be poor or wealthy. Some people pretend that they...

Send us Fan Mail Godly and Sensible 7  The wicked die and disappear,      but the family of the godly stands firm. 8  A sensible person wins admiration,      but a warped mind is despised. Verse 7 This reminds us of verse 3. An evil man is never strong. When the evil man is in trouble, he may lose everything. He will not ask God to help him. His life is in danger. A good man is never weak. Verse 7...

Send us Fan Mail Plan Wisely 5  The plans of the godly are just;      the advice of the wicked is treacherous. 6  The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush,      but the words of the godly save lives. Verse 5 A good man does not plot evil plans. His plans respect God. The good man tries to help other people by his plans. For example, someone might open a shop that sells food. If the shop...

Send us Fan Mail Stable Crown 3  Wickedness never brings stability,      but the godly have deep roots. 4  A worthy wife is a crown for her husband,      but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones. Verse 3 This verse is not about the strength of a man’s body. It is about our whole lives. The good man has a strong belief in God. The good man uses his knowledge to make decisions. His emotio...

Send us Fan Mail Disciplined Wisdom 1 To learn, you must love discipline;      it is stupid to hate correction. 2  The Lord approves of those who are good,      but he condemns those who plan wickedness. Verse 1 We can benefit when someone shows our mistakes to us. When we see our mistakes, we can learn to do better. Nobody is perfect. Everybody has something to learn. Many people fear correction....

Send us Fan Mail Growth in Wisdom 30  The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life;      a wise person wins friends.[a] 31  If the righteous are rewarded here on earth,      what will happen to wicked sinners? Verse 30 We can bring God’s life to other people. Our wisdom can show other people the way to God. This is another reason to learn God’s wisdom. Verse 31 God is fair with everybody. The goo...

Send us Fan Mail Fools and Trouble 27  If you search for good, you will find favor;      but if you search for evil, it will find you! 28  Trust in your money and down you go!      But the godly flourish like leaves in spring. 29  Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.      The fool will be a servant to the wise. Verse 27 There is a good reward for the person who does the righ...

Send us Fan Mail Prosper or Cursed 25  The generous will prosper;      those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. 26  People curse those who hoard their grain,      but they bless the one who sells in time of need. Verse 25 There are many generous people who have great wealth. God has provided for them, so they provide for other people by their money. Then God provides the giver with m...

Send us Fan Mail Rewards and Loss  23  The godly can look forward to a reward,      while the wicked can expect only judgment. 24  Give freely and become more wealthy;      be stingy and lose everything. Verse 23 A good man wants good things, and he will receive good things. An evil man wants evil things. God will punish this man, because the man’s actions are evil. Verse 24 ‘One man gives, and hi...

Send us Fan Mail Oinky Jewelry 21  Evil people will surely be punished,      but the children of the godly will go free. 22  A beautiful woman who lacks discretion      is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout. God wants us to live good lives, but we are all evil. God hates our evil actions. God will punish evil people. If we want to be good, then God will help us. He wants to forgive us. He sent Jesu...

Send us Fan Mail Death and Life 19  Godly people find life;      evil people find death. 20  The Lord detests people with crooked hearts,      but he delights in those with integrity. Verse 19 Nobody is ‘really good’, except God (Luke 18:19). Nobody deserves to live with God in heaven. Heaven is God’s gift to us, but we must trust in him. Verse 20-21 These verses explain simple principles. These p...

Send us Fan Mail  Cruel to be Kind 17  Your kindness will reward you,      but your cruelty will destroy you. 18  Evil people get rich for the moment,      but the reward of the godly will last. Many people ask about the benefits that a Christian receives. These verses compare kind people with cruel people. Kindness brings a real reward (verse 18). People respect the kind person (verse 16). This i...

Send us Fan Mail Pay Your Bills 15  There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;      it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt. 16  A gracious woman gains respect,      but ruthless men gain only wealth. Verse 15 We should make a promise only if we can carry out our promise. See also Proverbs 6:1-5. Verses 16 Many people ask about the benefits that a Christian receives. Th...

Send us Fan Mail Advising Gossip 13  A gossip goes around telling secrets,      but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. 14  Without wise leadership, a nation falls;      there is safety in having many advisers. Verse 13 This verse is also about silence. We must think before we speak. Christian leaders often hear other people’s secrets. People should be able to trust their church leade...

Send us Fan Mail City Planning 101 11  Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,      but the talk of the wicked tears it apart. 12  It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;      a sensible person keeps quiet. Verse 11 explains the reaction of the people in verse 10. In verse 11, when evil men talk about a city, they plot to destroy it. Perhaps their plan is to steal from the peop...

Send us Fan Mail Righteous and Wicked 9  With their words, the godless destroy their friends,      but knowledge will rescue the righteous. 10  The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed;      they shout for joy when the wicked die. Verse 9 explains how a good man can avoid trouble. He is wise, because he has studied many things. His knowledge protects him. He is safer than someone who knows...

Send us Fan Mail Hope in Wisdom 7  When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,      for they rely on their own feeble strength. 8  The godly are rescued from trouble,      and it falls on the wicked instead. Verse 7 Death is terrible for an evil man. He will lose all of his money. He will lose all of his possessions. He will lose everything that he achieved in life. He will discover that he wa...

Send us Fan Mail  Honesty Ain’t Heavy 5  The godly are directed by honesty;      the wicked fall beneath their load of sin. 6  The godliness of good people rescues them;      the ambition of treacherous people traps them. Verse 5 Solomon compares life to a journey. We must be honest. Then we will be like travellers who walk along good paths. We shall take the correct route to heaven. This is a goo...

Send us Fan Mail Honestly Right 3  Honesty guides good people;      dishonesty destroys treacherous people. 4  Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,      but right living can save you from death. Verse 3 An honest man is a good man. He loves the truth. His decisions will be right. Jesus met a man called Nathanael. Jesus said, ‘This man is a genuine member of the nation of Israel. This man is t...