Proverbs 14:4 ESV Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A4&version=ESV] No food means no people, so we have to get food. The process of getting that food, however, has some icky bits. For ancient Israel, it was the ox, with its…
Proverbs 14:3 ESV By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A3&version=ESV] Ever said something you really, really shouldn’t have? We’ve all done it, me not the least, and we’ve all regretted it, sometimes five seconds later, sometimes (the worst times)…
Proverbs 14:1 ESV The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+14%3A1&version=ESV] Folly is much easier than wisdom; unfortunately, it has side effects: sin, self-destruction, and judgement, just to name a few. Wisdom, though it is difficult, can produce enduring legacies of virtue and prosperity (spiritual,…
Proverbs 13:24 ESV Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+13%3A24&version=ESV] Being a parent, I am given to understand, is difficult (though I have no personal experience as yet). Whether it’s worry about your kids, frustration with their foibles, fear over your own inadequacies,…
Proverbs 13:23 ESV The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice. [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+13%3A23&version=ESV] Oppression, governmental, criminal, or otherwise, is a common event in human history. Power corrupts, and those with power prey upon those without. Historically, perhaps the most common form of societal weakness is poverty,…
May we exemplify wisdom and understanding to the world As Christians walking in a fallen world, may we be known for wisdom and understanding. May it truly rest upon our lips and be shared frequently and freely with others. Strive after understanding so that we can enrich others with wisdom. Yet, even wisdom must be…
Receiving and Walking Wisdom receives commandments from the One who orders all things. Their hearts are open to what is best for them. In contrast, a fool who overflows with babbling only comes to ruin. Their overflow serves neither them nor their listeners. Integrity requires action. Even standing on principles requires the action of standing.…
We fuss and fume. We fight and flurry. We push and shove thinking that our success comes from the American way of hard work. Whether in church, at work, or at home, hard work comes out at the top of most lists of how to get ahead. Here we see that if our heads are…
Another intimate prayer song from David delivered to God at a time of great uncertainty when he had been seized by the Philistines. Needless to say, David was once again in a tight spot. In this, he pours out his plea to God. Telling God what he surely already knows—the enemy is relentless. The enemy…
“In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. But you have rejected us and disgraced us….” Ps 44:8-9a Honestly, this Psalm makes me a little uncomfortable. Could I really cry out in such a raw and honest manner? Especially aloud? Do we really boast in God and yet…