“Charm is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30 John Piper tells a story to illustrate “the fear of the Lord:” Noël and the boys and I went out to Dick and Irene Tiegen’s place last week. They have a big dog as tall as … More What does it mean to “fear the Lord?”
Proverbs 30:8-9 …give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. Three life-saving requests: Don’t give me poverty: I might steal, dishonor … More Give me neither poverty nor riches…
“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” Prov. 29:25 “Fear” in the biblical sense is a much broader word. It includes being afraid of someone, but it extends to holding someone in awe, being controlled or mastered by people, worshipping other people, putting your trust in people, … More Beware the snare
We’ve arrived at Proverbs 29 in our read-through-the-Bible plan. Here is a quote from Jon Bloom in an article at Desiring God: God tells us “a man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet” (Proverbs 29:5). That’s what makes it evil. Whether or not flattering words have truth in them, their purpose … More Beware of Using Flattery
Proverbs 28:26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. Trusting in your own mind, in your own heart, is the opposite of trusting in the Lord. Look at the contrast: be a fool or be delivered. Remember the words of Proverbs 3:5 and 6? … More Be a fool or be delivered.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. John Piper, in a sermon, “The Righteous Are Bold as a Lion” The life of Martin Luther illustrates the connection between getting right with God and a life of boldness. If it can be said of anyone since the … More The righteous are bold as a lion
PROVERBS 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Matthew Westerholm wrote: we cannot study our way to sanctification. We must recognize that most of us know much more about the Christian life than we live. Proverbs 27:17 provides this clue: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” We need … More Sparks that sharpen
Like a pendulum, when we think about our future, many of us tend to swing between two opposite and wrong ends. Sometimes we worry over the future and what it holds…will we have a job? Will we have enough to eat? Will I get cancer? We fret as if we do not remember that we … More Swinging like a pendulum or trusting in God’s purpose?
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me…” How many times did we hear that as a kids? In our American culture, sarcasm and jesting are common. Ever had someone make fun of you, only later to say, “Just kidding!!” According to Proverbs, words DO indeed have the power to hurt. … More Use your words to heal instead of hurt.
Proverbs 26:4-5 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Hmm…which is it? When we come to confusing passages, we can approach it in one of two ways: “Do these verses contradict each other? Sure … More A fool: answer him or not?
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 