Today's passage: Proverbs 31

Helpful thoughts:

• It is believed that King Lemuel is another name for Solomon.  If that is true, he learned this wisdom from his mother, Bathsheba.
• Verses 2-9 are a set of proverbs for the wise king.  Verses 10-31 depict an excellent wife.
• The Wise King:
  • Rulers and leaders are to pursue purity and holiness.
  • Rulers and leaders are to maintain a sound mind.
  • Rulers and leaders are to have compassion on those who cannot help themselves.
• The Excellent wife: (It's helpful to remember this is a description of an ideal “excellent” wife -No one is perfect- and that it was crafted by a wife and mother.)
  • She is trustworthy.
  • She is hardworking and productive.
  • She is generous.
  • She prioritizes her family (Including giving attention to her own well-being).
  • She benefits the reputation of her husband.
  • She speaks with wisdom and kindness.
  • She will be held in high regard by those who know her best (Her family).
  • She does all this because she first fears the Lord.

Questions to consider:

1. If it is wise for kings to help those who cannot help themselves, what kinds of programs or laws should the government endorse?  In what ways could government assistance be manipulated in ways the book of Proverbs would call “foolish?”  Who are the helpless whom the government should seek to protect?
2. Knowing that men are to be leaders in the home, what kind of a man must a husband be in light of this description of the excellent wife (See Ephesians 5:25-33)?  Husbands, how can you grow?  Wives, how can you grow?  Those who desire to be married in the future, how can you be growing to be the kind of person someone like this would desire to marry?
3. What part of this chapter stuck out the most to you?  How can you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Father, thank you for King Jesus, the perfect King!  We thank you for his righteousness, for his sound mind, and for his willingness to help us when we were hopeless to help ourselves.  We pray for our leaders, for their salvation, for their responsibilities, for our communities, and for our nation.  We also pray today for the marriages in our church.  I pray Lord for our men, that they would love their wives like Christ loves the church.  I pray that our wives would love their husbands and their homes as they pursue this excellence in the fear of the Lord.  I pray that each would pursue you together in humility and reverence, that you would be honored, and our homes and the church would be blessed through their love.

Today's passage: Proverbs 30

Helpful thoughts:

• The exact details of Agur's identity are unknown.  It is possible he was a contemporary of Solomon.  The name Agur means “collector.”
• Without God's revelation, there would be no wisdom.  Left to ourselves we would not be wise, but by God's grace we can be showered with wisdom (James 1:5)
• When people add to God's Word, they are denying it's authority and sufficiency.
  • There are official ways this has been done, such as holding church tradition as authoritative or adding books to the Bible (e.g. the Apocrypha)
  • This can also be done unofficially.  When we decide to interpret the Bible differently in order to match a contrary opinion, or when we think the Spirit can use a clause of a sentence out of context to tell us what we might want to here…that is adding to the Scripture.

Questions to consider:

1. Why do you think Agur wanted neither poverty nor riches?  How does verse 9 answer that question?  What would that look like today?
2. What are the comparisons between verses 11-14 and 15-16?  How do they all go together?  What would repentance result in?
3. What proverb stuck out the most to you?  How can you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Lord, as this chapter in proverbs finishes in verse 31, we are reminded that we have all deserved your wrath.  You don't lose control of your emotions.  Nor do you react unjustly.  Your wrath is forced because you are a holy and just God.  Thank you for your great love in sending Christ to take our wrath in our place!  Thank you for revealing yourself and your will to us through your word.  Please grow in our hearts a passion to read it, heart it, learn it and live by it for your glory, for the good of others, and for our joy.

Today's passage: Proverbs 29

Helpful thoughts:

• We all need reproof at different times.  May God give us grace to receive it when it comes.
• “Exacting gifts” (Verse 4) means taking bribes.
  • Nations are built through justice.
  • Greed tears them apart.
    • Human leaders alone are never going to bring true and complete justice (Verse 26).
• We all need to here truth.  We need to hear the Word of God.  And at different times, we also need action. (Verses 15-19)
• Christians must not be surprised if the world calls us evil for agreeing with God (Verse 27).

Questions to consider:

1. What comparisons and contrasts are highlighted in this chapter concerning the wise and fools?  What is characteristic of both of them concerning conflicts and quarrels?
2. How could verse 12 be applicable in other places of leadership and delegation (Such as the workplace, the church, etc.)?  Why is it so important the Bible be our final authority in the church?
3. What proverb stuck out the most to you?  How can you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Father, thank your for the promise of Christ's return to rule and reign.  We can get caught up in thinking the next leaders of our nation will make all these changes…we are told every four years that this election is the most important in our lifetime.  But, we know when true and lasting justice will come.  So come, Lord Jesus.  While we wait, please use us to proclaim the truth of your word, to raise up the next generation, to be salt and light in the workplace and in our communities.  In the midst of these times and in this world, give us eyes to see the big picture and to rest in your eternal plan.

Today's passage: Proverbs 28

Helpful thoughts:

• It's really hard to become paranoid when you haven't done anything wrong.  If there's nothing to hide, when our consciences are clear, we have freedom.
  • If people didn't do any wrong, we wouldn't need to be governed or policed.  Because we all do commit sinful acts, even our authorities are fallible.  This world is under the curse of sin.  Come, Lord Jesus!
• Even when we do sin, there is a path to freedom…confession and repentance (Verse 13).  Our God is merciful!
• Follow Christ and God's word, not your heart.  (Verse 26)

Questions to consider:

1. When we pray, we are communicating with God.  When we read the Bible, He is communicating with us. (Verse 9) What therefore should be characteristic of our relationship with God?  How do we know that we are drawing near to Him and Him to us?  When are we truly spending time with Him?
2. What would verse 21 teach us about our allegiances?  To whom must our ultimate allegiance be given?  Who is the only one we could give our total support without fear of being driven into sinful actions?
3. What proverbs stuck out the most to you today?  How can you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Father, thank you for your mercy!  Thank you for giving us Christ.  Thank you for your forgiveness.  Thank you for repentance.  And, thank you for bringing us into your kingdom!  I pray that we as Christians would be faithful to you and to each other to live in such a way that we could be bold for the Gospel as we represent you here on this earth.  We pray for the evil that we see in the world and the hurt that it causes and look forward to the day when Christ will return.  Lord, work in our hearts to long for your word that we would walk wisely and pray in right earnestness and reverence.

Today's passage: Proverbs 27

Helpful thoughts:

• God is sovereign.  He alone knows and is in control of the future.  Our job is to rest in Him and do all for His glory.  ( Matthew 6:33-34, James 4:13-17)
  • The added benefit of resting in God's sovereignty and being mindful of the limits of our responsibilities is less anxiety.
• When we know that our greatest friends and brothers and sisters in Christ are truly loving one another, and when we are humble and willing to learn and grow and build into each other, we will speak the truth in love…and receive the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16)
  • Speaking the truth in love means speaking something that will bless and benefit the other if they hear it and receive it.  We speak to encourage growth and we listen to grow to love the Lord and others better.  Iron sharpens iron.
• The praise of man that we receive is not where we accumulate value or reward.  Instead, it is a test.  When gold and silver are burned/melted, the impurities are discovered and removed.  When people praise us and tell us how wonderful they think we are, our impurities are discovered.  When we are motivated to do things by the praise of man (People pleasing) their praise only brings that out of us all the more.
  • Being motivated by love will allow us to delight for their benefit when they enjoy things and to still do what's right even when they don't.

Questions to consider:

1. How could we compare/contrast verses 2 and 14?  Who should be doing the praising?  What should the purpose of praise be (For whose benefit)?  When does praise turn into flattery?  Why would praising ourselves have the same effect as flattery?
2. How could verses 23-27 be applied to your workplace, your home, the church, etc.?  Why do we sometimes wait until we hear that “squeaky wheel”?  What might we need to do if it seems all we ever do is fix “squeaky wheels” because they are so plentiful?
3. What proverbs stuck out the most to you?  How can you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Father, thank you for the relationships you have given us.  I pray that we would look first to our relationship with You, brought about by the sacrifice of Christ!  May we remain humbled as we consider the sacrifice and may we remain confident in our secure standing in Him so that we can love people selflessly.  Lord, may the Gospel be central in our thinking as a church and in our families so that we might be ready to love one another and receive love, building into one another, praying for one another, receiving constructive criticism from one another when necessary.  And Lord, I thank you for the growth and closeness and love and friendship that would be ours as we walk forward together in this way.

Today's passage: Proverbs 26

Helpful thoughts:

• Verses 1-12 all speak of foolishness.  13-16 the sluggard.  17-28 our speech.
• Verses 4 and 5 seem hard to understand.  They look like they disagree with each other!
  • Verse 4 should be understood as, do not be in agreement with a fool.  Don't affirm or go along with the foolishness, or you will be taking part in it.
  • Verse 5 is saying the fool is to be rebuked.  If we leave them alone, they will continue in their foolishness without any help.
    • At some point however, if the fool continues to choose foolishness, it would be foolish to continue to get involved.  The fact that these two verses together makes us feel that there is no winning when working with a fool…that's the point.
• It only takes a spark to start a wildfire.  We might be able to control our tongue, but once we let out our words we have no control over how far they will reach. (For the better or the worse)
  • If we spark a fire on purpose, we will get burned. (Verse 27)

Questions to consider:

1. What are the similarities in the first 12 verses and what are some specific differences?  What is true of foolish living?
2. What are the kinds of things people use their words to accomplish?  With all of the sinful things that are listed in this chapter, what would the opposite, righteous acts be?  How can we use our speech to bless and love people?
3. What proverb stuck out the most to you?  How can you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Father, there is so much sin and selfishness and hurt represented in this chapter.  We know that the wages of sin is death.  And we thank you that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!  I pray that we would see the truth of the Gospel and desire to love you and love others in a way that would eradicate foolishness from our hearts, cause us to work hard for the benefit of others, and compel us to use our speech to build others up and point them to you.

Today's passage: Proverbs 25

Helpful thoughts:

• Verse 2 and 3 are a contrast of God's knowledge and need for counsel against that of a human king.
  • God is all-knowing and needs no counsel.
    • If God needed to ask for help or needed to be inspected, it wouldn't be to his glory.
  • Kings have much to do and think about, and they need help.
    • If a king asks for help, it shows his wisdom.
• If you are a Christian, you are already a child of the king.  Even earthly exaltation won't compare to eternity.
• Sometimes it can be our goal to avoid sadness, to make people stop being down.  Better to weep with those who weep, then walk with them through the hardship back to joy.

Questions to consider:

1. Which proverbs could you find quoted or said in a different way in Romans 12:9-21?
2. What picture do you think is being painted by the second half of verse 26?  When a believer keeps falling when they get around temptation, what will they be unable to do for others?
3. What proverb stuck out the most to you?  How can you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you that this world is not all we have.  We long for the day when Christ returns and rules.  We long for the day when all will be made new.  We pray for strength and focus to keep these things in mind and to keep you first in our hearts as we interact with others today.  May we value truth, your glory, and love of others more than we would desire to receive the praise of man.  Please use us to point others to Christ today!

Today's passage: Proverbs 24

Helpful thoughts:

• Our definition of what a house is changes drastically when we believe a house is built, established and filled with riches by wisdom, understanding and knowledge.
• Wise people grow in knowledge and strength because they never stop learning.
• Verse 27 would have been directly applied by being content to live in a tent in your land until you had worked the land, made it productive and gathered resources needed to build a permanent house.
  • The idea is this: Live within your means.  Be content as you work hard and gather resources.  When the time comes and you have the means, go build that house.

Questions to consider:

1. Why do we want to eat honey (Verse 13)?  How must we value wisdom and biblical knowledge before we will desire to take it in?  Is God's wisdom and biblical knowledge good?  Is God's word sufficient?  What kinds of things “cut our hope off” concerning the Bible?  When we don't feel like reading it and learning, what might be affecting our values?
2. When we envy unbelievers, what are we forgetting?  What are their motives (Verses 1-2)?  What is their end (Verses 19-20)?
3. Which proverb stuck out the most to you?  How can you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Father, it seems so illogical that we would envy the possessions of others and at the same time be prone to laziness, but it happens.  It seems to illogical that we would call your Word so magnificent and forget sometimes to read it, but it happens.  Thank you for your grace!  Thank you for Jesus.  We all have fallen short of your glory and you have given us guarantee that our end will not be the same as those who reject you.  May we whole-heartedly rejoice in your love and therefore desire to get up, learn your wisdom, work hard and love people.  Lord, please build our houses, establish our families, and fill our rooms with the precious and pleasant riches of your kind favor.

Today's passage: Proverbs 23

Helpful thoughts:

• We are children of the King, no other ruler should be able to lure us away from our allegiance.
• Verses 10 and 11 remind us of Boaz the kinsman redeemer for Ruth and Naomi.  Even if there is no family left to redeem the family's legacy and land, God Himself will intervene.
  • People might get away with injustice in this world and in this lifetime.  God will prove to be the perfect judge.
• It is not unloving to discipline a child.  It is unloving to allow them to go into the world without discipline.
  • God disciplines His children because He loves them. (Hebrews 12:5-11)
• The “redness” of the wine in verse 31 refers to the higher concentration of alcohol.  If there was less water diluting the fermented mixture, the drink would be a darker red.  This is also referred to as “strong drink” in the scriptures.
  • One of the many dangers of drunkenness is that it seems to soften the blow of the negative consequences of our actions (Verse 35).  Like a self-prescribed medication for the pain caused by our sin.  When we don't feel the pain, we won't seek the cure (In this case, repentance).

Questions to consider:

1. If we work our whole lives to be rich, how will we view possessions and people?  How might we treat them?  How would we measure our success in life?  How would that compare or contrast to the commands to love God and love our neighbor?
2. What are we forgetting we already have when we begin to envy the lost?  What is sadly true about their hopes and the greatest things they may obtain?  How long will they last?  How can we be truly content (Philippians 4:10-13)
3. Which proverbs stuck out the most to you?  How can you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Lord, we praise you!  You are our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and King!  You have loved us in our sinful condition.  You have purchased us through the blood of Jesus.  You have given us eternal life.  You have called us to live lives that will matter for eternity.  You have promised us eternal reward as joint-heirs with Christ.  Nothing on the face of this earth could ever compare to what you have already provided to us.  Nothing on the face of this earth could ever compare to you.  May these truths ground us and give us a pure and abounding contentment as they should.  May they drive us to pursue righteousness.  And when we do sin, though we often would rather mask the pain, Lord instead please grant us repentance for the good of others around us, for our own good, and for your glory.

Today's passage: Proverbs 22

Helpful thoughts:

• A good name can be earned through personal kindness and love toward others and it can also be inherited.
  • Our families pass down a name (e.g. Even older siblings to their youngers at school).
  • Our church has a name in the community.  We are all contributing to it and we will give it to the next generation.
• Our children learn from what we say, how we say it, by what we do and by how what we say correlates with what we do.
  • And when they are old, they will not depart from it.
  • Remember, this is a proverb.  A wisdom saying.  This verse can be misused to ask why kids didn't turn out the way a parent wants…but when we expect kids to grow up and turn out “perfect”, we need to be humble, honest with ourselves, and realize that its only by the grace of God any of us are growing in righteousness.
• The “ancient landmarks” of verse 28 refer to boundary lines in ancient Israel.  The verse is discouraging trying to altar family property allocations.
• There is a competition going on for your mind.  Hearing from the world results in learning their ways and snares being set for our own capture.  Hearing from the Lord (Inclining our ears and applying our hearts to understand imply effort on our part) results in learning his ways and walking in righteousness and freedom.

Questions to consider:

1. How does 1 John 4:18-19 answer the proverb in verse 13 of this chapter?  Do the lazy really fear lions in the street though?  Is the problem fear or a lack of love for others?  What does the lazy person want most?  What are the greatest motivations to work hard?
2. Does a child have to learn foolishness or did we all come by it naturally (Verse 15 & Psalm 51:5)?  What should be the parents' motivation and goal for discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11, Ephesians 6:4)?  Do parents punish or discipline?  What would the difference be?  What is God's goal for our discipline?
3. What proverb stuck out the most to you? How could you put it into practice today?

Prayer:

Father, if my children grow up to be just like me they will need a savior.  Thank you for Jesus Christ!  And thank you for the work you have done in our lives that would allow our children to see you working in and through us.  May we remember to point them to you when they see good in us, knowing that if they are to see good and growth in their lives, it will be just as much of your doing and your grace.  May we remember to point them to you when they see the bad in us, reminding them that our hope and security rests in Jesus' righteousness alone. And may they see us inclining our ears and applying our hearts to understand and obey your word.  Thank you for your word.  Thank you for your wisdom.  Thank you for our salvation.