Daily Meditations on the Bible
Truly the righteous attain life,
but whoever pursues evil finds death.
Summary: The concept of righteousness is troublesome for many. If we think of the word “righteous” in terms of multiple kinds of righteousness, it makes it easier to see the word in different contexts.
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:19 — The Righteous Life”
A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
Summary: Once again we are reminded that there are two ways to see life. Worldly vision is short-sighted, spiritual vision shows us the eternal horizon before us.
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:18 — Wages & Rewards”
Those who are kind benefit themselves,
but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.
Summary: Solomon has a pithy way of summarizing important truths. We do not live in a vacuum and our actions and words are never without consequence for ourselves as well as those around us.
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:17 — Reflections”
A kindhearted woman gains honor,
but ruthless men gain only wealth.
Summary: Kindness isn’t normally listed as a ‘superpower’ in the comics, but in real life, it is a very important one.
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:16 — Superpower”
A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
Summary: Do we take gossips seriously? Paul suggests that we should take it at least as seriously as murder. How we do that depends on a proper understanding of the Greek word, krino, meaning “to judge.”
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:13 — The Righteous Judge”
Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,
Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,
but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:12 — Neighbors” 
Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
Summary: Today’s passage provides an opportunity for a real-world application of what Solomon has been teaching us.
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:11 — Two Cities”
When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
Summary: The Bible offers examples of many types of righteousness. Understanding the differences between the various types helps us better understand the Bible.
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:10 — Rightography”
The righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and it falls on the wicked instead.
Summary: Once again we are confronted with the concept of righteousness. Here we compare our own human efforts at righteousness with Jesus’ perfect righteousness.
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:8 — Perfection”
The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.
Summary: Righteousness is a challenging topic. On one hand, is the view that because no one is righteous then that means people are incapable of any righteousness. But is that what the Bible says or is that what we want it to say?
Continue reading “Proverbs 11:6 — New Car Smell”