Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.
Summary: We all make choices in life. Sometimes we even realize that we are making them.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8:35-36 — Love Hate”
NOTE: The “all right now” joke is not original here. If you want to claim this portion of the cartoon we are happy to acknowledge the original source.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice...
Summary: Righteousness is a deep subject. Today’s passage brings us to the edge of the ocean of things there are to know about righteousness.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8:20 — Bildad’s Question”
The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
Summary: Solomon provides us with another insight into the nature of wisdom; she pre-existed time.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8: 22-23 — Before Time”
My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.
Summary: Talking about the benefits of wisdom is a daunting task. Solomon compares wisdom’s fruit with precious metals.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8: 19 — Fine Fruit”
With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
Summary: The Bible reminds us once again that we live in two worlds. The physical realm is temporary, the spiritual realm is eternal. The world tries to ignore the spirit and sells us temporary trinkets. God wants us to trust and love him so that we might inherit eternal treasure.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8: 18 — Two Worlds”
Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight, I have power.
Summary: Wisdom brings with her some serious help. The four allies mentioned in today’s text are essential for successfully navigating worldly challenges.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8: 14 — Wisdom’s Entourage”
To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.
Summary: Someone who thinks about themselves all the time is egocentric. Someone who thinks their definition of evil is the only one that counts is also egocentric. The reason we fear the Lord is not that God is egocentric, but that he is all-powerful. Our opinions about evil are a passing thought. God’s view of evil is eternal.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8: 13 — Evil”
“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.”
Summary: Wisdom, prudence, knowledge, and discretion are four aspects of spiritual strength. How we implement this strength in our daily lives depends on how we see our relationship with God and his Word.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8:12 — Roommates “
Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Summary: Instruction is important, but the bigger question is what kind of instruction are we getting? Wisdom calls us to choose her instruction. Now, if we can only find the right classroom…
Continue reading “Proverbs 8: 10-11 — Good versus Bad”
All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
Summary: Can we “taste” spiritual truth? In a very real sense, yes we can. To be able to discern truth from a lie we need to use wisdom. Fortunately for us, wisdom is ready and willing to help.
Continue reading “Proverbs 8: 8-9 — Spiritual Diet”