Open the Bible UK Daily
3 minute daily Bible reflections from Open the Bible UK, authored by Colin Smith, read by Sue McLeish.
Episodes
You Will Always Find Hypocrisy in the Church
There will be false teachers among you.2 Peter 2:1Peter’s plain statement reminds us that the church needs to be protected. Among the many wonderful people who come through the doors of the church each year, there will be some who would do the church more harm than good. They may seem like the nicest of people, but they do not believe in the authority of the Bible or in the exclusivity of salvatio
Four More Characteristics of False Teachers
There will be false teachers among you.2 Peter 2:1What is the difference between a genuine believer and a counterfeit believer? Here are four more characteristics that Peter gives us.4. Different Character. (What kind of people are being produced?) The true believer pursues virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (1:5-6). The counterfeit Christian i
Three Characteristics of False Teachers
There will be false teachers among you.2 Peter 2:1Second Peter 1 describes genuine believers. Second Peter 2 describes counterfeit believers. Put these chapters side by side, and you will see the differences between them. 1. Different Source. (Where does the message come from?) Peter says, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Ch
The Trouble with the Perfect Church
False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.2 Peter 2:1There are no ifs, ands, or buts here. It’s a clear and definite statement. There were false prophets among the people (of Israel in the Old Testament). That’s a matter of history.False prophets were a constant problem in the Old Testament, and those who falsely claimed to be prophets of God were t
Don’t Miss the Boat
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.2 Peter 1:12Why would you get up tomorrow morning and read the Bible? It’s more than gathering information, it’s about grasping all that Jesus is for you, savouring all that He has done for you, and receiving all that He holds in His hand for you.We miss the boat when we
Remembering in the Bible
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.2 Peter 1:12Being reminded of something you already know gets annoying fast. So, when Peter says, “I intend to always remind you of what you already know and are firmly established in,” it looks like a formula for frustration.But “remembering” in the Bible is much more th
The Prophets Were “Carried Along”
No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.2 Peter 1:20-21The best way to grasp what Peter is saying is through a story.Paul is under arrest and he is being taken to Rome. Luke describes the journey: “A tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck do
A Message from God
No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man.2 Peter 1:20-21Peter wants us to know how the Scripture came to be written. Where did the Old Testament come from?Peter begins by telling us where the Scriptures did not come from: “No prophecy of Scripture…” (1:20). He is distinguishing “prophecy of Scripture” from all other prop
What the Apostles Saw
We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.2 Peter 1:16Peter is talking about the second coming of our Lord Jesus, when He will appear in power and glory, and all His people will be with Him.Peter says, “This isn’t a cleverly invented myth. I know because I’ve seen His power and glory. I
Is the Bible a Reliable Guide to Knowing Jesus?
We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.2 Peter 1:16In Jesus Christ you will find everything you need for life. But if our knowledge of Jesus comes through the Bible, how do we know that it is reliable? Can we trust the Bible?Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology, identifies four th
How to Be an Effective and Fruitful Christian
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.2 Peter 1:8If you pursue virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love, you will be fruitful—whatever you try, wherever God calls you.Peter wants to encourage us to pursue these things, and he tells us what will
A Wake-Up Call
Whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.2 Peter 1:9If there isn’t a sense in your heart that “This is what I must pursue,” if there’s no correlation between Peter’s call and the pursuit of your life, there is something wrong with you. That’s what Peter is saying.If you are a person who professes faith, but the goa
Four More Things to Add to Your Faith
Make every effort to supplement your... self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.2 Peter 1:5, 6-7Here are four more virtues that Peter encourages us to actively pursue in the power of the Holy Spirit:4. Steadfastness (Pressing on): The impulsive person gives up easily. He is pushed around by what he
Add These Three Things to Your Faith
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control.2 Peter 1:5–6Peter’s emphasis is on our effort to actively pursue these in the power of the Holy Spirit: Make every effort to add these things to your faith. Go after them. Make them your own. God has given you power, now stretch yourself out in the pursuit of th
If You Want to Grow in the Christian Life
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.2 Peter 1:3If God has provided everything we need for a godly life, why is it that some Christians never seem to grow? They never seem to have much joy or make any progress. Peter says that they’re “ineffective or unfruitful” in their knowledge of Christ (1:8). Why is that?If you want to grow in the Christian life, th
The Kind of Effort It Takes to Live the Christian Life
For this very reason, make every effort…2 Peter 1:5Get this picture in your mind: An old Volkswagen Beetle sitting next to a Boeing 747 aeroplane. Now, imagine the Volkswagen pulling the 747! Believe it or not, a Volkswagen can actually do this. But what the power of a Volkswagen could never do is make the 747 actually fly!You cannot live the Christian life apart from the power of the Holy Spirit.
If Your Faith Doesn’t Feel Big Enough
He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.2 Peter 1:4If you feel defeated today, take in this promise: By His power, and through Jesus Christ, God’s promise to you in the gospel is that you should escape the corruption caused by evil
How Faith Changes Your Relationship to Sin
He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.2 Peter 1:4Where does corruption come from? What would need to change in order for our world to become truly free, just, and loving? Some people will tell you that it comes from lack of educat
What God Promises to People of Faith
[By] his own glory and excellence… he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.2 Peter 1:3-4What exactly does God promise to those who have faith? The first thing Peter mentions is that “you may become partakers of the divine nature.” What does that mean?How could you partake or participate in the divine nature? Eith
How Faith Is Formed in a Person
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.2 Peter 1:3What would make a 21st century person follow Jesus? There are certainly many answers, but the Bible sums up what causes a person to follow Jesus in two words—glory and excellence.Jesus’ goodness is put on display by the sheer excell
The First Step of Faith
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours…2 Peter 1:1Faith is a gift to receive and a command to obey. “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). That’s a command! God calls us to do it.Isn’t it strange that we say to an unbeliever, “Put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ”? How can an unbeliever put his or her faith in Jesus? If you’re an unbeliever, then by definition, you do not bel
What It Means to Have Faith
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ… in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.2 Peter 1:1-2Peter is writing to people of faith, telling them that in Jesus Christ they have everything they need for life. What does it mean to have faith?Christian faith is faith in Jesus ChristPeter affirms that Jesus is God. Peo
Everything You Need for Life
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.2 Peter 1:3Doesn’t that sound a bit ambitious, even pretentious?What do you need for life? Wisdom for raising kids. Courage in the face of opposition. Peace under pressure. Faith in the face of tragedy. Comfort in loss. Love when you feel alon
What to Do When You Feel You’ve Messed Up
He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.2 Corinthians 5:15What are you doing with the life God is giving to you? Perhaps you have thought, “Well, I’ve really messed up.”You may think, “I have said one thing and done another. I have made commitments to the Lord, but I haven’t kept them. I have taught others, but I h
Grace Prevails When We Humble Ourselves
But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart... so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.2 Chronicles 32:26Notice how grace prevailed in this man’s life. When Hezekiah came under the discipline of God, he saw the pride of his heart, and he saw what a fool he had been.“God has given me life! He brought me back from the point of death, and here I am, li
How God Deals with a Proud Heart
Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem.2 Chronicles 32:25God knows how to deal with a proud heart. Notice what happened when Hezekiah became proud and lived for himself: “Wrath came upon him.” Hezekiah came under the discipline of God. God loves His children too much to allow them to continue
When a Heart Becomes Proud
Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death, and he prayed to the LORD, and he answered him... But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud.2 Chronicles 32:24–25Why did Hezekiah not do what he said he would? God gives us the explanation of the extraordinary contradiction in this man’s life: “His heart was proud.”Remember that Hezekiah is des
Walking Humbly vs. Living Selfishly
The son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys… to Hezekiah for he heard that he had been sick… And Hezekiah… showed them his treasure house.Isaiah 39:1-2Babylon was the rising superpower of the day, and Hezekiah wanted to impress the envoys. He couldn’t resist showing off his treasure.The envoys tell their crown prince, “There is serious money in Jerusalem.” And the crown prince says, “One day
Life After a Crisis
I walk slowly all my years.Isaiah 38:15God healed Hezekiah and added 15 years to his life. Now here’s the question: What use did he make of those 15 years?Hezekiah was quite clear on what he would do: “I walk slowly [humbly] all my years” (38:15). “Lord, if you give me another 15 years I will walk before you in humility.” What would that look like?A humble person seeks to glorify God “The living,
One More Assurance in Times of Crisis
In love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.Isaiah 38:17When you face an unexpected crisis and your faith is tested, you can say, “I am loved” and “I am saved.” Here is the third thing you can say:I am forgiven“You have cast all my sins behind your back” (38:17). Here’s what God has done in love so that you would be saved from the
Assurance of Faith in Times of Crisis
In love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.Isaiah 38:17When you face an unexpected crisis and your faith is tested, there are three things you can always say for sure. Here are the first two:I am loved“In love you have delivered my life” (38:17). Literally, “You loved me out of the pit.” Nothing is surer in life than the love of G
Faith Prays for What God Has Promised
Oh restore me to health and make me live!Isaiah 38:16Hezekiah responds to the promise of verse 5 with the prayer of verse 16. God said, “I will add fifteen years to your life” (38:5). Hezekiah prays, “Oh restore me to health and make me live!” (38:16).Faith prays for what God has promised. “Lord, do what you have said! Heal me! Give me those 15 years!”My pastor, Derek Prime, would often say, “Pray
Faith Is Strengthened by the Word of God
O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live!Isaiah 38:16It’s hard to be sure of the precise order of events in Hezekiah’s life, but here’s the most likely reconstruction:Hezekiah became sick to the point of death (38:1)Despite being a godly man, he struggled with bitterness (38:15)Isaiah said, “Set your house in order, for y
How God Can Use a Test of Faith for Our Good
It was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction.Isaiah 38:17Notice what Hezekiah says here: “It was for my welfare that I had great bitterness.” How could God use this man’s bitterness for his good? The answer is in verse 15: “I walk slowly all my years.” “Walk slowly” means “walk humbly.” Hezekiah is saying, “I used to think th
An Unexpected Crisis Will Test Your Faith
What shall I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.Isaiah 38:15When you go through an unexpected crisis, your faith will be tested. Hezekiah is writing after he recovered from his illness (38:9). Looking back, he is full of thanksgiving: “He has spoken to me, and he himself has done it” (38:15).The words God spoke
Let Your Anguish Lead You to Jesus—Part 2
I am sure that neither death nor life… will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:38All Christians will experience anguish. But when you experience anguish, what are you to do? Here are two situations that can lead you to Jesus:1. When you fear being cut off, let your anguish lead you to JesusJesus knows what it is to be cut off. Isaiah says, “He was cut off
Let Your Anguish Lead You to Jesus – Part 1
He [Jesus] has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”Hebrews 13:5Jesus knows what it is to be separated from loved ones. At the Last Supper, He said to His disciples, “I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Mat. 26:29).No one ever loved with a more perfect love than Jesus. With all His heart, He would have want
The Fear that God Might Be Against You
I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones.Isaiah 38:13Hezekiah feels as if he is being mauled by a lion, and he fears that the lion may be God Himself! And if God is against him, what hope does he have?Why would this godly king fear that God might be against him? A godly man knows that even at his best, he falls far short of what God calls him to be.We can be thankful for t
The Fear of Being “Cut Off” by Death
In the middle of my days I must depart… like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end.Isaiah 38:10, 12Your life is like a piece of fabric being formed on a weaver’s loom. The threads are woven together, some of them bright, and some dark. But all of them are woven by God.One day the weaver cuts the fabric from the loom. That’s it! It
The Fear of Leaving Loved Ones Behind
I said, I shall not see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living; I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world.Isaiah 38:11Hezekiah knows that he will see the Lord in the world to come. His point is that that he will no longer see the Lord as he has in the past when he has worshipped with God’s people in the temple.When we worship, we behold the beauty of the Lord. David says
The Feelings of a Godly King in the Middle of a Crisis
A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness.Isaiah 38:9The beginning of Hezekiah’s crisis was shock, the end was hope, but the middle was anguish.Perhaps this is where you are today. You have moved through the shock of being disrupted by a crisis. You have affirmed your hope in God. But now you are feeling the anguish, and it looks like it will o
When Your Life Is Slipping Away, This Will Be the Only Question That Matters
The word of the LORD came to [Isaiah]: “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah… I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you.”2 Kings 20:4-5Here in 2 Kings, we get a fuller picture of what happened. Hezekiah is at the point of death, and Isaiah says, “Set your house in order, for you shall die.” Hezekiah turns to the wall and prays (20:1-2).Isaiah leaves, but God says, “Turn b
Things That Only God Can Do
Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?”Isaiah 38:22Hezekiah was sick and “at the point of death” (38:1). It must have been hard to believe that God would heal him. So, God gave him a sign.“Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had
Thank God When He Makes the Means Effective
Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you.”2 Kings 20:5There are two ways to lose the path of wisdom. One is to forget the means that God uses. The other is to forget that it is God who uses the means.Isaiah said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil” (Isa. 38:21). But God said, “Behold I will heal
How God Can Use You as a Means of Blessing Others
Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.”Isaiah 38:21What would you think of a person who said, “God will give strength to my body, so there is no need for me to eat”? Or, “God will keep me warm, so there is no need for me to wear clothing”?God gives strength to your body by means of the food you eat. God gives warmth to your body by means of th
Use the Means God Makes Available
Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.”Isaiah 38:21This gives us a clue about Hezekiah’s illness. There was a boil, evidence of an infection raging in his body. And Isaiah told the king to apply a dressing on the infected area, using a cake of figs.Hezekiah did not have the blessing of modern medicine, but this was the means that was available
God Normally Works Through Means
The word of the LORD came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.’”Isaiah 38:4-5Let’s look at the happy ending of Hezekiah’s story. We will see what God did and how He did it. What we find in these verses speaks clearly to any crisis we may face today.Heze
How You Can Have a Clear Conscience Before God
“You have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.”Isaiah 38:17Maybe you will say today, “I have not sought God in prayer, and I don’t have a clear conscience. I can’t say that I have walked before God in faithfulness. I have not served Him with my whole heart. I have not done what is good in His sight. So how can I get a clean conscience? How
Is Your Life’s Work Done?
Hezekiah wept bitterly.Isaiah 38:3When Hezekiah faced this unexpected crisis, the first thing he did was to pray, and the second thing he did was seek to live with a clear conscience. Notice what happened next: “Hezekiah wept bitterly” (38:3).Why did he weep bitterly? Why did Hezekiah not say like Paul, “To depart… is far better” (Phil. 1:23)? Or, “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1:2
The Second Response of a Godly Person to an Unexpected Crisis
“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.”Isaiah 38:3Hezekiah’s first response to the crisis was to seek the face of God in prayer. His second response was to seek to live with a clear conscience.Look again at Hezekiah’s prayer. Is he holding up his faithfulness as leverage in his prayer? Some commentato
The First Response of a Godly Person to an Unexpected Crisis
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD.Isaiah 38:2How did Hezekiah respond to this unexpected crisis? How will you respond in a crisis?The first thing Hezekiah did was to seek the face of God in prayer. When Isaiah comes with grim news, Hezekiah turns to the wall and prays. There were any number of questions that the king could have asked. “How long do I have to live? Why
When Bad Things Happen to Godly People
In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death.Isaiah 38:1We are looking at the story of a godly king. And yet of this man we read that he became sick and was near death.This was a painful affliction. And it happened at the worst possible time. The king and all of God’s people were suddenly plunged into an unexpected crisis.Anyone who has become sick knows that it changes everyth
God Can Redeem Your Background
[Hezekiah] did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.2 Kings 18:3Hezekiah was one of the best kings God’s people ever had. He was the son of Ahaz, who was one of the worst (16:1–4; 18:1). This reminds us that God can redeem people from the worst background and move their lives in a totally different direction.Here’s what the Bible tells us about Hezekiah:He lived a good and righteous lifeHe did w
When You Face One Crisis After Another
In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death.Isaiah 38:1“Those days” is a reference to a time when God’s people were under attack. The king of Assyria had invaded the Promised Land. He began in the north, where 10 tribes had broken away from the line of David. The northern kingdom was overwhelmed, and its people were scattered.This is a story about an unexpected change in the l
The Opportunity Money Provides
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.Proverbs 11:24This seems counterintuitive. Surely if I give freely, I will have less. How does this principle work out in practice?Think about farming. The farmer has a sack of seed. What does he do? He scatters it freely. Then, when harvest comes, the seed comes back to him in greater abundanc
The Priority of Giving
Honour the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty.Proverbs 3:9–10“Honour” means “give weight to.” Give weight to the Lord with your wealth. You do this by laying aside a portion of all that God has given you and giving it back to Him.What should you put aside?“The firstfruits of all your produce.” Firstfruits are the first par
Four Ways Money Will Tempt You
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.Proverbs 30:8-9Proverbs warns us about four temptations that will come with money.1. The temptation to controlThe people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it
Two Dangers of Money
No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve God and money.Matthew 6:24If money is a blessing, how can it also be a danger? Because money is a power. It lures us as a rival god and then makes increasing demands. It will seek to take control of your life. Money is a great servant, but it is not a good master.We must all give an account for what we did with the money God has entrusted to us. The
Where Riches Come From
A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich… The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.Proverbs 10:4, 22Solomon affirms the reward of hard work. But then he goes on to say that the blessing of the Lord makes one rich. So, which is it, Solomon? Does it depend on our hard work, or does it depend on the Lord?If you put these two statements together, t
How Jesus Approached His Work
“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”John 17:4If we want to have the joy that Jesus had, we need to live like Jesus lived. This was His approach to the work the Father gave Him to do:Jesus began earlyThe sluggard was slow to start but at the age of twelve, Jesus was in the temple (Lk. 2:49). He gave Himself to the Father’s business, and He did it out of l
A Powerful Description of Laziness
Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.Galatians 6:9Author and professor Rebecca DeYoung describes laziness or sloth as “resistance to the demands of love.” Then she talks about what can all too easily happen in a marriage—a husband and wife get into an argument, and they retreat to different parts of the house. It’s easier to stay at a miserable
The Surprising Motive of the Hard-Working Person
I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.Proverbs 24:30–31Picture a wise man walking in the countryside. First, he goes past a field of ripening corn. Then he goes past a vineyard with clusters of grapes on the vine. Then he goes past a little ve
The Profile of an Unproductive Person
The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.Proverbs 20:4Here is how Proverbs describes the sluggard, or the unproductive person:He is slow to startThe sluggard does not plough in the autumn (20:4). This draws attention to the long-term effects of putting off the things we need to do. There is a season for ploughing, for sowing, and for reaping. Ploughing is
Wisdom for Work
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.Proverbs 19:24We are looking today at the theme of work, or more precisely, its opposite.The book of Proverbs introduces us to a tragic character whose life ends in ruin. The name of this character is the sluggard. He is referred to 14 times.The sluggard is presented in comic terms, like when you see a caricature
How You Can Bless Others with Your Words
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.Psalm 19:14Your words will be a blessing when you have:An open earLet every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (Jas. 1:19). Having an open ear means listening to the words of others. It also means listening to the Word of God. “Incline your ear, and hear the word
Four Prayers for Wise Words
“What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart.”Matthew 15:18The Proverbs encourage us to speak in certain ways, and to avoid speaking in other ways. Let’s frame four prayers from the book of Proverbs, asking for God’s help with our words.Lord, help me to speak with restraintThe heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things (15:28).Words pour
Two Very Surprising Effects of Our Words
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.Proverbs 18:21What you say comes out of you, but it also goes down inside you. It goes to the stomach (18:20). Your own cursing will go deep down into your own soul. They are bitter fruits, and they will make your soul sick. You will eat your own words.The tongue is the means by which we bring great help or ha
Why Your Words Matter
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.Proverbs 18:21We have looked at the way of wisdom in relation to friends and family, and today we come to wisdom in our words. There are more proverbs on what we say than on any other subject. The tongue is the means by which we bring the greatest help or harm to others.There is death in the power of the tongueThere is one whose rash words are like swo
The Power of Example
My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live.Proverbs 7:1-2The only commands that are life-giving are the words and commands of God. But here is a father who has made God’s words his own: “My teaching. My words. My commandments.” What he commends to his son is what he pursues himself. That is the power of example.If you are a parent, a great motivat
Wisdom for Parents
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.Proverbs 22:6Remember that the Proverbs are not promises. Still, this is a stunning statement: Your influence in the lives of your children goes deeper than you may think. It will still be with them, even when they are old!The thief on the cross lived his life in rebellion against God, yet he said to the thief
Wisdom for Children
A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.Proverbs 10:1You might be surprised to hear that the largest number of proverbs relating to family life are addressed to parents and to children. Let’s begin with God’s wisdom for children.Always seek to bring joy to your parentsHonour your father and your mother (Ex. 20:12). The word honour means “give weight to” or “rega
Wisdom for Husbands and Wives
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord.Proverbs 18:22Your spouse is a gift from the Lord. These are the words of Solomon to his son Rehoboam, and this wise father commends marriage to his son as a good thing. Marriage is a good gift from the Lord.We live in a culture that flaunts freedom. “Who wants to be tied down?” The Bible has a very different view of marriage.
Wisdom for Brothers and Sisters
A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.Proverbs 18:19If you have a good relationship with your brother or sister, cherish it and guard it, because Proverbs reminds us that close relationships are vulnerable to deep wounds that don’t heal easily. “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city.” You see this in the Old Testam
How to Find a Best Friend
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.Proverbs 18:24The Lord Jesus Christ is the best friend you can ever have.1. Jesus will always be with youHe says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:4). No one else can say this to you. In every adversity, in life and in death, Jesus is the friend who will always be with you.2. The word
How to Be a True Friend
Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbour who is near than a brother who is far away.Proverbs 27:10What are the qualities of a true friend? How can you be a better friend? Proverbs gives us a profile of a true friend.1. A true friend is presentDo not go to your brother’s house in the day of your cal
Guard Your Friendships Carefully
Let your foot be seldom in your neighbour’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you.Proverbs 25:17Proverbs gives us two ways to guard our friendships:First, by being considerateThe easiest way to kill a good friendship is to become demanding. Here is a person who becomes friends with his neighbour, but then he overdoes it! Eventually the neighbour has had enough.Be considerate not only of
Choose Your Friends Wisely
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.Proverbs 13:20The people with whom you are closest will have the greatest influence in your life. The character of the friends you choose will rub off on you. And the deeper a friendship becomes, the more like your friend you will become. Friendship can bring you great good or do you great harm, depending on the
Be Intentional with Your Friendships
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgement.Proverbs 18:1In Proverbs we are looking at what it means to follow the way of wisdom in five areas: friends, family, words, work, and wealth. Today, we begin by looking at friendship.“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire” (18:1). That is, he is concerned about himself. And if you are only concerned ab
“The Fear of the Lord” Is Not Fear of Punishment
With you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.Psalm 130:4To “fear the Lord” means to love Him so much that His frown would be your greatest dread and His smile would be your greatest delight.There is a fear that love removes, and there is a fear that love brings.The fear that love removes is the fear of punishment. There is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).The
What Is Your First Reaction to “the Fear of the Lord”?
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.Proverbs 9:10What is your first reaction to “the fear of the LORD”? If you have endured a religion based on fear, you may say, “I had enough of that when I was young; I don’t want anything to do with it now.”If that is what you feel, look at the good that is promised here, and see if you may discover some
