WISDOM FOR THE DAY

 Cruel to be Kind

17 

Your kindness will reward you,
     but your cruelty will destroy you.

18 

Evil people get rich for the moment,
     but the reward of the godly will last.

Many people ask about the benefits that a Christian receives. These verses compare kind people with cruel people.

Kindness brings a real reward (verse 18). People respect the kind person (verse 16)...

Pay Your Bills

15 

There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;
     it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.

16 

A gracious woman gains respect,
     but ruthless men gain only wealth.

Verse 15

We should make a promise only if we can carry out our promise. See also Proverbs 6:1-5.

Verses 16

Many people ask about the benefits that a Christian receives...

Advising Gossip

13 

A gossip goes around telling secrets,
     but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

14 

Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
     there is safety in having many advisers.

Verse 13

This verse is also about silence. We must think before we speak. Christian leaders often hear other people’s secrets. People should be able to trust their church leaders...

City Planning 101

11 

Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,
     but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.

12 

It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;
     a sensible person keeps quiet.

Verse 11 explains the reaction of the people in verse 10. In verse 11, when evil men talk about a city, they plot to destroy it. Perhaps their plan is to steal from the people...

Righteous and Wicked

9 

With their words, the godless destroy their friends,
     but knowledge will rescue the righteous.

10 

The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed;
     they shout for joy when the wicked die.

Verse 9 explains how a good man can avoid trouble. He is wise, because he has studied many things. His knowledge protects him. He is safer than someone who knows nothing...

Hope in Wisdom

7 

When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,
     for they rely on their own feeble strength.

8 

The godly are rescued from trouble,
     and it falls on the wicked instead.

Verse 7

Death is terrible for an evil man. He will lose all of his money. He will lose all of his possessions. He will lose everything that he achieved in life. He will discover that he was wrong. But then it will be too late...

 Honesty Ain’t Heavy

5 

The godly are directed by honesty;
     the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

6 

The godliness of good people rescues them;
     the ambition of treacherous people traps them.

Verse 5

Solomon compares life to a journey. We must be honest. Then we will be like travellers who walk along good paths. We shall take the correct route to heaven. This is a good, straight path...

Honestly Right

3 

Honesty guides good people;
     dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

4 

Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,
     but right living can save you from death.

Verse 3

An honest man is a good man. He loves the truth. His decisions will be right.

Jesus met a man called Nathanael. Jesus said, ‘This man is a genuine member of the nation of Israel. This man is totally honest...

Watch That Scale

1

The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales,
     but he delights in accurate weights.

2 

Pride leads to disgrace,
     but with humility comes wisdom.

Verse 1

Our actions, like our words, are important to God. At work, we should not cheat other people. We must be fair. In a shop, a kilo or pound weight should be accurate. If we use false measurements, we lie to our customers. We should be honest...

Watch That Tongue

31 

The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice,
     but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.

32 

The lips of the godly speak helpful words,
     but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.

Verses 31-32

Verse 32 encourages us. Many people worry that they will say the wrong thing. A good man always says the right thing. If we trust in God, then God will help us...