Month: February 2021

Scripture Readings Proverbs 12:9Hosea 1–2I Corinthians 8–10Psalms 59 Verse Focus (Proverbs 12:9) Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant     than pretend to be somebody and have no food. Meditation Congratulations! Today we complete two months along this journey. Okay, so February is the shortest month of the year… but that doesn’t diminish the accomplishment at all. I’m so proud of you — and of myself! — for getting this far. Hallelujah! Thank you, Father God, for bringing us all along on this journey through your Scripture. Thank you for enabling me to be consistent in seeking you each…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 12:4Isaiah 65–66I Corinthians 6–7Psalms 58 Verse Focus (Proverbs 12:4) A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,     but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. Meditation Greetings, everyone! For those of you who are reading these meditations in 2021, happy weekend! Our verse focus today makes me a little bit uncomfortable. Not because it doesn’t express truth, but because I find myself resisting that ancient, patriarchal society. Where are the proverbs about the good husband, I wonder? Why doesn’t Solomon ever look at a deceitful and wicked husband and talk about how he murders his…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 12:1Isaiah 63–64I Corinthians 3–5Psalms 57 Verse Focus (Proverbs 12:1) Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,     but whoever hates correction is stupid. Meditation Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 1:3) God has been teaching me to love discipline. I often see my life in terms of my struggles with self-discipline: developing healthy habits for eating, sleeping, and exercise; maintaining spiritual disciplines; and trying to have a good balance between priorities so that I don’t go overboard in only one direction. So I naturally gravitate to the truth in today’s proverb:…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:30Isaiah 61–62I Corinthians 1–2Psalms 56 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:30) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,     and the one who is wise saves lives. Meditation Hello, and welcome yet again! Proverbs 11:30 is another proverb that may differ depending on which translation you’re reading. It comes in two basic versions. The first half is the same, but the second half is either something like “one who is wise saves lives” or something like “but violence takes lives away.” As best I can tell, this difference stems from different versions of the ancient manuscripts. Most English…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:28Isaiah 59–60Mark 16PhilemonPsalms 55 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:28) Those who trust in their riches will fall,     but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. Meditation Our proverb today, Proverbs 11:28, tells us, “Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.” We’ve heard of the futility of trusting in riches from other parts of the Bible — the Psalms, Isaiah, and even the gospels talk about the futility of trusting in wealth. But here we have a nice little proverb summing it all up for us. The psalms and…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:27Isaiah 57–58Mark 15Psalms 54 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:27) Whoever seeks good finds favor,     but evil comes to one who searches for it. Meditation Proverbs 11:27 holds a special place in my heart. It is one of the first proverbs that I remember suddenly gaining a deeper insight into what it was about. As the verse is translated in the NIV from 1973, “He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it.” Those who look for evil will find it. Those who look for good, however, don’t find good. Instead, they find goodwill.…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:25Isaiah 55–56Mark 14Psalms 53 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:25) A generous person will prosper;     whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Meditation Proverbs 11:25 is a proverb that I often like to quote to myself as a reminder of the kind of person I want to be. As the verse reads in the NIV of 1978, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” The NIV translation today uses more inclusive language, saying: “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” The NRSV is similar: “A generous person will be enriched, and…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:22Isaiah 53–54Mark 13Psalms 52 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:22) Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout     is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. Meditation I was first introduced to Proverbs 11:22 when I was in high school. It was one of four proverbs that the young women of our youth group were given to study and discuss. I don’t remember what the other three proverbs were, but this one definitely stuck in my mind and heart. “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.” The image this conjures up…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:18Isaiah 51–52Mark 12Psalms 51 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:18) A wicked person earns deceptive wages,     but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. Meditation At first glance, today’s proverb can seem quite different depending on the translation you read. The first half of the proverb is translated a number of different ways, although the second half is fairly consistent across translations. In the New International Version, Proverbs 11:18 says, “A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.” The New Revised Standard Version says, “The wicked earn no real gain,…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:17Isaiah 49–50Mark 11Psalms 50 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:17) Those who are kind benefit themselves,     but the cruel bring ruin on themselves. Meditation Day 50. Can you believe it? Praise God for His faithfulness to us this year! Proverbs 11:17 tells us, “Those who are kind reward themselves, but the cruel do themselves harm.” You might see this as a very specific instance of the Biblical principle that you reap what you sow. It’s actually a little counterintuitive to us to believe that our behavior mirrors itself back onto us. After all, our behavior is directed towards another person.…

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