Month: March 2021

Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:20Exodus 29–30Luke 9Psalms 80 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:20) Walk with the wise and become wise,     for a companion of fools suffers harm. Meditation Proverbs 13:20 has long been a favorite proverb of mine. As I memorized it in high school, the NIV of 1978 says, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Since I desired to become wise myself, this proverb guided both my thinking and my choice of friends. It’s very simple: if you want to be wise, then hang out with people who are wise. But this proverb…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:19Exodus 27–28Luke 8Psalms 79 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:19) A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,     but fools detest turning from evil. Meditation Hello! Happy Spring to you. 🙂 Proverbs 13:19 is an interesting proverb. As the NIV puts it, “A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.” From the way proverbs are usually constructed, we know that the first half of the proverb parallels the second half of the proverb in some way. So even though we do not see an immediate and obvious connection, turning from evil — which fools…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:18Exodus 25–26Luke 7Psalms 78 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:18) Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,     but whoever heeds correction is honored. Meditation The more proverbs we look at, the more they sound the same to me! The themes are repeated over and over again: wisdom, discipline, and instruction lead to life, blessing, and prosperity, while disregarding correction and ignoring discipline leads to a very bad outcome. Isn’t this more or less what yesterday’s proverb said? But each proverb emphasizes a slightly different facet. In the NRSV, today’s proverb says, “Poverty and disgrace are for the one who…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:15Exodus 23–24Luke 6Psalms 77 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:15) Good judgment wins favor,     but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction. Meditation Our verse focus today, Proverbs 13:15, says in the NRSV, “Good sense wins favor, but the way of the faithless is their ruin.” This isn’t a proverb that I’ve spent much time thinking about previously, so I took a look at some of the other translations to see if I could gain insight that way. Good judgment, good sense, good understanding — the translations are all fairly similar. One translation says, “keen insight” and another…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:14Exodus 21–22Luke 5Psalms 76 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:14) The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,     turning a person from the snares of death. Meditation Proverbs 13:14 says, “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.” By now, we’ve looked at a number of proverbs that talk about the benefits of wisdom. We’ve even seen the connection between life and learning. We know that wisdom protects us, guards us, and gives us longer life. But we haven’t really looked in depth at the opposite side of…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:12Exodus 19–20Luke 4Psalms 75 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:12) Hope deferred makes the heart sick,     but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Meditation Day 75! Congratulations, everyone. 🙂 Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” We all understand this proverb. Who hasn’t hoped for something, only to be disappointed when nothing happens or seems to happen? Hopes of news from family or friends, hopes for shiny new toys, hopes to hear from prospective employers — you can easily name a dozen things that you have hoped…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:11Exodus 17–18Luke 3Psalms 74 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:11) Dishonest money dwindles away,     but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. Meditation Today’s proverb says, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” “Dishonest money” is also translated as “Wealth hastily gotten,” “wealth from vanity,” and “wealth gained by fraud.” The “hastily gotten” comes from the Vulgate, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. The actual Hebrew, however, uses a word that means breath or vapor — thus, metaphorically, vanity. Wealth from vanity, again metaphorically, is wealth obtained through deceit or…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:10Exodus 15–16Luke 2Psalms 73 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:10) Where there is strife, there is pride,     but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Meditation According to the New International Version (NIV), Proverbs 13:10 says, “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” That seems quite straightforward — until you read it in a different translation. When I read the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), it said, “By insolence the heedless make strife, but wisdom is with those who take advice.” What? Okay, the second half is nearly the same.…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:9Exodus 13–14Luke 1Psalms 72 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:9) The light of the righteous shines brightly,     but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. Meditation In the New International Version, Proverbs 13:9 says, “The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.” A lovely proverb. And yet, the “shines brightly” is actually a bit of an interpretation for us. What the Hebrew word literally means is “rejoices.” So, as the New King James Version puts this proverb, “The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 13:6Exodus 11–12II JohnIII JohnPsalms 71 Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:6) Righteousness guards the person of integrity,     but wickedness overthrows the sinner. Meditation Today’s proverb says, in the NRSV, “Righteousness guards one whose way is upright, but sin overthrows the wicked.” It’s a comforting proverb, to know that righteousness protects the saints. But it also makes it very hard for me to understand why anyone would choose sinful paths if you really understood how you would get betrayed by that same sin. Of course, that’s the whole problem with sin. It’s seductive, and very much concerned about the present moment…

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