Kirsty

Scripture Readings Proverbs 15:18Jeremiah 39–40Acts 2Psalms 105 Verse Focus (Proverbs 15:18) A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,     but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. Meditation Today’s verse focus is Proverbs 15:18. The NIV says, “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.” I like how the verse is translated in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) because it is very close to the original Hebrew wording. The first half of the proverb is identical to the NIV, but the second half reads, “But one slow to anger calms strife.” Does it make a…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 15:17Jeremiah 37–38Acts 1Psalms 104 Verse Focus (Proverbs 15:17) Better a small serving of vegetables with love     than a fattened calf with hatred. Meditation Today’s verse focus is a companion to the one we read yesterday. Proverbs 15:17 tells us, in the NRSV, “Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it.” It is a more specific image than yesterday’s proverb that told us that “a little with the fear of the LORD” was better than “great wealth with turmoil.” Here, we have an image almost of poverty — the family…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 15:16Jeremiah 35–36Philippians 3–4Psalms 103 Verse Focus (Proverbs 15:16) Better a little with the fear of the LORD     than great wealth with turmoil. Meditation Proverbs 15:16 tells us, “Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.” My experience with “great wealth” is limited to movies and television, but immediately I think of all the storylines that have dealt with the kinds of problems facing the ultra rich. The writers of such shows like to show us that being rich is not as wonderful as we think it might be. Children…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 15:15Jeremiah 33–34Philippians 1–2Psalms 102 Verse Focus (Proverbs 15:15) All the days of the oppressed are wretched,     but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Meditation Today’s verse focus is Proverbs 15:15, saying, in the NRSV, “All the days of the poor are hard, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Yesterday we talked a little bit about creating a cheerful heart though gratitude and rejoicing. Here, we are told that the cheerful heart has a “continual feast.” In one meaning, I understand the feast to refer to the source of the cheerfulness — the reasons for gratitude…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 15:13Jeremiah 31–32Ephesians 5–6Psalms 101 Verse Focus (Proverbs 15:13) A happy heart makes the face cheerful,     but heartache crushes the spirit. Meditation Proverbs 15:13 says, in the NRSV, “A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.” This is so obviously true, it makes me wonder what purpose there is in telling us this. I realize I’m assuming that we have no control over whether or not we have a glad heart or one filled with sorrow. That assumption is why I feel puzzled over this proverb. And while it’s true that…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 15:12Jeremiah 29–30Ephesians 3–4Psalms 100 Verse Focus (Proverbs 15:12) Mockers resent correction,     so they avoid the wise. Meditation Day 100. Wow! 🙂 Proverbs 15:12 says, in the NIV, “Mockers resent correction, so they avoid the wise.” The NRSV says, “Scoffers do not like to be rebuked; they will not go to the wise.” In some ways, this is a bit like yesterday’s proverb where we talked about how those who hate correction will die. Here, the fool — the mocker or the scoffer — may not hate correction, but they dislike and resent it. The actual Hebrew words say…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 15:10Jeremiah 27–28Ephesians 1–2Psalms 99 Verse Focus (Proverbs 15:10) Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path;     the one who hates correction will die. Meditation Today’s verse focus is a bit sobering. Proverbs 15:10 says, in the NIV, “Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path; the one who hates correction will die.” The NRSV translation is similar: “There is severe discipline for one who forsakes the way, but one who hates a rebuke will die.” A warning of consequences, or a promise of discipline, isn’t exactly what I’d call encouraging. Who wants to hear that there may be…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 15:4Jeremiah 25–26Galatians 5–6Psalms 98 Verse Focus (Proverbs 15:4) The soothing tongue is a tree of life,     but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. Meditation Proverbs 15:4 says, in the NRSV, “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” What is interesting about this proverb is that it does not say who receives the effects of the life-giving or life-destroying tongue. By leaving the targets unnamed, we are free to interpret that both the speaker and the ones spoken to will receive either the benefit or harm. We have studied proverbs before…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 15:1Jeremiah 23–24Galatians 3–4Psalms 97 Verse Focus (Proverbs 15:1) A gentle answer turns away wrath,     but a harsh word stirs up anger. Meditation Proverbs 15:1 has long been a favorite of mine. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” The words of this proverb live in my memory, helping me to diffuse tense situations by reminding me to choose softer words. The various translations are quite similar on this proverb. Gentle words are also called soft, mild, or kind words. The word that stirs up anger is usually called harsh, but a few…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 14:31Jeremiah 21–22Galatians 1–2Psalms 96 Verse Focus (Proverbs 14:31) Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,     but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. Meditation Proverbs 14:31 says, “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” I notice the word “their” — their Maker. This is plural. God is the God of the person who oppresses as much as the God of the poor. In fact, God created them both. Both are created in God’s image. And to disdain anyone is to insult God. According…

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