Kirsty

Scripture Readings Proverbs 12:18Hosea 13–14II Corinthians 5–6Psalms 65 Verse Focus (Proverbs 12:18) The words of the reckless pierce like swords,     but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Meditation Today’s proverb holds a special place in my heart. As I memorized this verse when I was in high school, the NIV translation said, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Wow! This was one the first proverbs that really captured me. I memorized it without even intending to — the Scripture was just so powerful it stuck in my mind. Believe it or not,…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 12:16Hosea 11–12II Corinthians 3–4Psalms 64 Verse Focus (Proverbs 12:16) Fools show their annoyance at once,     but the prudent overlook an insult. Meditation If you haven’t done this yourself, then I’m sure you know someone who has responded to an email in haste only to regret it later on. This is the stuff of office legends! Oh, the trauma, the uproar, the scandal… all because someone responded in the heat of the moment and didn’t take time to wait and reflect. This is what I think of when I hear today’s proverb. Proverbs 12:16 says, “Fools show their anger…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 12:15Hosea 9–10II Corinthians 1–2Psalms 63 Verse Focus (Proverbs 12:15) The way of fools seems right to them,     but the wise listen to advice. Meditation Proverbs 12:15 says, “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to advice.” This proverb seems patently obvious when you picture yourself as the one giving advice to the fool, but it is not quite so easy to see when you’re the one who is the fool. Did any of you think of navigating with maps on a car trip, remembering the days before every phone was a GPS device? Having…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 12:14Hosea 7–8I Corinthians 15–16Psalms 62 Verse Focus (Proverbs 12:14) From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,     and the work of their hands brings them reward. Meditation Proverbs 12:14 tells us, “From the fruit of the mouth one is filled with good things, and manual labor has its reward (NRSV).” This is an interesting verse. For once, rather than warning us of the dangers of speech, this proverb tells us that good things can come as a result of what you say. It also promises rewards from the work of your hands. In fact,…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 12:11Hosea 5–6I Corinthians 13–14Psalms 61 Verse Focus (Proverbs 12:11) Those who work their land will have abundant food,     but those who chase fantasies have no sense. Meditation Today’s proverb stings a bit. Even though we no longer live in an agrarian society, we understand the difference between buckling down to work versus chasing a dream. I think this is particularly challenging for Americans, because we were brought up on the American dream. Land of opportunity: a chance to make a better life for you and your family. For so many of us, though, this means chasing a career…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 12:10Hosea 3–4I Corinthians 11–12Psalms 60 Verse Focus (Proverbs 12:10) The righteous care for the needs of their animals,     but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. Meditation Hello! Welcome to a new month. 🙂 Our proverb today, Proverbs 12:10, says, “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.” Although we still have farmers and ranchers in the United States, they are less than 2% of the population. So, other than pets, most of us aren’t around animals much any more — not like the many generations that…

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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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