Daily Meditation

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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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:13Isaiah 47–48Mark 10Psalms 49 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:13) A gossip betrays a confidence,     but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. Meditation Hello, and welcome! 🙂 Proverbs 11:13 tells us, in the NRSV, “A gossip goes about telling secrets, but one who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a confidence.” The NIV translation is very similar: “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” Does this proverb surprise you? Our cultural idea of gossip is that of malicious talk. While that is certainly a part of gossip, the Bible teaches us that gossips may have very…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:12Isaiah 45–46Mark 9Psalms 48 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:12) Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,     but the one who has understanding holds their tongue. Meditation Proverbs 11:12 says, in the NRSV, “Whoever belittles another lacks sense, but an intelligent person remains silent.” In the NIV, the verse reads, “Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.” Curious about the difference between “another” versus a “neighbor,” I looked at the verse in multiple translations. About one third of the translations I reviewed saw the offense as belittling another person, whereas the…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:9Isaiah 43–44Mark 8Psalms 47 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:9) With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,     but through knowledge the righteous escape. Meditation Today’s proverb is a little more enigmatic than some. “With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,” says Proverbs 11:19, “but through knowledge the righteous escape.” We know that Scripture gives us truth. But what does it mean? How are we to apply this proverb to our lives? The first thing that I think of is gossip. Speaking about what your neighbors do — you can certainly destroy reputations that way. And although we currently…

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Scripture Readings Proverbs 11:4Isaiah 41–42Mark 7Psalms 46 Verse Focus (Proverbs 11:4) Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,     but righteousness delivers from death. Meditation Today’s proverb invites us to consider eternal realities. Proverbs 11:4 says, “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” In the Bible, the day of wrath is always God’s day of judgment against the nations and the peoples. Although there is a coming Day of Judgment when Christ will return, there have been many smaller days of judgment that have occurred throughout history. The Israelites faced a day of judgment when…

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