True Humility
Read: Philippians 2:1-11 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. (Prov. 3:34) The apostle Peter quoted this proverb, then drew a practical lesson from it: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:6). Paul, in […]
Cards for Iranian Christians
Words of Hope organizes discipleship conferences for Iranian Christians multiple times per year. Since it is not safe to openly gather for Christian teaching inside the country of Iran, these converts travel to meet together at a safe location across the border. There they are able to sing worship songs, celebrate the sacraments, and grow […]
Do You Want to Be Forgiven?
Read: Matthew 18:21-35 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. (Prov. 21:13) You’re familiar with the concept of poetic justice. We call it “poetic” because it’s kind of sweet and fitting, like a poem. It appeals to our aesthetic sense; it just seems right. […]
Who Speaks for the Poor?
Read: Amos 5:11-24 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. (Prov. 31:8) What does Proverbs mean when it tells us to open our mouths for the mute? Here we might remember an important principal of Hebrew poetry: parallelism. In both Psalms and Proverbs, the writer often emphasizes a […]
Look at the Ants!
Read: Matthew 25:1-13 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. (Prov. 6:6) One of the themes Proverbs returns to again and again is the importance of hard work. Solomon clearly had a fear of sloth. “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and […]
Friend or Foe?
Read: Matthew 26:47-52 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. (Prov. 27:6) As an illustration of the wisdom of this proverb, consider the interactions between Jesus, Judas, and Peter on the night before the crucifixion. In the upper room, Jesus had told Peter bluntly that Satan would sift […]
Train Your Child
Read: 2 Samuel 18:24-33 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6) Every Christian parent wishes there were a surefire formula for passing their faith on to their children. Proverbs seems to promise that: just train your child properly and […]
Sweeter than Honey
Read: Psalm 19 Eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. (Prov. 24:13-14) The creed of the stoic is expressed in […]
Victory Belongs to the Lord
Read: Psalm 33 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD. (Prov. 21:31) In the psalmist’s day, horses and chariots were the weapons of superpowers, the tanks and missiles and aircraft of the ancient world. When Pharaoh pursued the escaping Israelites into the wilderness, what made […]