This passage reminds me of a time my Uncle Paul warned me of impending danger, but I did not listen. 

I was petting a dog and rubbing my face on the side of its face. My uncle said, “Gregg, that dog is about to bite you.” To which I said, “This dog is not going to bite me. He loves me.” 

I barely got those words out of my mouth, before the dog bit me in the face. I was shocked, the dog walked away, and my uncle had that “I told you so” look on his face. 

Taking sound advice is always the right thing. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 22:3

3 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 22

Talk about a definitive proverb. This is clear. The only question is, will you heed it or challenge it. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 21:30

30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 21

This proverb jumped off the page for me. In all the times I’ve read this proverb, I never noticed the possible link between Proverb 20:21 and Luke 15:11-32. 

After reading this passage, head over to Luke and see what I mean. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 20:21

21 An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 20

If this passage is in this proverb twice, we should pay attention. How often do you tell a “little white lie” because it won’t hurt anyone? Those are hurting you. They compromise your witness. They create a wedge between you and God. 

Think about this. Who told you it was okay to tell a “little white lie?” I’m supremely confident it wasn’t God. So why are you doing it? Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 19:5 & 9

5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 19

*WARNING: Extremely long text ahead. Read and heed every word!*

For the past few weeks, a thought has been building up steam headed towards fruition. I am not sure if it will be another book I author or a documentary I will need help in creating. It is the Americanization of Christianity. 

Proverbs 18:2 hit me hard. It brought to the front of my mind all the theology and “Christian” opinions that I hear daily. In America, we have created a “god” that is responsible for every wrong in our lives. We have absolved ourselves from the consequences of free will. We have put God on notice.

This mentality is the embodiment of the fool mentioned in Proverbs 18:2. The scary part is, you cannot help an Americanized Christian. They are so entrenched in the belief of the god they know that they will quite literally go to their grave believing in their god. 

Please join me as I spend time in prayer today for that very person. Do a deep dive into your own life. Make sure you do not suffer from American Christianity Syndrome. Seek God. Ask the hard questions and allow Him to answer. Contrary to popular belief, God does not owe you a cushy, problem-free life. He owes you death for your disobedience. A disobedience that you could never, nor did ever repay. HE paid for YOUR sin with HIS life. Let that sink in!

If you are not earnestly seeking God daily, please start. If you are putting your family, your job, your daily activities, your friends, and your dreams before seeking God, STOP! Anything that comes before God is an abomination to Him. He will deal with it. Give it to Him before He takes it away. 

Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 18:2

2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 18

*Challenge Coming*

There are several gems in Proverbs 17. However, this one stood out to me because I’m in a season of life where God has allowed me to pour into a group of young men and He is allowing them to pour into me. As you read your Bible daily, seek a group of friends that point you to the Father. 

Here’s the challenge: Do an inventory of your “best friends.” Those who do not point you to Christ, may need to be demoted to acquaintance. This means you have a relationship with them but you are careful about taking their advice or sharing certain details of your life. This may seem harsh. Trust me, it will be the best thing you will ever do for your faith walk and maybe your stress levels too. 

If you have an inner circle of more than five people, this challenge is one you do not want to skip. Jesus had an inner circle of three people, Peter, John, and James. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 17:17

17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 17

“What about them?”

When I was a kid, and probably well into adulthood, I wondered why people around me, whom I saw doing the wrong thing, would not get “caught” or “punished” for what they did. As I’ve grown in my faith, I’ve changed my thinking from “what about them” to “pray for them.” 

No person is allowed to disobey God without consequence. That includes both believers and non-believers. Never forget that we serve a just God. If Moses, David, and Samson were held accountable for their disobedience, rest assured so will everyone. 

I encourage you to seek God, obey His Word, and live well. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 16:5

5 The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 16

During my time in seminary, I had to take a class on methods of preaching. As a class, each person had to preach four sermons. Two of our sermons came from the book of James. I chose James 3:1-12. I titled the messages, “What You Say Matters.” This passage brought me back to those two sermons.

In your daily walk, please be mindful that the words you say have power. They matter. I encourage you to season your words with the Word of God. Then you will not have to worry about what you’re going to say. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 15:1-2

15 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 15

Proverbs 9:10 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. As we read in these passages, fear of the Lord is necessary for right living with God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 14:26-27

26 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 14

At the end of one of the raps I do, I say, “Righteousness is always followed by right living, so do the right thing.” I have been that person who did not pursue righteousness, yet wanted people to view me as a righteous person. That can never be. 

As we look at these two proverbs, we see that living right is the only way to produce righteousness. There are no shortcuts. Trust me, I tried! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 13:5-6

5 The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves. 6 Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 13

Mansplaining, Womansplaining, and other phrases are hurting our society. We spend time devaluing advice because of the packaging or our “foreknowledge.” It is in our best interest to listen patiently to people. You never know who God will use to give you the answer to the question you’ve asked in prayer. 

The next time you get “splained” to, be careful not to get an attitude. The very words that you want to “blow off” could be the very words that God will use to give you a breakthrough in your life. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 12:15

15 The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 12

This passage reminds me of the story of King Herod I. It is believed that he ordered several prominent men be brought to his city to be killed upon his death. He wanted there to be a large outcry of mourning when he died. It did not happen.

Think about this. He knew the way he lived his life was wrong. He knew that the people would “shout for joy” when he died. His answer was to have innocent men killed. What do you think is the better answer to his, “no one is going to cry when I die” problem? Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 11:10

10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 11

Proverbs 10 begins a new section of the book. The first nine chapters focus on instructions for life with a primary focus on wisdom. From chapter ten through the beginning of chapter twenty-two we see a series of sayings by Solomon that can be taken as individual nuggets of wisdom. 

As we spend the next two weeks in this section of the Bible, I encourage you to have a notebook or use the note section of your phone and write down the proverbs that stick out. These may be of encouragement to you moving forward. 

A quick piece of irony is found in this passage. Since we know the full life of Solomon, we understand that he is both the wise son (he was the wisest king) and the foolish son (he allowed himself to be led astray from God by the many wives he had who served pagan gods) in this proverb. The lesson we can learn from Solomon’s life is no amount of wisdom can help us if we do not always apply it to our daily living. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 10:1

The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 10

The word of the day is Self-Awareness. 

As I read this passage I thought about the difference between a “mocker” and a “wise person.” It truly comes down to self-awareness. A mocker is unaware, or worse dismissive, of their shortcomings. Telling them about a “flaw” is received as a personal attack on their character. This can lead to strife. 

On the contrary, a wise person receives a rebuke as an opportunity to get better as a person. They are not insulted. They are actually appreciative. They realize that learning of a “blind spot” in their life gives them the opportunity for growth in their faith. 

Which one are you? Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 9:7-9

7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. 8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. 9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 9

Proverbs 8 is titled, “Wisdom’s Call.” It is thirty-six verses of “Wisdom” telling us about itself. I was touched by verse thirteen. 

Wisdom leads us to fear the Lord, which leads us to hate evil. Wisdom also leads to hating things like, pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and  perverse speech. This a good time to do a life inventory to see how you feel about these things. 

It does not matter what we “think” about evil, we must look at the fruit of our daily actions. Do we overlook the evil things our society has to offer as long as we’re not impacted by it? Or worse, do we attack people for their “evil” behavior, without applying the grace God has shown us? The Bible says hate evil, not hate evil people. This is an extremely fine line. However, Jesus walked it, so we must walk it as well. 

Do not underestimate this “idea” of hating evil and our response to it. It leads to the proper pursuit of God. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 8:13

13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 8

Proverbs 7 is thick. Sin is the adulterous woman. Be careful not to convince yourself that you are not seeking an adulterous relationship so this passage does not apply to your life. It most certainly does. 

The first passage speaks to the person who believes they can get near the “line between righteousness and sin.” This is always a mistake. As you walk toward sin, you walk away from God and His protection. You will never be able to “make” God protect you from something He didn’t send you near.

The second passage is a reminder of what happens to the person who lives their life in sin. Please seek to live a life of righteousness. It is better by far. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 7:6-9; 24-27

6 At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice. 7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. 8 He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house 9 at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. 25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. 26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 7

The section of Proverbs 6 that includes this passage has the heading, “Warning Against Adultery.” And that is the nature of this section. However, the Bible is full of passages that have a deeper meaning than what is read. This is one of those passages. 

The result of committing adultery, as outlined in this scripture, is the result of any sin against the Lord. Pay attention to the imagery the writer is giving. Disobedience will be dealt with. God is just. He will not allow our sin to go unpunished. Yes, in Christ, your sins are forgiven, but you may still feel the consequences for your action. Your adultery may end in divorce. Your stealing may land you in jail. Your insubordination may cost you your job. But God’s grace will still allow you to have a right relationship with Him through the blood of Jesus Christ. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 6:27-29

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? 29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 6

I cannot keep track of all the foolish things I did as a teenager into my adult years. Saved at 15, I had no idea how to live for Christ. I thought there was some magic wand or something that took sinful desires away. Boy, was I wrong. 

I had to learn the hard way that living for Christ must be intentional. You have to face sin choices and choose God. Nothing is “automatic” because you chose God once. You must choose Him every day, every hour, every minute, every second. Read 1 Peter 5:8 and let it remind you what’s at stake. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 5:21-23

21 For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths. 22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. 23 For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 5

This  passage is critical to living a life full on for God. Think about a time you had a misunderstanding with someone. If you or the other person would have taken the time to understand, how much heartache could have been avoided? How might things have been different?Far too often we rush to judgement, but do not “rush” to seek understanding. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 4:7

7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 4

Proverbs 3 begins and ends with much wisdom. I encourage you to take your time and meditate on this Proverb. The title on the version I’m using is “Wisdom Bestows Well-Being." 

My prayer is that we do not underestimate the importance of seeking God and how He wants us to live. In the United States it can be easy to confuse comfort with blessings. Proverbs 3 encourages us to live for God. This may require a life change. Do you need one? Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 3:1-2; 32-35

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

32 For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence. 33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. 34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. 35 The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.

Today’s Reading:

Proverbs 3