Pray to the Lord, and work for Him.

Nehemiah 5:1-7:3; Revelation 18:1-17a; Proverbs 31:10-20 Again, the combination of prayer and work is seen in Nehemiah - "I devoted myself to the work on this wall" (Nehemiah 5:16), "I prayed, 'Now, strengthen my hands.'" (Nehemiah 6:9). "So the wall was completed ... this work had been done with the help of our God" (Nehemiah …

Keeping the Lord at the very centre of our life

“Whoever gives attention to the Lord’s Word prospers and blessed is the person who trusts the Lord” (Proverbs 16:20). Here, we are reminded of the most important thing in life - keeping the Lord at the very centre of our life.  "The eyes of a fool are looking around all over the world": The fool …

Praising the Lord for all eternity

Esther 9 speaks of days of feasting and joy (Esther 9:17-19,22-23,28). If the Jews had cause to rejoice in Esther’s day, we have much more cause for rejoicing in the Lord – “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed” (Revelation 5:5). The praise of God’s …

A time of great rejoicing

Esther 9:1-10:3; Revelation 5:1-14; Proverbs 30:11-23 Esther 9 speaks of days of feasting and joy (Esther 9:17-19,22-23,28). If the Jews had cause to rejoice in Esther's day, we have much more cause for rejoicing in the Lord - "Do not weep! Se, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed" …

What kind of life do we want?

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil (Proverbs 15:16). These words brought to mind the words of the song, "I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold." What kind of life do we want? Will it be a life in which Jesus is more important to us than anything …

Let us give thanks – with joy.

“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem”, the keynote of the service was joyful thanksgiving. They gathered together “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving” (Nehemiah 12:27). “On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). They sang “songs of praise and thanksgiving to …

Promise and danger

In Proverbs 22-24, we learn about promise and danger. At every stage in our journey through life, there is both promise and danger - the promise of God’s blessing to those who keep Him at the centre of their life, the danger of coming under God’s judgment when we ignore His way and go the …

Let us encourage each other in the Lord.

“A faithful messenger … refreshes the soul” (Proverbs 25:13). God is calling us to be faithful and fruitful. Let us bring His Word to others. Let us bring his blessing to them. 

Whatever the future holds for us, God will be there with us and for us.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil" (Proverbs 3:5-7). There are many things in life that we don't understand. When we don't understand what's going on, …

God wants us to keep on choosing His way.

Proverbs 6:16-35 God's Word is our 'lamp' and 'light' (23; Psalm 119:105). It leads us in the way we are to go (22). It exposes the darkness of the ways we are to avoid. It shows us the 'things that the Lord hates', the things which are 'an abomination to Him' (16). Why does God …

God’s Word calls for our response.

Ezekiel 32:1-33:20; James 1:1-27; Psalm 127:1-5 God’s Word must be spoken as a Word which calls for response. The prophet is to “warn the wicked man to turn from his ways” (Ezekiel 33:9). He is to declare that “the Sovereign Lord … takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from …

‘Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you’ (Proverbs 4:25).

Living the Christian life is like 'walking a tightrope' - We must 'not swerve to the right or to the left' (Proverbs 4:27; Deuteronomy 28:14; Joshua 1:7; 23:6).  Looking straight ahead, 'let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...'(Hebrews 12:2).  In the face of life's many difficulties, you may …

The search for wisdom

The search for wisdom may begin for us with the question, “What does the book of Proverbs teach us about wisdom?”, but it must not end there. While it is important to learn what the Old Testament has to say to us, we should not allow ourselves to get trapped in the Old Testament so …

The clean life

Leviticus 13:1-59; Mark 12:28-44; Proverbs 6:20-29 Leviticus 13 continues to emphasize the importance of being clean. The clean life is a life characterized by love for God and love for our neighbour (Mark 12:29-31). This is “more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33). The clean life is the life which is lived …

Saved and kept by the Lord… for the great triumph

“Wait for the Lord, and He will save you... The Lord is the One who directs a person’s steps” (Proverbs 20:22,24). The Lord saves and keeps: “The victory belongs to the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31). Saving and keeping us, as He leads along the pathway of discipleship, the Lord brings us to our final victory. This …

Let’s take our problems to the Lord.

Proverbs 5:1-14 Being married: There are many temptations - the 'loose woman' (3-6). Be positive: Through 'mutual love and respect', let's build 'strong and happy' marriages, in which 'the marriage bond is honoured'. Singles: Don't spoil everything by getting entangled with those who are 'loose' in their commitment to believing in and living for Jesus …

Christ Is Our Wisdom. Receiving Him, We Receive Wisdom. Growing In Him, We Grow In Wisdom.

Proverbs 8:1-36 Hoping for ‘good luck’, some people expect good things to happen to them - all the time! God says, ‘Seek wisdom. Be ready for the hard times’. Wisdom comes from God. He speaks to us with words of wisdom (2:6; 6-8). Wisdom is not only for ‘kings and rulers, princes and nobles’. It …

We are called to look to Christ for salvation.

Ezekiel 45:1-46:24; 1 Peter 3:1-22; Proverbs 28:18-28 In Ezekiel, we read of many sacrifices being offered to God. In the New Testament, it is emphasized that one Sacrifice is sufficient – “For Christ died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). We are called …

I will tell him only what the Lord tells me.

1 Kings 22:1-53; Acts 19:14-41; Proverbs 15:31-16:7 Here's a spiritual principle for everyone who seeks to be faithful to God: "As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me" (1 Kings 22:14). In Ephesus, there was a riot. The crowds shouted, "Great is Artemis ("Diana" in the King James …

God’s constant love – the divine pattern for our living in love

Amos 1:1-2:16; Romans 2:17-3:8; Proverbs 17:5-14 God is perfectly holy. He cannot stand sin. This is clear in both Amos and Romans. It is stressed in Proverbs, which emphasizes that sin is not so much sin against man but “contempt for their Maker” (17:5). Proverbs 17:9 tells us that we are to “promote love.” This love …

A mighty work of God

Numbers 33:1-34:29; Luke 9:10-27; Proverbs 8:22-31 The sheer dimensions of what God was doing with His people, Israel, are most impressive. This was no small thing. This was a mighty work of God. The feeding of the 5,000 was a mighty miracle. It was impressive because of the sheer numbers involved in it. When we think of such mighty miracles, …

Peace, peace, when there is no peace

Jeremiah 6:1-7:29; Philippians 4:2-23; Proverbs 24:5-14 The false prophets say, “Peace, peace … when there is no peace” – “They dress the wound of God’s people as though it were not serious” (Jeremiah 6:14). The true prophet of God comes with a very different message. He says, “Do not say, ‘This is the temple of …

The glory of the Lord

1 Kings 8:22-9:9; Acts 14:8-28; Proverbs 15:11-20 The majesty of the Temple was not merely human. The glory belonged to the Lord. His glory would be among His people, as they honoured Him by doing His will. The servants of the Lord must always say, "we are only men ... We are bringing you Good News, …

Be strong.

Haggai 1:1-2:23; 2 John 1-13; Proverbs 29:19-27 God calls His people – “Be strong” (Haggai 2:4). This call comes to the “governor”, “the high priest” and “all you people of the land” (Haggai 2:2). We need spiritual strength in government, in the Church and throughout the land. This strength is needed if we are to build upon …

How are our lives to be changed?

Jeremiah 23:9-25:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18; Proverbs 24:23-34 How are our lives to be changed? They can be changed by God - “I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord” (Jeremiah 24:7). Knowing God makes a difference. Those who do know not Him live “in passionate lust” (1 Thessalonians 4:5). …

Good news that everyone needs to hear

Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say (Proverbs 8:6). As I was reading this verse, I recalled "a trustworthy saying" that is given to us in 1 Timothy 1:15, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Listen! This is a trustworthy saying." This is what Paul is saying to us when he …

Wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus

The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom (Proverbs 4:7). Whatever else may be said about wisdom, may we never tire of saying this: "the Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). Where would we be without this wisdom: wisdom for salvation through faith in …

A better way than the way of drunkenness: being filled with the Holy Spirit

PROVERBS 20:1-30  –  ‘Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; whoever is led astray by it is not wise’ (1). We need to learn the truth of these words – before it’s too late! There is a better way than the way of drunkenness. It is the way of being filled with the Holy …

When the storms are raging all around us …

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6). There are times when we don't understand - Times when we wonder what's going on. We wonder what it's all about. These are the times when we …

The Lord has much to say to this generation – if only the people would listen …

At the heart of the rebuilding of the Temple, there was worship - “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: ‘He is good; His love to Israel endures for ever” (Ezra 3:11). Those who worship the Lord are set within the context of a world that refuses to worship Him: “The rest of …

So much blessing comes to us from the Lord.

Zechariah 12:1-14:21; Revelation 2:1-17: Proverbs 30:1-10 God "pours out... a spirit of supplication" upon His people. As a result of this, they look on Him, "the One they have pierced." In doing so, they come to "a fountain... to cleanse them from sin and impurity" (Zechariah 12:10; Zechariah 13:1). God's people mourn for the One …

Am I living for the Lord?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). Wisdom has less to do with how much we know, and more to do with how well we live. To ask the question, "Am I wise?" is to ask the question, "Am I living for the Lord?" To those who want to become wise, we …

All that we do – for the glory of God

2 Chronicles 5:2-7:10; 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1; Proverbs 20:5-14 “The glory of the Lord filled the Temple of God” (2 Chronicles 5:14). There is glory among God’s people when He answers their prayers (2 Chronicles 6:40-42 and 2 Chronicles 7:1-3). All that we do is to be done “for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). This includes our …

Our real strength comes from the Lord.

Habakkuk 1:1-3:19; Titus 2:1-15; Proverbs 26:3-12 “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights” - These are the last words of Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:19). “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches …

Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Chronicles 21:4-23:21; 1 Corinthians 15:50-16:4; Proverbs 20:25-21:4 The conflict between good and evil, godliness and ungodliness, may be seen throughout the Scriptures. This is particularly true in the history of the Old Testament kings. God is doing a work. Satan is doing all that he can to destroy it. We must make “a covenant ... …

The God of salvation

Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Philippians 1:1-26; Proverbs 23:29-24:14 “The Lord God is with you. He is mighty to save” (Zephaniah 3:17). The God of salvation is with us, not only here-and-now but for evermore – “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the Day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). As …

Death will not have the last word.

Ezekiel 22:23-23:49; Hebrews 11:1-16; Proverbs 27:15-22 The contrast between a life of sin and shame and a life of faith and blessing is highlighted in the comparison between the passages in Ezekiel and Hebrews. The contrast is between living for the things we see - “She saw men ... As soon as she saw them …

Brighter and brighter

"But the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday. The way of wicked people is like deep darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble" (Proverbs 4:18-19). What a contrast there is between the "light" of the "righteous" and the "darkness" of the "wicked." …

Don’t you want to get on in the world? – Which world are you living for?

Ezekiel 30:1-31:18; Hebrews 13:1-25; Proverbs 27:23-28:6 What a contrast there is between “Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Ezekiel 31:2) and “Jesus Christ” who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Pharaoh had the appearance of “majesty”, yet he was “brought down” (Ezekiel 31:2,18). Jesus has a glory which will never be diminished. It …

I once was lost, but now am found.

For more notes on God's Word, visit God's Word For Every Day. Genesis 6:1-8 The story of Noah is the story of God's grace - 'Noah found grace' (8). Noah lived in very difficult times (5-7), yet 'Grace found Noah'. His testimony could be summed up: 'Amazing grace...I once was lost but now am found' (Mission …

"He Who Follows Worthless Pursuits Has No Sense." Only One ‘Way’ Makes Sense – Christ.

Proverbs 12:1-14 The Word of God shows us the way we are not to go as well as the way we are to go. We are told that ‘the root of the righteous stands firm’(12). We are warned: ‘he who follows worthless pursuits has no sense’(11). Do you have any sense? Here’s the most sensible …

The Lord’s way is better than the world’s way.

Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12; 1 Corinthians 7:17-35; Proverbs 19:23-20:4 “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).This is the world’s way. The Lord’s way is a better way. We are to “use the things of the world” without being “engrossed in them” (1 Corinthians 7:31). What we must …

Turning-points

Genesis 32:1-33:20; Matthew 12:22-45; Proverbs 2:1-11 In Genesis 28:10-22, we read about a turning-point in Jacob’s life. Here, in Genesis 32:22-32, we have another turning-point. It’s summed up in Genesis 32:28 – “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob may “have overcome”, but there …

Let’s set our feet firmly on the Rock of ages – our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 41:1-42:25; Galatians 3:10-25; Proverbs 22:28-23:9 The Old Testament looks forward to the coming of Christ – “Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1). He is the fulfilment of the Old …

How do we grow strong in the Lord?

1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17; 1 Corinthians 1:1-17; Proverbs 19:3-12 “The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went” (1 Chronicles 18:6,13). “He will keep you strong to the end ... “ (1 Corinthians 1:8). How do we grow strong in the Lord? How do we walk with Him in the way of victory? - We are strong in …

It is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

1 Chronicles 26:20-27:34; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21; Proverbs 19:13-22 The people of Israel had to do battle against their enemies. We also must wage war for God. Paul describes the hardships involved in true discipleship (1 Corinthians 4:9-12). In all of this, our intention must be to do the will of the Lord – “Many are …

Wisdom and foolishness, righteousness and wickedness

The contrast between wisdom and foolishness corresponds to the contrast between righteousness and wickedness (Proverbs 10:1,7). God calls us to be “the wise in heart.” He calls us to show forth “the fruit of a righteous person.” He calls us to be “a winner of souls” (Proverbs 11:19-30). If there are to be the fruits …

The Name of the Lord – the Name of our Salvation

1 Chronicles 2:18-4:8; Romans 10:5-11:10; Proverbs 18:7-16 More names! It’s great to have a name – and not to be a nameless person of unknown identity. It’s even greater to have the Name of the Lord given to us for our salvation. “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans …

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

In our day, there are many who say, “Let us follow other gods.” God says, “You must not listen” to such people (Deuteronomy 13:2-3). To follow the Lord’s instruction is not popular. Nevertheless, this is what we must do: “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24). Whatever the world may say, …

Eternal life – through Jesus Christ our Lord

Genesis 47:13-48:22; Matthew 16:21-17:13; Proverbs 3:1-10 In Genesis and Matthew, we see Jacob and Joseph looking to the future. It is to be a future of blessing. For both, death was near. the future, however, was life. In Jacob’s time, the expectation concerned an earthly land – “God will be with you and take you …

King Saul – physically strong, spiritually weak

1 Chronicles 9:1b-10:14; Romans 14:1-18; Proverbs 18:17-19:2 1 Chronicles 10 tells of the death of Saul: “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord …” (1 Chronicles 10:13-14). Romans 14 speaks of the strong and the weak. Physically, Saul was strong.  Spiritually, he was weak. Maintaining our spiritual strength, our relationship with God, is to be …

Be strong.

Haggai 1:1-2:23; 2 John 1-13; Proverbs 29:19-27 God calls His people - "Be strong" (Haggai 2:4). This call comes to the "governor", "the high priest" and "all you people of the land" (Haggai 2:2). We need spiritual strength in government, in the Church and throughout the land. This strength is needed if we are to build upon …

Responding to God’s Word (17): All that thrills my soul is Jesus.

From the Lord comes the wise answer of the tongue (Proverbs 16:1). A cheerful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22). We're not always wise. We're not always cheerful. How can we become more wise? How can we become more cheerful? Wisdom and cheerfulness come to us from the Lord. There's a close connection between wisdom and cheerfulness. …

When we face difficult circumstances

Job 8;1-10:22; Matthew 19:16-30; Proverbs 3:11-20 When we face difficult circumstances, as Job did and as the Lord’s disciples did (Matthew 19:29), we must never forget that the Lord’s purpose is good and His long-term goal is our good –  “eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). What is to be our attitude to suffering? – “My son, …

Where does our true strength come from?

Habakkuk 1:1-3:19; Titus 2:1-15; Proverbs 26:3-12 “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights” – These are the last words of Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:19). “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches …

O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act!

Daniel 8:15-9:19; 1 John 2:28-3:10; Proverbs 29:10-18 There is real urgency about Daniel’s prayer: “O Lord, look with favour on Your desolate sanctuary … O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act!” (Daniel 9:17,19). We do need to pray with urgency. There are many who seek to lead us astray (1 John …

Wisdom comes from God. Christ is our Wisdom.

PROVERBS 8:1-36  –  Hoping for ‘good luck’, some people expect good things to happen to them – all the time!  God says, ‘Seek wisdom.  Be ready for the hard times’.  Wisdom comes from God.  He speaks to us with words of wisdom (2:6; 6-8).  Wisdom is not only for ‘kings and rulers, princes and nobles’.  …

King Jesus – so much greater than king David

1 Samuel 21:1-23:29; John 18:1-24; Proverbs 13:10-19 David was delivered from his pursuer, Saul. David became the king of Israel. Jesus was delivered into the hands of His enemies. Following His resurrection, Jesus was declared to be the King of kings. “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares …

In the beginning, there is love, eternal love, the love of God.

Easter Vigil: Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26; Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13; Psalm 46; Genesis 22:1-18; Psalm 16; Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21; Exodus 15:1b-13, 17-18; Isaiah 55:1-11; Isaiah 12:2-6; Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6; Psalm 19; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Psalms 42 and 43; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 143; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Psalm 98; Romans 6:3-11; Psalm 114; Matthew 28:1-10 In …

Only one ‘Way’ makes sense – Christ.

PROVERBS 12:1-14  –  The Word of God shows us the way we are not to go as well as the way we are to go. We are told that ‘the root of the righteous stands firm’ (12). We are warned: ‘he who follows worthless pursuits has no sense’ (11). Do you have any sense? Here’s …