As David concludes his song about the grinding pain of unjust treatment and his chosen responses, he then commits to patience. Resolved: I will patiently stand and wait for relief. Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed, In whose hands is a wicked scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
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Open before the Lord
As David endured unfair treatment despite his doing what was right, He cried out to God in the verses of Psalm 26. As we read his anguished lyrics, we will uncover some resolutions David made which kept him (and will keep us) from slipping into bitterness and resentment during times of mistreatment. Resolved: I will be open before the Lord (26:2).
Read MoreThe Most Dangerous Part
Solomon had a lot to say about what we say. In fact, tongue, mouth, lips, and words occur almost 150 times in Proverbs. On average, a reference to speech appears five times in each of the thirty-one chapters. Seems to me any subject mentioned that often calls for extended attention in our examination of the book of Proverbs. So we will devote two weeks to the topic of wise uses of the tongue.
Read MoreFacets of Integrity
David’s song, Psalm 15, opens with a probing question about our experience of fellowship with God in the temporal realm, our relationship with Him in daily life. He wanted to know what characteristics mark the person who is able to enjoy unencumbered, uninhibited association with the almighty Creator of the universe. Inspired by the Holy Spirit in his writing, David received and then recorded the Lord’s reply.
Read MoreFellowship with God
If you read Psalm 15 carefully, you will discover the entire song all hangs upon the first verse. Verse 1 is crucial in that it asks a probing question. That’s today’s devotional. David’s answer forms the rest of the psalm. He then arrives at a wonderful promise. These we’ll look at over the next couple of days.
Read MoreThe Purpose of the Proverbs
As we open the book of Proverbs in order to discover divine wisdom for ourselves, an appropriate question to ask is, why? Why has God preserved these sayings down through the centuries? If we go back to the preamble of the book, we’ll find the answer. You might want to glance back over Proverbs 1:1–9. As I reflect on those words, I find five reasons God gave us this book of wisdom:
Read MoreA Life beyond Compare
The central lesson in Psalm 1 is this: there is not the slightest similarity between the spiritually accelerating life of the righteous and the slowly eroding life of the wicked. Take time to ponder the bold contrasts: Godly: Happiness many times over Ungodly: Not so! Godly: Uncompromised purity Ungodly: Driven by the wind
Read MoreThis Means You
While we are getting better acquainted with the ancient sayings, I should mention that this is a book full of various kinds of people facing a variety of common challenges. Years ago I completed an in-depth analysis of Proverbs and was surprised to discover that the book includes more than 180 types or categories of people.
Read MoreThe Ungodly Life
A key observation in Psalm1:4–6 is contrast. Don’t miss the many things that are quite the opposite from the preceding verses. “The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.” “Not so!” That is exactly how verse 4 begins in the Hebrew Bible. It is an emphatic negative assertion. Literally, it says, “Not so, the wicked!”
Read MoreTrue Wisdom
While much of the book of Proverbs came directly from the pen of Solomon, the finished work actually combines the wisdom of several sages, which a final editor compiled and arranged as we have it today. Ultimately, this is the work of the Holy Spirit. Like the sixty-six books of the Bible, Proverbs combines the writings of many human authors working under God’s direct inspiration.
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