Proverbs 21:23
“Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.”
 
Our words have a powerful effect on those around us.
What we say or neglect to say says more about the condition of our hearts than we often realize. Our tongue is full of iniquity just waiting for the opportunity to push us into sin.
 
James 3:8
“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
 
When we allow our words to poison our testimony, pride has entered our hearts.
 
Proverbs 21:24
“Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.”
 
Pride creeps in so easily to distract, discourage, and often disappoint.
Our sin nature does not go away simply because we have accepted God’s free Gift of Salvation. We have to fight against the desires of our flesh each day.
 
Proverbs 21:25
“The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.”
 
When our flesh begins to faint because of our pride, we must press on labouring for the cause of Christ! Remind yourself today that we do not work for anyone but Him.
 
Colossians 3:23-24
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
 
When our flesh begins to crave the things of this world, we must press on by giving to the cause of Christ! Reminds yourself today that giving is so much better than receiving.
 
Proverbs 21:26
“He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.”
 
Resist the temptation to stop working or giving today.
Our prideful flesh desires to deter us from anything that the Lord has for us.
 
1 John 2:16-17
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
 
 
Bible Reading:
Numbers 1-2  |  Luke 10  |  Proverbs 28

Proverbs 21:22
“A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.”
 
Those who think themselves to have great strength are truly much weaker than they believe, whereas those who consider themselves to be weak are much stronger.
 
2 Corinthians 3:4-5
“And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;”
 
The secret is in the Source of our strength.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
 
When we acknowledge our weakness, we express our need for Him.
Our greatest strength is shown when we place faith in Him to carry us through.
 
Romans 4:20-21
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
 
Our faith in Wisdom strengthens us far more than any power of the flesh.
Ecclesiastes 7:19
“Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.”
 
Wisdom is simply better than anything we can attempt to strengthen ourselves with. His strength surpasses anything this world has to offer us.
 
Ecclesiastes 9:16
“Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”
 
 
Bible Reading:
Leviticus 25-27  |  Luke 9  |  Proverbs 27

Proverbs 21:21
“He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.”
 
Not only is it wise to evaluate how we are investing, we should also assess what we are following after in our lives on a regular basis.
 
In His Sermon on the Mount, Christ began speaking to the multitudes about the Beatitudes that offer His blessing if only we would do them. The fourth promise spoke about the importance of following after righteousness.
 
Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
 
Later in that same Sermon, Christ explained that few would be willing to follow and seek after this Wisdom.
 
Matthew 7:14
“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
 
The Scriptures and the Word Himself tell us how to find life, yet so often we choose to try to find life in other things and places than God’s simple plan.
 
Ecclesiastes 7:12
“For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.”
 
Life is found by believing in Jesus Christ.
John 5:24
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
 
Life is found by seeking Wisdom through His Word.
Proverbs 8:35
“For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.”
 
Life is found by surrendering our life for His Will.
Matthew 16:24-25
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
 
If you are seeking and not finding, Christ is the Answer.
His Word tells us exactly what could be hindering us, and offers the Solution to any problem that we have.
 
John 14:6
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
 
There is life to be found in Him today for He is the Life.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Leviticus 23-24  |  Luke 8  |  Proverbs 26

Proverbs 21:20
“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”
 
How we use what God has given us speaks of our motives and intentions, as well as the condition of our heart.
 
Luke 6:45
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
 
Everything we do is spent investing in one of two places:
 
Investing For Present.
Matthew 6:19
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:”
 
Investing in the here and now is fun and exciting, but only for a short time. What we spend on the present will not last forever, nor will it bring any eternal rewards.
 
Investing For Eternity.
Matthew 6:20-21
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
 
Every so often it is wise to evaluate where we are investing what God has given to us. He desires for us to be wise stewards of our time, our talents, and our treasure. He has given each of them to use for a specific purpose…to glorify Him.
 
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
 
 
Bible Reading:
Leviticus 21-22  |  Luke 7  |  Proverbs 25

Proverbs 21:19
“It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.”
 
In this same chapter, we see that the corner of a housetop and the wilderness is more favorable than dealing with a contentious and angry woman. God often drives us to unlikely places in order to commune with us.
 
A wilderness is uninhabitable and unfruitful, yet God has often used such areas to grow His children and teach them lessons they would not have learned otherwise. Wisdom can be found and learned in the wilderness.
 
Matthew 4:1-4
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
 
Wisdom in the wilderness often involves separation.
Sometimes God needs to separate us in order to work miracles in our lives.
Exodus 13:18
“But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.”
 
Wisdom in the wilderness often involves slander.
Sometimes God will allow people to speak unkindly and untrue things about us in order to remind us of our need for Him.
Exodus 16:2
“And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:”
 
Wisdom in the wilderness often involves solitude.
Sometimes God sets us apart from others in order to speak to our hearts.
Luke 5:16
“And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”
 
Regardless of our wilderness experience, God knows what you need. He is working things out for our good and His glory, we need only wait for Him to guide and direct us according to His will for our lives.
 
May we allow the Lord to use the wilderness to bring you closer to Him.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Leviticus 19-20  |  Luke 6  |  Proverbs 24

Proverbs 21:17
“He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.”
 
The prodigal son is a perfect example of how pleasure on lasts for a season and surely has consequences.
 
Luke 15:13-14
“And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.”
 
He wasted his inheritance on riotous living, and ended up in a pig trough. Imagine how he must have felt in comparison to when he left his father’s house. Nothing had turned out as he had planned or dreamed.
 
Sin had taken him farther than he wanted to go, and cost him far more than he ever wanted to pay. Yet despite all of the wickedness he had done, his father was still waiting with open arms of love waiting for his repentance and return home.
 
Proverbs 21:18
“The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.”
 
God delivers His people from trouble with open arms.
He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He is Faithful and Just to forgive us of our sins if we will simply confess them to Him. He allows us to choose which way we will go, and in His mercy gives us opportunity to return back to Him when we go astray.
 
Every day we must choose Who or what we are going to follow.
It is a commitment that must be renewed daily.
 
Like Moses, by faith we can choose to suffer for God rather than enjoy any pleasures sin has to offer us.
 
Hebrews 11:25
“Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;”
 
It is simply not worth the temporary joy that will soon fade away.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Leviticus 17-18  |  Luke 5  |  Proverbs 23

Proverbs 21:16
“The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.”
 
Wandering can be fun. Setting out on an adventure that leads to nowhere can bring some spontaneous activities and priceless moments.
 
However, spiritual wandering is far from fun; yet so often we are prone to wander. Every time we wander away from Him, we turn our backs to what He has for us.
 
Zephaniah 1:6
“And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.”
 
When we wander from the Way we are treading on dangerous ground that leads to destruction. If we are truly saved, we cannot lose our salvation, but we can destroy our testimony and effect the decision of others. Is wandering from the Lord worth that?
 
Hebrews 6:4-6
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
 
Jeremiah 14:10
“Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.”
 
Though we may be prone to wander, God has given us Everything we need to keep ourselves in the Way of Wisdom.
 
Psalm 119:10
“With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.”
 
May we bind our wandering hearts to the Word of God today and every day.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Leviticus 15-16  |  Luke 4  |  Proverbs 22

Proverbs 21:14-15
“A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath. It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.”
 
Everyone likes receiving something, especially when it’s free!
A gift is something we receive which costs us nothing and does not require any work in order to obtain it.
 
This is why salvation is called the free gift of God; it requires no payment of our own because Jesus paid it all.
 
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
 
We have no reason to brag or boast about the gifts we receive. God does not give us blessings for us to take the credit. His gifts are for His glory; it is unwise to use gifts for any other purpose.
 
God continuously gives.
He gave us life when He breathed into us and we became a living soul. He gave us His Word when He inspired men to pen down each Word. He gave us His Son so that we believe in Him and have eternal life. He gives and gives and gives and gives.
 
We can choose to learn from His example of why we should give:
Acts 20:35
“I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
 
Give to encourage.
Gifts make us feel appreciated and loved. They are a simple reminder that someone thought of us.
 
Give with the right motive.
Gifts are no longer gifts when there is a hidden motive behind them.
 
Give to give God glory.
When we give to the cause of Christ we bring glory to our Heavenly Father and reap eternal rewards that we will someday place at His feet.
 
Gifts are an opportunity for us to point others to Jesus Christ.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Leviticus 13-14  |  Luke 3  |  Proverbs 21

Proverbs 21:12
“The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.”
 
It is easy to see others prospering and desire the same for ourselves.
Instead of comparing and coveting, we must choose to wisely consider.
 
Psalm 37:16-17
“A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.”
 
We must wisely consider their fate.
The riches of the wicked will not last forever. Their abundance will one day run dry and they will face destruction rather than the delight that awaits the righteous.
 
We must wisely consider the finality of eternity.
Riches on earth cannot be spent on the state of our eternity. The choices we make here will impact not only our eternity, but the eternal state of others. If we choose to allow the wealth of others to distract us from sharing the Gospel with them, their blood will be on our hands at the Judgment Seat.
 
Proverbs 21:13
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”
 
We must wisely consider their frantic plea for compassion.
If we take the time to consider how we would want someone to react if we were in their shoes, our reactions begin to change. What if we cried for help or mercy and someone heard us, but simply walked away as if they did not? If we are unaffected by the cry of others, our hearts are far from where they should be.
 
Lamentations 1:12
“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.”
 
Take the time to wisely consider the needs of others today, and the opportunity to show them the love of Christ.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Leviticus 11-12  |  Luke 2  |  Proverbs 20

Proverbs 21:11
“When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.”
 
The simple learn from observing the punishment of the scorners.
They learn hoping to avoid also being punished.
 
We have a few choices when it comes to learning. We can learn by observing the punishment of others, being punished ourselves, or by heeding to the instruction we receive.
 
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
 
God has given us all the Instructions that we need to live a life that is pleasing to Him. It is up to us to heed to the Truth of His Word and allow it to change us from the inside out.
 
2 Peter 1:19-21
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
 
The Scriptures have been given to us for our learning, and God inspired every single Word so that we may know Him.
 
John 5:39
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
 
God will not force us to obey or to follow; we must do so on our own.
Allow the Light of the Word to shine within your heart today.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Leviticus 9-10  |  Luke 1  |  Proverbs 19