Proverbs 18:16
“A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.”
 
Presents have a way of getting people’s attention, even that of great importance. God has given us the Greatest Gift that has ever been given, and yet so often men refuse and reject Him.
 
Proverbs 18:17
“He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.”
 
The first to tell a story seems to be telling the truth, when only their side has been told. We must remember that there are always two sides to every story, and we must uses our wisdom to discern which story must be true.
 
Solomon showed the Truth of this when two women were brought before him, each of them claiming to be the mother of a child. Since the child could have only one mother, one of them was clearly lying through both stories seems just. Solomon used his God-given Wisdom to bring the Truth to light.
 
1 Kings 3:24-25
“And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”
 
What boldness and wisdom he possessed to think of such a radical solution. Clearly the true mother of the child would do anything to protect the life of her child, and Solomon knew this to be true.
 
1 Kings 3:26-28
“Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.”
 
The Wisdom which Solomon displayed made a difference not only in this situation with the mother and her child, but all of Israel heard of his judgment and feared the king because they realized he had the Wisdom of God.
 
What if those around us saw the Wisdom of God in us?
What a difference we could make if only we would live by the God-given Wisdom that is within us!
 
 
Bible Reading:
Malachi  |  1 John 5  |  Proverbs 31

Proverbs 18:15
“The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
 
A wise person desires to get more wisdom. Those that are truly wise are never content with the wisdom they possess, for they understand that there is always more to learn and know.
 
Solomon understood the importance of this, for, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote of the need for more wisdom over and over again.
 
Proverbs 1:5
“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”
 
Proverbs 4:7
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
 
Proverbs 9:9
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”
 
Proverbs 10:14
“Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.”
 
Proverbs 15:14
“The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.”
 
Solomon also understood where to find more wisdom, for his father had taught him and also wrote about it, under the Holy Spirit’s direction.
 
Psalm 119:97-100
“O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.”
 
This father and son were used by God to pin down the recipe for us to increase our knowledge through the Wisdom of the Word. Outside of our salvation, there is no greater need for us to seek and understand, but to find and live by Wisdom.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Zechariah 11-14  |  1 John 4  |  Proverbs 30

Proverbs 18:13
“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”
 
Impatience and hasty speech are signs of pride.
Do you ever find yourself rash in the things you say? We are all guilty of it from time to time.
 
James 1:19
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”
 
Wisdom is expressed when we take the time to think before we speak.
 
Proverbs 18:14
“The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”
 
In those times when our tongue gets us into trouble, it is God within us that sustains and heals the hurt we feel.
 
Psalm 147:3
“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
 
Psalm 77:2-3
“In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”
 
When haste causes us to hurt, we can run to God for healing.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Zechariah 8-10  |  1 John 3  |  Proverbs 29

Proverbs 18:11-12
“The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”
 
Many use wealth as a shield to keep others out and to protect those within its self-seeking walls. Their height often speaks of the person’s lack of humility and abundance of pride, both of which come with a cost.
 
Proverbs 16:18-19
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
 
God has His own way of destroying the pride of a Christian.
When we begin to let pride creep in, He often reminds us of just how feeble we truly are, and how much we are helpless without Him.
 
Obadiah 1:3-4
“The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.”
 
We must tear down the walls of pride that we build around us. Their height only speaks of the weakness of our heart, which can only be strengthened when we repent of the wickedness within us.
 
Our pride can be diminished if we will simply humble ourselves before the Lord, and allow Him to do much more than we could ever do on our own.
 
James 4:10
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
 
 
Bible Reading:
Zechariah 4-7  |  1 John 2  |  Proverbs 28

Proverbs 18:10
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”
 
Within the pages of Scripture we find many Names for God.
Each Name tells us something else about Him that is important for us to learn.
 
The Almighty God – He is Able to do the impossible!
Genesis 17:1
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”
 
I AM THAT I AM – He is Everything that we need!
Exodus 3:14
“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”
 
JEHOVAH - He is the LORD of All!
Exodus 6:3
“And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”
 
Emmanuel – He is God with us!
Matthew 1:23
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
 
The birth of Jesus Christ showed us many Truths about Him through the different Names He was called.
 
Isaiah 9:6
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
 
Jesus – He is our Salvation!
Matthew 1:21
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
 
It is only through believing in the Name of Jesus Christ that anyone finds eternal life.
 
John 20:31
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
 
Romans 10:13
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
 
He is all of these Names and much more!
Search the Scriptures to find the many other Names for Him.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Zechariah 1-3  |  1 John 1  |  Proverbs 27

Proverbs 18:8-9
“The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.”
 
A talebearer is a whisperer of lies who habitually murmurs. The damage they cause is more than what can been seen or heard, but rather is often felt deep within the heart of the one they chatter about. The bitter pill that they try to pass from person to person ends up being swallowed, causing a root of bitterness to grow within them.
 
The best way to defeat the act of talebearing is to remove the wood of the fires of their tongue by refusing to listen to what they have to say.
 
Proverbs 26:20
“Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.”
 
A slothful person is drains the time and energy of those working around them. The sluggish do more harm than good. Often wanting to appear busy for the credit rather than laboring for the purpose.
 
Hebrews 6:10-12
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
 
Our time to work for Christ is drawing to an end; we must use our time wisely for His glory. There is no time to be slothful in sharing the Gospel to those around us.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Haggai  |  2 Peter 3  |  Proverbs 26

Proverbs 18:5-7
“It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment. A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”
 
We read many times within the Scriptures that God is not a respecter of persons, and we are to follow His example. Even more so we are not to accept the wicked and overthrow the righteous. Doing so will cause us to see the ill effects of the wisdom of the flesh.
 
Proverbs 24:23
“These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.”
 
Foolish wisdom causes people to believe in error that their words do more harm to others than they do to themselves. Contention and destruction are the beginning and end of the self-inflicted wounds of their wisdom.
 
Ecclesiastes 10:11-24
“Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?”
 
Our words are either gracious or foolishness.
We are a constant testimony of our relationship with God through His Word.
 
Psalm 71:15-18
“My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”
 
May we radiate the His grace in all that we say and do.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Zephaniah  |  2 Peter 2  |  Proverbs 25

Proverbs 18:4
“The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.”
 
The words of the wise are peaceful, full of grace and truth.
 
Ecclesiastes 9:17
“The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.”
 
Peaceful in that they are often quiet; not drawing attention to them, but there with purpose. Their lack of noise speaks volumes.
 
They are full of grace and truth because this wellspring of wisdom flows from Wisdom Himself, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He was made flesh and dwelt among His people so that we could know Him, His grace and the Truth.
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He is that Water of Life that flows freely to all who will believe in Him.
 
John 4:14
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
 
His Water in us enables us to have everlasting life.
His Word in us enables us to exchange our fleshly wisdom for His.
 
Colossians 3:16
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
 
 
Bible Reading:
Habakkuk  |  2 Peter 1  |  Proverbs 24

Proverbs 18:3
“When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.”
 
Sin brings with it many wicked things.
It affects everything around it and condemns those who possess it.
 
Sin brings contempt.
Psalm 123:3
“Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.”
 
Sin brings reproach.
Proverbs 14:34
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
 
Sin brings shame.
Proverbs 11:2
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”
 
Sin brings death.
James 1:15
“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
 
There are many other things which sin brings to those who are wearing the whole armour of God. The Truth of the Scriptures enables us to fight the battle against sin and the temptations of the devil. We must choose to stand with the armour of God as our defense, and the Sword of the Word as our only weapon.
 
Ephesians 6:11-12
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
 
No matter what sin brings, the Lord is able to give the victory when we trust in Him.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Nahum  |  1 Peter 5  |  Proverbs 23

Proverbs 18:2
“A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”
 
Without possessing Wisdom, we cannot delight in being wise.
There is quite a difference in professing to be wise, and truly possessing Wisdom. No delight is found in professing to be something we are not.
 
1 Corinthians 2:14
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
 
A fool’s heart desires the appearance of being wise, without actually possessing Wisdom. No delight is found in pretending to be wise.
 
Proverbs 17:6
“Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?”
 
When we look only within ourselves, we only see our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts. No good is found within our own ability, so to look within only leaves disappointment and discontent.
 
There is only One Place where we can find true delight. The Word of God discerns the thoughts and intents of our hearts, and He alone is able to reveal whether or not Wisdom truly resides there.
 
Psalm 1:1-2
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
 
Are you delighting in Wisdom today or simply just professing to be wise?
 
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Bible Reading:
Micah 5-7 |  1 Peter 4  |  Proverbs 22