Devotional

Wednesday, October 7, 2026   The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. (Prov. 10:27) Proverbs 10:27 gives us a good contrast between the enduring consequences of fearing the LORD and the ultimately self-destructive course of wickedness. “The fear of the LORD” Once again Solomon brings us back to one of the controlling ideas of the entire book. The Hebrew term translated “fear” includes reverence and awe but cannot be weakened simply ...

Wednesday, September 30, 2026   “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” (Prov. 10:19) Proverbs 10:19 occurs in a section where Solomon repeatedly returns to the moral significance of speech. That connects naturally with verse 11, which we recently studied: “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life.” Verse 19 approaches the subject from another direction. The issue is not necessarily what we intend to say but how much ...

Wednesday, September 23, 2026   “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” (Prov. 10:11) Proverbs 10 begins a section in which Solomon gives us short, compact sayings, frequently represented as contrasts: righteous and wicked, wise and foolish, diligent and lazy. Verse 11 belongs to a small cluster concerned especially with the use of the mouth. “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life” The Hebrew behind “fountain ...

Wednesday, September 16, 2026   “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.” (Prov. 10:7) This chapter marks an important transition. Chapters 1–9 consisted largely of extended discourses on wisdom. Beginning with chapter 10 we find the shorter, compact sayings for which Proverbs is best known. This verse is a classic example of antithetical parallelism in which the first idea stands in sharp contrast to the second: the memory of the righteous is ...

Wednesday, September 9, 2026   “Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, reprove a wise man and he will love you.” (Prov. 9:8) Proverbs 9 presents the great contrast between Wisdom and Folly. After Wisdom’s invitation in verses 1–6, Solomon pauses in verses 7–12 to describe one of the clearest differences between the fool and the wise person: their response to instruction and correction. Verse 7 warns that correcting a scoffer may bring abuse upon the person ...