Even evil ones can change. Isaiah 55:7 offers this insight, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Hope is offered even to the wicked one.                That unrighteous person can turn around, turn away from their evil, and turn towards God and His mercy, and find a fresh, clean start, able to walk differently. Are you this perso

Proverbs 2:22 makes both a promise and a prediction, “But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.” Every soul, touched by God’s righteousness, has a deep craving for justice, the hope of seeing evil thwarted and punished, and uprightness vindicated and rewarded.                In a deceptive and evil era, let’s find hope in the ultimate justice that will be meted out by a Just and Justifying Judge, God. Evil will end. The m

Jesus gives a practical warning, “Beware false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits.” (Mt. 7:15,16) Ravening can be defined as ferocious or hungry. This clarifies who those false prophets are.                False prophets have an insatiable hunger to harm their followers for their own benefit. They think nothing of fleecing the flock to improve their bottom line. Let’s utilize discernment

Wisdom makes an incredible claim: “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.” (Proverbs 8:15-16) Personified, Wisdom speaks in the first person in Proverbs eight, a powerful literary device to make a point.                Wisdom, if she has the freedom to influence, actually rules through earthly authorities. She gets to make an impact on our daily lives, through laws and practices offering safety and prom

Isaiah 59:19b says, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” Strangely, this brash enemy thought nothing about risking an attack on the people God loves and who love Him back. God’s response? Stopping the enemy with a declared command.                Like controlling His enemies with the sword of His mouth or declaring “be still” to halt global conflict this standard has the power to forcibly stop the onslaught

Jesus makes beautiful, hope-filled promises to His followers in His famous Sermon on the Mount. One? “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) This offer hints at the promises and principles of Jesus’ upside-down Kingdom.                The way UP the ladder of success in Jesus’ reign is not through proudly and thoughtlessly scrambling past others, trampling their dreams to achieve our own. But rather through humble, selfless service. Let’s learn

Zephaniah 2:3 offers meekness as a security strategy in seasons of judgment: “Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be you shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.” This powerful promise is tucked simply in the seemingly small prophecy of Zephaniah. The book was left as a warning against the proud and straying people of Israel.                But judgment can be universal. Even today’s populati

Jesus, in this passage, is answering His critics. These religious naysayers were disputing His authority to minister, contrary to the...

In Proverbs 8:14, Wisdom claims, “Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding, I have strength.” Wisdom, as personified in...

“He has showed His strength with His arm,” (Luke 1:51) In the Congo, we learned to call the right hand, ‘the hand of the man’ and the...

51  He hath showed strength with His arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52  He has put down the mighty...

Tucked in a unique passage is an even more unusual statement. Isaiah 30:21 claims, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,...

Sometimes, loving God means hating other things, things that God despises. Proverbs 8:13 confirms, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:...

God offers an amazing strategy for surviving a chaotic era. “For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; ‘In returning and rest...

God offers an amazing strategy for surviving a chaotic era. “For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; ‘In returning and rest...

The psalmist prays a unique prayer, revealing the motives of his enemies, “Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are...

How persistent am I in my pursuit of knowledge? Of wisdom? Wisdom, personified, and speaking in the first person point of view, says, “I...

Evil leaders and organizations have utilized symbolic gestures for millennia, this practice being brought forward by Solomon himself. “A...

Any political leader looking for a plan for a long career needs to delve into the blessings of the principles of Proverbs. “It is an...

Evil humans, evil entities, believe that they can unite behind their evil agendas and be undetected and unjudged. But a proverb warns...