Proverbs 23:17, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.” One of the key elements advertisers use to get people to buy their products is “envy.”  The definition of envy is, “a feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the…

Proverbs 25:19, “Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.” Have you ever had a broken tooth or an injured foot?  Or in general have you ever suffered injury in your physical body to the point where you couldn’t do what you would normally be…

Proverbs 25:19, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” Some people have the impression that God was “mean” in the Old Testament and “nice” in the New Testament.  However, Hebrews 13:8 states, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Therefore,…

Proverbs 25:28, “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” I’ll never forget the first time I really understood this proverb.  I was talking to an older friend who was giving me counsel after I had been in an argument with another pastor.  In my hurt and frustration I…

Proverbs 25:28, “4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” Hmmmmm… Did you catch the supposed contradiction in the two proverbs noted above?  If you didn’t, please slowly…

Proverbs 26:11, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” Have you ever watched a dog eat its own vomit?  I have and it’s totally disgusting. The dog ate it up and didn’t seem to mind at all that it was its own puke. King Solomon in the above proverb is making…

Proverbs 27:5, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” Today in the American culture “moral relativism” is the new trend.  Moral relativism is a philosophy that believes, “All moral truths are relative to each person’s beliefs.  And since there is not absolute right or wrong, everyone is to be tolerant or supporting of each person’s…

Proverbs 27:6, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” If you were in a bad place with God and headed towards hell would you want a godly friend to tell you?  And if you were so self-deceived and truly convinced that you were right but were actually wrong in God’s…

Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” King Solomon lived in a time when iron swords were commonplace.  For these swords to stay sharp and effective they needed to be sharpened regularly.  The same is true with constructive dialogue between disciples of Christ. When disciples get together and challenge each other…