Open the Bible UK Daily

Episodi

• The Profile of an Unproductive Person 22.06.2026 3min

  The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.Proverbs 20:4Here is how Proverbs describes the sluggard, or the unproductive person:He is slow to startThe sluggard does not plough in the autumn (20:4). This draws attention to the long-term effects of putting off the things we need to do. There is a season for ploughing, for sowing, and for reaping. Ploughing is hard work, and the sluggard does not want to do it. He procrastinates. “It’s not good weather today. I’ll get around to it tomorrow.”He is easily distractedHe who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty (28:19). The sluggard lacks focus. The person who is fascinated with everything achieves nothing. Through a thousand small concessions to his own flesh, he never gets around to doing what God has called him to do.He doesn’t finishWhoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth (12:27). Clearly, the person who is slow to start and is easily distracted won’t be able to finish. The pattern of his life is that he is always moving on to something else. Something new catches his eye and off he goes, leaving a trail of unfinished business.He never restsThis is surprising because he is hinged to his bed! But the irony is that the person who keeps putting off what needs to be done never rests. God rested when He had completed His work. And the price of putting off what God has called you to do is that you never really rest.“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied” (13:4). Laziness will empty your wallet, but it will do something worse: Laziness will destroy your soul.Would you say you struggle more with getting started, being distracted, or finishing the job?
• Wisdom for Work 21.06.2026 2min

  The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.Proverbs 19:24We are looking today at the theme of work, or more precisely, its opposite.The book of Proverbs introduces us to a tragic character whose life ends in ruin. The name of this character is the sluggard. He is referred to 14 times.The sluggard is presented in comic terms, like when you see a caricature of a politician or a celebrity. Some aspect of their face is exaggerated, but you immediately know who it is.So, for example, we read “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth” (19:24). The sluggard loads the food onto his fork, but lifting it to his mouth is just too much effort.Then we read, “As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed” (26:14). The problem is not just that he likes to lie in bed, the problem is that he is seemingly hinged to his bed. He turns one way and then the other, but he can’t get up!The sluggard is also full of excuses. He always has a reason for not doing the work that needs to get done. The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” (22:13).We are meant to smile at this, but we are also meant to be warned about the dangers of laziness. If you are a person who works hard, your natural reaction will be, “This is a message for others but not for me.” Well, not so fast! There is something here for all of us.What is your initial reaction to the sluggard?
• How You Can Bless Others with Your Words 20.06.2026 3min

  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.Psalm 19:14Your words will be a blessing when you have:An open earLet every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (Jas. 1:19). Having an open ear means listening to the words of others. It also means listening to the Word of God. “Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips” (Prov. 22:17-18). The “words of the wise” are the words of Scripture. What are you listening to? Open your ear to the wisdom of God.A pure heartThe heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips (Prov. 16:23). Our words reveal the state of our hearts. Angry words are the fruit of an angry heart. Gracious words are the fruit of a grace-filled heart. No human can tame the tongue (Jas. 3:8). Only God can do that, and God changes the tongue by changing the heart. That is why David said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10).A cleansed mouthWhen Isaiah saw a vision of God, he was overwhelmed by His holiness. He felt his own sin as never before, especially his sins of speech. “I am a man of unclean lips” (Is. 6:5).An angel picked up a burning coal from the altar of God and pressed it onto Isaiah’s mouth. Jesus died on the altar of the cross for all of our sins, including the sins of our lips. And God’s provision for sin touched Isaiah where he needed it most. “This has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (6:7).Ask God to open your ears to His Word, ask Him to purify your heart, and ask Him to touch your lips with the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood.
• Four Prayers for Wise Words 19.06.2026 3min

  “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart.”Matthew 15:18The Proverbs encourage us to speak in certain ways, and to avoid speaking in other ways. Let’s frame four prayers from the book of Proverbs, asking for God’s help with our words.Lord, help me to speak with restraintThe heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things (15:28).Words pour out of the mouth of the wicked, but the heart of the righteous ponders how to answer. Self-expression is a leading idol in our culture. “I must say what I think. I must say what I feel!” Must you? “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (29:11).Lord, help me to speak with humilityLet another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips (27:2).Lord, help me to speak with wisdomTo make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! (15:23). What you say may be right, but if the way you say it is harsh, it will do no good. The right word spoken at the right time in the right way is a thing of great beauty.Lord, help me to speak with graceGracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body (16:24). Don’t ever fall for the idea that soft, gentle, or gracious means weak. “With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone” (25:15).Try to take this in: A soft tongue, a gentle tongue, a gracious tongue, is stronger than bone! Grace can change a heart of stone. How did God change your heart? Was it not His grace that won you? Was it not His kindness that led you to repentance (Rom. 2:4)?Lord, help us speak with restraint, humility, wisdom, and grace.Which of these prayers would be most helpful to you today?
• Two Very Surprising Effects of Our Words 18.06.2026 2min

  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.Proverbs 18:21What you say comes out of you, but it also goes down inside you. It goes to the stomach (18:20). Your own cursing will go deep down into your own soul. They are bitter fruits, and they will make your soul sick. You will eat your own words.The tongue is the means by which we bring great help or harm to others and to ourselves. Speaking life words or death words will have a profound effect on others, but it will also have a profound effect on you.We all eat our own words, and what we eat will either be sweet or bitter. What brings help to others will bring help to us. What brings harm to others will bring harm to us.Consider this: “On the day of judgement people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Mat. 12:36). God will hold us accountable not only for what we did but also for what we said. Freedom of speech is a wonderful gift and an awesome responsibility. One day, we will have to give an account for every careless word that has come from our lips.God hears and knows every word that you have ever spoken (Ps. 139:4). He knows every word you say in private, and every word you write online is known and weighed by Almighty God.God holds us accountable not only for what we do but also for what we say, and when you see this, you will know how much you need a Saviour.When have your words to others tasted sweet to you? When have your words to others tasted bitter down into your soul?
• Why Your Words Matter 17.06.2026 2min

  Death and life are in the power of the tongue.Proverbs 18:21We have looked at the way of wisdom in relation to friends and family, and today we come to wisdom in our words. There are more proverbs on what we say than on any other subject. The tongue is the means by which we bring the greatest help or harm to others.There is death in the power of the tongueThere is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts (12:18). The tongue is a weapon that can wound another person deeply. If you carry a weapon that can wound, you have to carry it with great care. Words that burst out can bring deep wounds. You may have felt the power of this: “You’ll never amount to anything.” Death is in the power of the tongue.There is also life in the power of the tongueThe tongue of the wise brings healing (12:18). Christian counsellor Larry Crabb says that as a youngster, he developed a humiliating problem with stuttering. One Sunday Larry found the courage to lead a public prayer for the first time.“Stuttering throughout, I finally thought of the word Amen… said it and sat down… solemnly vowing never again to pray or speak aloud in front of a group.“When the service was over I darted for the door… An older Christian man named Jim Dunbar intercepted me… ‘Larry,’ he said… ‘Whatever you do for the Lord, I’m behind you one thousand percent.’“Even as I write these words, my eyes fill with tears… Those words were life words. They had power. They reached deep into my being. My resolve never again to speak in public weakened instantly.”Can you think of a time when someone’s words brought healing to you? Look for opportunities to bring life to others through your words.
• The Power of Example 16.06.2026 2min

  My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live.Proverbs 7:1-2The only commands that are life-giving are the words and commands of God. But here is a father who has made God’s words his own: “My teaching. My words. My commandments.” What he commends to his son is what he pursues himself. That is the power of example.If you are a parent, a great motivation for living a godly life is to give your children a credible example to follow. “God’s words are the words I believe. God’s way is the way that I follow.”How are you going to do that? The way to walk in obedience is to walk by faith. A life-giving relationship with God is based on trust. Solomon says, to his son, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (3:5).You can’t say that to your children unless you are doing it yourself. So, trust in the Lord with all your heart, especially when it comes to your children!Scottish pastor William Still never had the joy of being a father, yet he gave this wise counsel to parents: Bring your children up in faith, not fear. Trust God with your children. You fear what sin can do to them. Trust what God can do in them. You fear the pressure of school, media, and culture. Trust what God can do through His Spirit and His Word.Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Give your children reason to think, “My father and mother trust God, even when it comes to me!”Who can you be an example for in the next generation?
• Wisdom for Parents 15.06.2026 2min

  Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.Proverbs 22:6Remember that the Proverbs are not promises. Still, this is a stunning statement: Your influence in the lives of your children goes deeper than you may think. It will still be with them, even when they are old!The thief on the cross lived his life in rebellion against God, yet he said to the thief on the other side of Jesus: “Do you not fear God?” (Lk. 23:40). Where did that come from? Some awareness of a God to whom we must give account had been planted in his soul.So, if you have a rebel son or daughter, don’t despair. The living seed of God’s Word has been planted. Who knows what God may yet do with it?Your children need restraint as well as affirmation. “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him” (Prov. 22:15). Parents who believe that folly is deeply rooted in the human heart will focus, not only on affirmation but also on restraint.Is the Bible telling us to beat our children with sticks? No! Bible scholar Christopher Wright points to Psalm 23:4: “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Why would David say that the rod was a comfort to him?The shepherd used the rod to fend off wild animals. The sheep had the comfort of knowing that they would not be left at the mercy of enemies that would destroy them. You will bring your children great comfort if they know that you will not allow them to follow destructive impulses.If you have children, ask the Lord to help you bring them up in faith, not in fear. If they are far from God, ask Him to bring them back.
• Wisdom for Children 14.06.2026 2min

  A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.Proverbs 10:1You might be surprised to hear that the largest number of proverbs relating to family life are addressed to parents and to children. Let’s begin with God’s wisdom for children.Always seek to bring joy to your parentsHonour your father and your mother (Ex. 20:12). The word honour means “give weight to” or “regard as heavy.” So, to honour your parents means to give weight to what they say.If someone asked you to name the sins on which Romans 1 says the wrath of God will come, would you say “disobedience to parents”? It’s there (1:30). Paul says that in the last days people will be lovers of self and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, and one of the signs of this is that they will be “disobedient to their parents” (2 Tim. 3:2-4).Always be willing to learnA wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke (13:1). When you are young, you can easily feel that you know it all. But as you grow older you realise that you don’t know as much as you thought you did.Solomon says, “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (26:12). Why is there more hope for a fool? Because the fool knows that he needs to learn.This is why the Bible says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (9:10). Wisdom begins when I see that I don’t have it and I need to receive it from the Lord through His Word.Recognise that you need to learn, and listen to those God has placed around you, starting with your parents.How would you rate yourself on a scale of (1) “I have all the wisdom I need” to (10) “I still have plenty to learn”?
• Wisdom for Husbands and Wives 13.06.2026 2min

  He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord.Proverbs 18:22Your spouse is a gift from the Lord. These are the words of Solomon to his son Rehoboam, and this wise father commends marriage to his son as a good thing. Marriage is a good gift from the Lord.We live in a culture that flaunts freedom. “Who wants to be tied down?” The Bible has a very different view of marriage. Solomon says to his son, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband” (12:4).The book of Proverbs ends with a poem in praise of a good wife: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all” (31:29). The wise husband appreciates his wife. He tells her where she excels.Ray Ortlund points out that when the word “husband” is used as a verb, it means “to cultivate.” When we talk about “husbandry” we are talking about care and cultivation.If God has trusted you with the gift of a wife, your job as a husband is to create the conditions in which she can flourish. That’s what it means to be a husband. “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25).Likewise, Solomon speaks of a wife’s responsibility to her husband: “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life” (Prov. 31:11-12).“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favour and good success in the sight of God and man” (Prov. 3:3-4).If you are married, how could you help your spouse flourish?
• Wisdom for Brothers and Sisters 12.06.2026 2min

  A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.Proverbs 18:19If you have a good relationship with your brother or sister, cherish it and guard it, because Proverbs reminds us that close relationships are vulnerable to deep wounds that don’t heal easily. “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city.” You see this in the Old Testament. The first children born into the world were two boys, Cain and Abel. One was jealous of the other and, in the end, he killed him. Then you have the story of Joseph and his jealous brothers, who sold him into slavery.And in the New Testament, two brothers came to Jesus because they were quarrelling over an inheritance (Lk. 12:13). We are also told that the family of Jesus—that is, His brothers and sisters—said that He was out of His mind (Mk. 3:21; also see Mk. 6:3). So, if the jealousy of a brother or sister is a trial in your life, Jesus has been there. He knows what this is like. “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle” (Prov. 18:19).The closer the relationship, the stronger the bars that keep you apart when it has been strained. Here’s why: When a close relationship breaks down, the offended brother will say, “Well, if something that seemed so good proved hollow, what is the point of trying to restore it?”Close relationships are vulnerable to deep wounds, so handle them with special care. Another proverb says, “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out” (17:14).If there are “bars of a castle” in your heart right now, ask God to take them down. If they are in your sibling’s heart, ask God to help you do what you can to make things better.
• How to Find a Best Friend 11.06.2026 3min

  A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.Proverbs 18:24The Lord Jesus Christ is the best friend you can ever have.1. Jesus will always be with youHe says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:4). No one else can say this to you. In every adversity, in life and in death, Jesus is the friend who will always be with you.2. The words of Jesus are sweetWhen others were abandoning Jesus, He asked His disciples, “Do you want to go away as well?” Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn. 6:67-68). The words of Jesus make the heart glad. They are sweeter than honey (Ps. 19:10).3. The love of Jesus will never let you goHe loved you before the world began, and He will love you forever. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3). Consider what a friend the Son of God can be to you!It was love that caused Him to come into the world and stand with us in adversity. He came near to us to make us His friends.It was love that led Him to take on flesh, to experience the heavy heart for Himself, and even to lay down His life. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13-15).Now Jesus is in heaven, where in love He intercedes for you. In Him you have unrestricted access to the Father. His love will cover all your sins. And you will never wear out your welcome with God.So, open your life most fully to the friend you can trust most deeply. There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother, and His name is Jesus.Are you holding back from Jesus? Or are you opening more and more of your life to Him?
• How to Be a True Friend 10.06.2026 2min

  Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbour who is near than a brother who is far away.Proverbs 27:10What are the qualities of a true friend? How can you be a better friend? Proverbs gives us a profile of a true friend.1. A true friend is presentDo not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbour who is near. (27:10). When calamity comes you can’t show up at your brother’s house if you only have a distant relationship. Cultivate friends who are nearby. These are the people who will be there for you when trouble comes. A true friend will be present in times of trouble.2. A true friend brings sweet counselOil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel (27:9). A true friend speaks into your life in a way that always does you good. Because the true friend has deep access to your life, he or she is able to tell you things that others would not. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (27:6).3. A true friend loves at all timesA friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity (17:17). When Jesus came to Gethsemane, the friends who loved Him forsook Him. When Paul first stood trial, no one stood with him. But he says, “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17).How can you be a true friend? By your presence, your words, and your love. To become that kind of friend, you need to walk with someone who can be that kind of friend to you.In which of these three areas could you become a better friend?
• Guard Your Friendships Carefully 09.06.2026 2min

  Let your foot be seldom in your neighbour’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you.Proverbs 25:17Proverbs gives us two ways to guard our friendships:First, by being considerateThe easiest way to kill a good friendship is to become demanding. Here is a person who becomes friends with his neighbour, but then he overdoes it! Eventually the neighbour has had enough.Be considerate not only of your friend’s time but also of his or her mood. “Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda” (Prov. 25:20).Here we have a person who is insensitive to the feelings of others. It’s like taking off a garment on a cold day. It will have a chilling effect on the friendship. And more than that, it can produce an explosive reaction like vinegar on soda. Your singing can make your friend’s sorrow worse.How wonderful then that our Lord Jesus Christ knows us completely. He knows what it is to have a heavy heart. He was once in a garden when his heart was sorrowful to the point of death. He is able to “sympathise with our weaknesses” (Heb. 4:15).Second, by being discreetWhoever covers an offence seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends (Prov. 17:9).A close friend is someone who trusts you enough to open up his or her life to you. If you have been given that trust, you must honour it. Nothing kills a friendship more quickly than repeating to others what was trusted in private conversation to you.How can you have good friends? Seek friends intentionally. Choose your friends wisely. Guard your friendships carefully.Thank God for a friend who has been considerate of your needs or discreet with a trusted secret.
• Choose Your Friends Wisely 08.06.2026 2min

  Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.Proverbs 13:20The people with whom you are closest will have the greatest influence in your life. The character of the friends you choose will rub off on you. And the deeper a friendship becomes, the more like your friend you will become. Friendship can bring you great good or do you great harm, depending on the friends you choose.God says, “The companion of fools will suffer harm.” That’s the normal pattern that prevails in this world: “Bad company ruins good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). And it would be naive for you to think that this does not apply to you.When you grasp the principle that the people to whom you give deepest access in your life will have the greatest influence upon you, you will see that good friends can be a wonderful gift and blessing. “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise”! So get close to the kind of people you want to be like.Proverbs says, “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man” (22:24). Notice the reference here is to people who are habitually angry. Don’t make them your friend. You may have to work with such a person, but don’t give them deep access into your life.Choose your friends wisely. Let friendship develop slowly. Good friendships are like fruit: they take time to grow and time to ripen. The true character of a person will become evident over time, and you will be able to discern if this is a friendship that should go deeper or not.Consider the influence of your friendships on your life. Do you need to make any changes?
• Be Intentional with Your Friendships 07.06.2026 3min

  Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgement.Proverbs 18:1In Proverbs we are looking at what it means to follow the way of wisdom in five areas: friends, family, words, work, and wealth. Today, we begin by looking at friendship.“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire” (18:1). That is, he is concerned about himself. And if you are only concerned about yourself, you break out against all sound judgement.Why? Because you are made in the image of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God enjoys relationship within the tri-unity of His own nature. In his excellent book Made for Friendship, Drew Hunter says “To be made in God’s image… means that we… are wired for relationships.”He points out that the first human problem was not sin but solitude. When God looked at what He had made, He said it was “good.” But when God created Adam, He said, for the first time, something was “not good.” “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18).God did not intend you to live in isolation, so seek friends intentionally. How do you do that? By taking an active interest in others. “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon… I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare” (Phil. 2:19-20).How many friends should you have? It is possible to have a wide circle of acquaintances, but no real friends. So, focus on depth rather than breadth.You see this modelled in the life of Jesus. He ministers to the crowd (hundreds), and there is also a smaller group of 70 that He sends out (Lk. 10:1). Then there are the twelve, but Jesus gives more access to Peter, James, and John. There is an important principle here—open your life most fully to the friends you can trust most deeply.What steps could you take to focus on depth rather than breadth in your friendships?
• “The Fear of the Lord” Is Not Fear of Punishment 06.06.2026 2min

  With you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.Psalm 130:4To “fear the Lord” means to love Him so much that His frown would be your greatest dread and His smile would be your greatest delight.There is a fear that love removes, and there is a fear that love brings.The fear that love removes is the fear of punishment. There is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).The fear that love brings is fear of wounding the One we love. Theologian Charles Bridges says, “The child of God has only one dread—to offend His Father; only one desire—to please and delight in Him.”Where do you get this fear of the Lord? David says to God, “With you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared” (Ps. 130:4).You might expect David to say, “With you there is forgiveness, that you may no longer be feared.” But that is not what he says. “Lord, Your forgiveness came at such a cost that I would tremble to sin against this kind of love.”The fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom is birthed at the cross when as a forgiven sinner, knowing the grace and mercy that are yours in Christ, you say, “How could I ever resist a love like this?”Make a fresh commitment to walk in the way of wisdom, to follow hard after the Lord Jesus Christ, so to love Him that His frown will be your greatest dread, and His smile your greatest delight.Take in afresh that the Son of God loves you and gave Himself for you: that with Him there is forgiveness.
• What Is Your First Reaction to “the Fear of the Lord”? 05.06.2026 2min

  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.Proverbs 9:10What is your first reaction to “the fear of the LORD”? If you have endured a religion based on fear, you may say, “I had enough of that when I was young; I don’t want anything to do with it now.”If that is what you feel, look at the good that is promised here, and see if you may discover something wonderfully new.Where wisdom beginsThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (9:10). The fear of the Lord is the beginning place of following Jesus Christ. And all the blessings of wisdom—life, health, trust, and peace—have their beginning in the fear of the Lord.Where strength beginsBy the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil (16:6). In the book of Proverbs, God is speaking to His own children. If you are a child of God, you will have a desire to turn away from evil. When you see a sin in your life, you will say, “How can I get rid of this?”You know that time won’t do it. Experience tells you that your own effort won’t do it. And fear won’t do it either. Fear can restrain sin, but it cannot overcome the pull of sin in your heart. But here we are being told that the fear of the Lord makes it possible for you to overcome the power of particular sins.Where life beginsThe fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death (Prov. 14:27). Whatever this “fear of the Lord” is, it is something to get more of, not something to get rid of, because it is the beginning of wisdom, it will give you strength in your struggle to overcome sin, and it is a fountain of life!What is your reaction to “the fear of the LORD”? Are you ready to discover something wonderfully new?
• Three Benefits of Wisdom 04.06.2026 2min

  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.Proverbs 3:16–17Here are three things that wisdom brings to us:1. Long lifeLong life is in her right hand (3:16). If you eat a proper diet, you will enjoy better health than if you live on junk food. That doesn’t guarantee you will never have cancer, but the general principle is true.The same is true for your soul. Peter says, “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it” (1 Pet. 3:10-11). There is a healthy and an unhealthy way to live. Wisdom will show you how to live a healthy life.2. Riches and honourIn her left hand are riches and honour (3:16). This is a proverb, not a promise. It is not saying, “Give money to God and He will make you rich.” But would it surprise you that when a person honours God with their money, God often trusts them with more? Matthew Henry says, “Those who do good with what they have shall have more to do good with.”3. Joy and peaceHer ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace (3:17). If you pursue wisdom, you will have greater joy and greater peace. Are you looking for greater joy and peace? Study the book of Proverbs. You will gain wisdom as you walk with Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.Long life. Riches and honour. Joy and peace. No wonder Proverbs says, “Get wisdom. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed” (3:18).Which of these benefits of wisdom are you most longing for today?
• What’s in It (Wisdom) for Me? 03.06.2026 2min

  The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.Matthew 7:14Proverbs describes what it looks like to follow Jesus Christ. It lays out the life to which wisdom calls us, the life of a disciple of Jesus.We are going to look at what it means to follow Jesus, what it means to follow the way of wisdom in regard to your friendships, your family, your words, your work, and your wealth.Now, you may be asking, “What’s in this for me? Why should I be interested in this?” That’s a good question.The Bible makes it clear that the path of following Jesus (that is, the path of pursuing wisdom) is often costly. It tells us that “the gate is narrow and the way is hard… and those who find it are few” (Mat. 7:14). But then it also gives us an incentive—this way does lead to life.We often understand these words to mean that living a godly life in this world is hard, but the payoff is that there will be great reward in heaven. And, of course, that is wonderfully true.But, the book of Proverbs draws out another truth that we need to grasp: Those who walk the path of godly wisdom will be blessed in this life, as well as in the life to come (see Mark 10:29-30).Remember, these are proverbs, not promises, but look at the normal pattern that prevails in this world:“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her” (Prov. 3:13-15).Why? We will see three blessings that wisdom brings.Think of three blessings you have already experienced by following the way of wisdom.