When I visit my doctor, he runs through a well-rehearsed routine. First, he examines my eyes, ears, and throat. Then he listens to my heart and lungs and palpates my internal organs. Finally, he manually examines my hands, feet, and joints. After he’s finished his routine, he tells me how I’m doing.   Proverbs 4:20-27 is a visit with Dr. Wisdom. He looks us over from head to toe, starting with the ears and eyes.   Pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your … Continue reading A Visit with Dr. Wisdom (Proverbs 4:20-27)

  It has been said that life is a journey, not a destination. Personally, I think that’s rubbish. Only homeless people are on a journey without a destination. The rest of us want to go somewhere by means of the most scenic route. Life is a journey, in other words, precisely because it has a destination. The important question is how we get there.   Proverbs 4:10-19 outlines “the path of the righteous,” that is, the only route to the desired destination. It has four characteristics. First, it is the path of tradition.   Listen, my son, accept what I … Continue reading The Path of the Righteous. (Proverbs 4:10-19)

Every family has its traditions. My family, for example, opens Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve after reading the nativity story in the Gospel of Luke. My wife’s family opens their gifts on Christmas morning after consuming spicy pork tacos. I like being married because it expands my traditions: both Christmas Eve and Christmas Morn, both spiritual and spicy.   Aside from such family traditions, our culture is not tradition friendly. We constantly look for products that are “new and improved” rather than “tried and true.” We want to be fashionable, trendy, and cutting edge, not unfashionable, behind the times, and … Continue reading The Wisdom of Tradition (Proverbs 4:1-9)

   According to Proverbs 3:32-35, there are only two ways with God: blessing and judgment.   The Lord detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence. The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. The wise inherit honor, but fools he holds up to shame.   These two ways reflect God’s moral character. He is a black-and-white God, a God of moral absolutes. To him, a person is either perverse or upright, wicked or righteous, arrogant or … Continue reading Two Ways with God (Proverbs 3:32-35)

   My wife and I are the proud owners of a Yorkshire Terrier named Charlie. We rescued him from a no-kill shelter in May of this year, and he is good dog. But on occasion, he starts to do something only bad dogs do, and we have to tell him no. (Actually, I have to tell him. My wife spoils the little beast.)   No is a very powerful word. So is its cousin don’t. They’re not long words, and they don’t have many syllables, but they pack a considerable punch. Pronounced with sufficient volume and authority of tone, they … Continue reading Five Don’ts (Proverbs 3:27-32)

   I am usually a sound sleeper. But on a very rare occasion, I find myself unable to sleep, no matter what I do or how tired I am. The source of my insomnia is almost always anxiety. The cause of my anxiety is almost always procrastination or financial irresponsibility. (There’s nothing that keeps me awake like a looming deadline or a lack of money in the bank.) And procrastination and financial irresponsibility are almost always a reflection of bad choices.   Proverbs 3:21-26 recognizes the intimate connection between our choices and our physical wellbeing, including—but not limited to—how well … Continue reading For a Good Night’s Rest (Proverbs 3:21-26)

   For the past four months, both my church and my neighbor’s house have been under renovation. The scope of work on my church is fairly simple: new parking lots, new landscaping, new carpet, new paint, new fixtures, and some light remodeling. The scope of work on my neighbor’s house is more extensive. He’s demolished everything to the foundation (except one wall) and started over.   Watching these two works in progress, I’ve come to realize that I don’t know how to do a lot of stuff. Oh sure, I can read a book or deliver a speech with the … Continue reading Wisdom, Understanding, and Skill (Proverbs 3:19-20)

  Three years ago today, I proposed to Tiffany, my wife. When she said yes, I gave her a diamond ring as a symbol of our engagement. I had spent quite a bit of time to find that ring and then quite a bit of money to buy it. But how much I spent didn’t matter to me, for she was worth incomparably more than the ring.   In Proverbs 3:13-18, a father tells his son about a woman who is incomparably more valuable than silver, gold, and rubies. That woman is Wisdom personified. Finding her is a source of … Continue reading Nothing Can Compare with Her (Proverbs 3:13-18)