“A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank.” ~King Solomon
Jesus warns us constantly and consistently about the dangers not focusing on God and focusing on wealth. It is a …
Tag Archives: Wise Sayings
Fools – What do we know about them from Proverbs?
I want wisdom. It is important to my daily walk with Jesus. Sometimes it helps, in understanding something, is to …
“I live and breathe God; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy: join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out.” ~King David
King David knows what it is like to be in some tough places. He spent much of his life in …
“Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” ~Jesus
Paul tells the church that the spiritual blindness of Israel is a “mystery” that had not previously been revealed (Romans …
“Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; He directs it to whatever ends He chooses.” ~King Solomon
God is God. God is in control. I don’t get that some days. What about that jerk that is …
“God’s plan for the world stands up, all his designs are made to last.” ~King David
David knows a lot about God’s plan for countries and kingdoms. We can plan and scheme all we want. …
“He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles. ” ~King Solomon
I don’t like to get in trouble. I do even though I don’t like it. Usually it is something I’ve …
“Lots of people claim to be loyal and loving, but where on earth can you find one?” ~King Solomon
Where is the loyalty? Where is the love? Doesn’t anyone care? God is loyal and God is loving. I can …
“Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger; if you try to make it better, you’ll only make it worse.” ~King Solomon
There is a natural set of consequences for angry people. There is a backlash. Something very real is going to …
“Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon.” ~King David
Now here is some good news. God is going to take care of me. My job is to love God. …
“Fools are undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words.” ~King Solomon
Scripture portrays fools as those who have rejected God and/or his ways and are unable or unwilling to appreciate the …
“The fear of the Master is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” ~King Solomon
Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the Master is the beginning of knowledge.” Until I understand who God is and develop …
“God, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together.” ~King David
God answers prayer. Mighty King David knows this in his heart. He has seen lots of trouble. God comes through. …
“Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and — good-bye, friend!” ~King Solomon
Friendship is an amazing experience. It also can be a fragile relationship. Am I looking at the good in my …
“Bravo, God, bravo!” ~King David
Where is my enthusiasm for God and His marvelous works? Why don’t I shout it out? Do I long for …
“Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good.” ~King Solomon
God acts from the highest, purest motives. God expects me to do the same. Humans are satisfied with whatever looks …
“Blessed be God — He heard me praying.” ~King David
I need to see how much God cares. It is just who He is. I don’t need to look around. …
“A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.” ~King Solomon
I have seen it way too often. Something that starts simple escalates. It turns into all out war. My drive …
“The Master is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?” ~King David
I have a number of things I am afraid of. God is God and Jesus is working with me to …
“Escape quickly from the company of fools; they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words.” ~King Solomon
Scripture portrays fools as those who have rejected God and his ways and are unable or unwilling to appreciate the …
“Make sure I’m fit inside and out so I never lose sight of your love, but keep in step with you, never missing a beat.” ~King David
God has given me a goal. I need to keep in step with Jesus. Jesus kept on track. Jesus does …
“A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.” ~King Solomon
Here is something for me to assess. Am I being pretentious? Am I pretending and showing off what I have …
“May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you.” ~King David
I have enemies. You have enemies. When we follow Jesus, that is reality. When we speak out for Him, we …
“The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble; the conversation of good people keeps them out of it.” ~King Solomon
Oh no! Here we go. If I could just keep quiet. If I could just control my tongue. I love …
“Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.” ~King David
This translation is from The Message. We all recognize Psalm 23. The traditional translation of verse 6 is “Surely goodness and …
“The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words.” ~King Solomon
We all know people who have something to say about everything. Is this me? Is this you? Think about it. …
“Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.” ~King David
Who is the King of Glory? King David is a warrior King. He spent much of his life fighting to …
“Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air; common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.” ~~King Solomon
There is right and there is wrong. We all know the difference. I must remember to stand up for the …
“So don’t waste your time on a scoffer; all you’ll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that’s different—they’ll love you for it!” ~King Solomon
“If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in …
“God has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around.” ~King David
“Here’s the story I’ll tell my friends when they come to worship, and punctuate it with Hallelujahs: God has never let you …
“Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion.” ~King Solomon
Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, …
“Show your strength, God, so no one can miss it. We are out singing the good news!” ~King David
“Show your strength, God, so no one can miss it. We are out singing the good news!” ~King David Source: Psalm 21:13 (The …
“That clinches it—help’s coming, an answer’s on the way, everything’s going to work out.” ~King David
“That clinches it—help’s coming, an answer’s on the way, everything’s going to work out.” ~King David Source: Psalm 20:6 The Message (MSG) Hope …
“The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine.” ~King Solomon
The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of …
“The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.” ~King David
The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are …
“Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.” ~King Solomon
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career. For Wisdom is better than all the …
“Why be exploited by those who care nothing for you?” ~King Solomon
It is helpful to know that some people really don’t care for me. In fact, they care nothing at all. …
“God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start.” ~King David
What is my role in all this? God doesn’t invade my body and make me change my mind. That isn’t …
“Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale.” ~King David
Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names. …
“I’m not trying to get my way in the world’s way. I’m trying to get your way, your Word’s way.” ~King David
Who’s way should I seek? King David knows it is God’s way and not his way. Jesus challenges me to …
“Long enough, God — you’ve ignored me long enough.” ~King David
King David knows he can speak honestly with God. King David is clear about his despair. He feels like God …
“But don’t resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.” ~King Solomon
God has a goal for me. Primarily God wants me to grow up and not be a child my whole …
“Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding.” ~King Solomon
There is an amazing world out there filled with Wisdom. It is the wonderful world of Jesus. Jesus provides me …
“God, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list?” ~King David
King David asks God a great question. David talks with God all the time and he asks God a lot …
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” ~King David
It may not be said out loud but a mark of a foolish person is that in their heart, they …
“Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!” ~King Lemuel
Jesus challenges me to speak up for others. There are those who have no voice. There are those who are …
“If you’re dumb enough to call attention to yourself by offending people and making rude gestures, don’t be surprised if someone bloodies your nose.” ~Agur Ben Yakeh
There is wisdom and there is stupidity. God is kind enough to alert me to both. Putting others down and …
“I’ve had enough; I’m on my way to heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.” ~God
God loves the poor and homeless. Of course, I am one of those. I am poor. I am homeless. The …
“For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, there’ll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it’ll be too late to help them.” ~King Solomon
Discipline is very tough and at the time it is tough to appreciate. My heavenly Father disciplines me because he …
“God’s business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, setting us straight.” ~King David
God is a God of love and God is a God of justice. I must remember both of those things …
“Justice makes no sense to the evilminded; those who seek God know it inside and out.” ~King Solomon
Justice is a tricky thing. For many it is befuddling and confusing. They are seeking justice here in our country. …
“Don’t respond to the stupidity of a fool; you’ll only look foolish yourself.” ~King Solomon
We all know foolish people. We see them every day on TV or at work. Everyone really knows they are …
“God’s grace and order wins; godlessness loses.” ~King David
King David knows a lot. King David has seen a lot. What does David know? God will show grace on …
“Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow.” ~King Solomon
This is a very common theme that leads to wisdom. So follow the thread from Solomon to Jesus to Paul …
“Bad work gets paid with a bad check; good work gets solid pay.” ~King Solomon
Our focus for work in God’s world is to work as if we are working for God. That is good …
“Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned; if you keep a cool head, you’ll avoid rash bargains.” ~~King Solomon
Now here is some good advice. King Solomon knows about wisdom. Before doing business, we ought to take some time …
“Don’t jump to conclusions — there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw.” ~King Solomon
Uh oh! Here we go. How often do I jump to conclusions about what I saw or heard? Way too …
“I have missed God’s plan badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my missing your goal—I’ve been really stupid.” ~King David
I know I do it all the time. I look at the facts. Hard to ignore them in my world. …
“Don’t envy bad people; don’t even want to be around them. All they think about is causing a disturbance; they talk about is making trouble.” ~King Solomon
King Solomon has some wisdom for me. It is about “bad” people. Note that it isn’t about evil people which …
“Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich; restrain yourself!” ~King Solomon
I have a goal. I have a plan. I have dreams. They involve money. What does wisdom say about that? …
“Moral character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life.” ~~King Solomon
My dad was a very wise man. My dad always said it is easier to tell the truth than to …
“Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.” ~King David
We are asked to stand in awe of our mighty God. He is God. And there is a promise. Why …
“Don’t hang out with angry people; don’t keep company with hotheads. Bad temper is contagious— don’t get infected.” ~King Solomon
Wisdom is challenging. It sounds great but it isn’t easy to do. This advice about anger and bad tempers is …
“God’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked.” ~King David
King David was a very wise man who had seen a lot. He had real enemies who wanted to kill …
“Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.” ~King Solomon
Man, this is tough. Now Solomon was an amazingly wise man. So this is good advice. Here are three steps. …
“Do your best, prepare for the worst — then trust God to bring victory.” ~King Solomon
God has given us all the gift of wisdom. It is amazing what we learn in the wisdom books in …
“You put us in charge of your handcrafted world.” ~King David
King David has some great insight into God’s goal for us. God is God and God made this world. This …
“Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning.” ~King Solomon
What does Lady Wisdom say to me? I’m living in confusion and impoverished by it. I should leave the land …
“Mark a life of discipline and live wisely; don’t squander your precious life.” ~King Solomon
There are a few really critical factors in living a life of wisdom. I can’t ignore living a disciplined life. …
“Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight as your companion.” ~King Solomon
Here is the deal about wisdom. God has a goal for me. God wants me to be wise. I need …
“People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?” ~King Solomon
I find it way to easy to blame God. After all, he is in control, right? On any given day, …
“So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed?” ~King Solomon
Wisdom is very practical. Nothing is going to happy by lazing around. We all know it but are a few …
“Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.” ~King Solomon
Jesus challenges me to be careful about the decisions I make. I must be disciplined in my approach to following …
“Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.” ~King Solomon
Jesus challenges me to be vigilant. If I don’t pay attention, I will drift. Jesus has given me the way …
“Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within. ” ~~King Solomon
God’s goal for me is to know what is right and to store it up in my heart. I must …
“I’m up again—rested, tall and steady, fearless before the enemy mobs coming at me from all sides.” ~~King David
In God, i have rest. Even though i know i am at war, I rest, confident that God will see …
“Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth.” ~King Solomon
I am a fool. Many times I run off at the mouth. I think what I have to say is …
“Real help comes from God.” ~King David
There is help and then there is real help. Real help comes from God. I don’t know about others, but …
“A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall.” ~~King Solomon
God created a world where one thing leads to another. It is not always immediate but eventually planting will produce …
“Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God!” ~King Solomon
I think I am pretty clever some days. I think I can figure it all out. AND then I run …
“God charts the road you take. The road the wicked take is Skid Row.” ~King David
There is a distinction between those that God has redeemed and those he hasn’t. Those in right standing with Him …
“You’re more than happy when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.” ~King David
How can I be happy? How can I be more than happy? It is pretty simple and straight forward. King …
“Know that the LORD is God.” ~King David
God is so good. He is in a good mood all the time. Jesus, God’s son, loves and never stops …
“God is a safe place to be.” ~King David
I can trust lots of people or things. I can trust my wife and family. I can trust my credit …
“The integrity of the honest keeps them on track; the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.” ~King Solomon
God’s way is the way of integrity. God sent Jesus to show me what integrity looks like. Now I know. …
“Take delight in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” ~King David
The first thing I need to do everyday is find out what pleases God. What is going to delight Jesus? …
"The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm." ~~King Solomon
Ah, now there we go. Down to earth people. We all seem to admire them. But is that said of …
“Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!” ~King Solomon
I get offended. Probably way too easy. Eventually, everyone is going to say something to offend us. Love is the …
"Curses on those who drive a hard bargain! Blessings on all who play fair and square!" ~~King Solomon
We live in a world where driving a “hard bargain” seems to be a real strategy that is respected. As …
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” ~King Solomon
There are matters of the heart and there are matters of faith. There are many things in my heart that …
"God hates cheating in the marketplace; he loves it when business is aboveboard." ~~King Solomon
When it comes to business, I need to always be aboveboard and true to my word. I should always see …
"When you’re kind to others, you help yourself; when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself." ~~King Solomon
Who do I think I am hurting? Cruelty is intended to hurt someone else. It actually backfires and hurts me. Jesus …
"A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but a principled life can stand up to the worst." ~~King Solomon
I sometimes think that money will save me. If I get in a tight spot, I know I can whip …
"God can’t stand deceivers, but oh how he relishes integrity." ~~King Solomon
Integrity rules in God’s world. Jesus knows this. He demands we live with integrity. There are some things God can’t …
“Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities.” ~King David
We live in a celebrity culture. It permeates our religious life. We flock to the mega church. We revel in …
“O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!” ~King David
King David had see a lot of trouble in his life. A number of his songs are him pleading to …
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” ~King Solomon
In the middle of the night, I cry out to you O God. There is a longing in my heart …
“You have made them a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned them with glory and honor.” ~King David
I am stunned at how our Father sees me compared to how I see myself. Jesus sees me as a …
"Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin." ~~King Solomon
How do we become wise? As we follow God, seek His ways, listen to Him, we need to store it …
“Enter with the password: “Thank you!” ~King David
The password is simple. It is easily remembered. We shouldn’t forget it. The key to having a relationship with God, …
