TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 6:8-15; 7:54-60
Lord, do not hold this sin against them. - Acts 7:60
TODAY IN THE WORD
Marcus and Narcissa Whitman gave their lives for the cause of Christ.

When the newlyweds headed west to Oregon, their goal was medical missions and the evangelism and education of Native Americans. Following an arduous journey across the continent, they settled in Waiilatpu and set their ministry sights on the Cayuse people.

Unfortunately, the Cayuse viewed white people as invaders. As they saw the Whitmans become prosperous farmers, their resentment grew and the mission work stalled. When an epidemic of measles ravaged the Cayuse in 1847 despite the Whitmans’ medical help, their hostility turned to violence. Fourteen people were tomahawked to death, including Marcus and Narcissa.

The Whitmans earned a martyr’s crown (Rev. 2:10). In church history, Stephen was the very first to do so.

Stephen had been chosen by the apostles as a deacon. He was filled with wisdom, the Holy Spirit, and God’s grace and power (6:3, . Probably Greek, he made enemies by winning debates with expatriate Jews–one wonders if Saul of Tarsus was among them.

The jealous leaders put Stephen on trial. Like Christ, he endured false accusations and false witnesses who repeated the same nonsense as had been spoken against Jesus. In his defense, he placed his persecution in the context of Old Testament history–in the process tagging his accusers as enemies of the Law and prophets–and God’s long-running plan of salvation. They charged him with blasphemy against Moses, but ironically his face shone as Moses’ had when he came down from Mount Sinai (6:15).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Stephen and the Whitmans are just a few in the long line of Christian martyrs. Today, search out and read another martyr’s story in a book or magazine. They might be ancient or modern, part of a textbook on church history or yesterday’s newspaper headlines. Your local Christian bookstore is a good place to start looking, and you might ask your pastor for recommendations as well. The steadfast faith of these brave men and women can inspire us to live more passionately for Christ!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 10:23-48
God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. - Acts 10:35
TODAY IN THE WORD
Mitsuo Fuchida commanded the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that plunged the United States into World War II. Following the war, disillusioned and drifting, he read a tract by an American soldier who had been a Japanese prisoner-of-war. His hatred for his captors had turned into love when he read the Bible and put his faith in Jesus. He even returned to Japan as a missionary!

“His story,” said Fuchida, “was something I could not explain. Neither could I forget it.” So he bought a Bible, began to read, and he too found Christ. That day “became the second 'day to remember’ of my life,” he said. “I became a new person.”

When God’s people reach out in faith across cultural and other barriers with the glorious message of God’s love, remarkable things happen.

Prior to today’s reading in Acts, the church had not directly evangelized Gentiles. To make it happen, God intervened on both sides. On the Gentile side, the Lord sent an angel to a Roman centurion named Cornelius. On the Jewish side, He gave Peter a vision (three times!) and instructions. Cornelius obeyed the message in his vision, and Peter’s cultural frame of reference was radically reoriented by his message from God (cf. Gal. 3:28).

A further indication that things had really changed was mutual, cross-cultural hospitality. Peter welcomed the Gentile messengers as his guests, a bold step for a Jew. The next day he took the even bolder step of accepting Gentile hospitality when they reached Cornelius’ house (v. 28). With cultural barriers removed, Cornelius and his household eagerly received the good news and believed on Jesus. Because both Peter and Cornelius had acted in faith, a whole new door had opened for the gospel.

In case any doubt remained, God poured out the Holy Spirit on these new believers and they began to speak in tongues. Peter welcomed them into God’s family by baptizing them and giving them a few days of basic instruction in the faith (v. 48).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Cross-cultural outreach remains one of the prime pursuits and distinctives of the church today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 4:10-20
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. - Philippians 4:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
You’ve probably heard or sung the words of a well-known chorus that pleads, “Fill my cup, Lord–I lift it up, Lord! Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!”

To sing this song is to acknowledge that Christ alone can satisfy our deepest longings. He alone is the meat and drink of our souls. Having all but lacking Him, we have nothing; and having Him with nothing else is to have everything. It is a wise person who understands His all-sufficiency as both provision and Provider.

Paul knew and lived by this truth of faith. In today’s reading, he told the Philippians, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (v. 11). He expressed thankfulness for the church’s financial gift to his ministry, but he wanted them to know that his first dependence was on the Lord. The external ups and downs of life didn’t alter this trust–his contentment didn’t depend on material circumstances. What was the secret of his faith? The grace and strength for every situation comes from Christ (v. 13).

Paul wanted the Philippians to trust in God in the same way he did. They should see their giving primarily as an offering to the Lord and an act of worship, and only secondarily as support for Paul (vv. 17-18). His ministry and their relationship were ultimately not about him or them--they were about God! That’s why Paul’s secret can be every believer’s secret: God is the one who meets all our needs (v. 19).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul found such deep satisfaction in Christ that he could be content under any circumstances. He abided as a branch, receiving his life from the Vine (John 15:5).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 3:13-18
Who is wise among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. - James 3:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
The idiom “two sides of the same coin” is familiar to most of us. It simply means that two things apparently different are essentially joined, just as the two pictures or designs on either side of a coin are merely different faces of a single object.

During this month’s study we have seen quite clearly that faith and wisdom are “two sides of the same coin.” A wise person understands who God is, and a faithful person lives based on that understanding.

We have reached the last day of our whirlwind tour of “Wise Characters of Faith.” Our concluding reading from James shows clearly the essential connection between faith and wisdom. The proof of wisdom is a good life–that is, obedient and godly actions (v. 13). It’s not just knowledge in our heads, but the will and ability to apply knowledge in daily life. It includes an attitude of “humility” or “gentleness” (nasb).

The proof of foolishness, so to speak, is “bitter envy and selfish ambition,” resulting in “disorder and every evil practice” (vv. 14–16). “Envy” and “selfish ambition” basically mean to desire and pursue what you don’t have. These attitudes and behaviors are the opposite of contentment–in fact, they are “acts of the sinful nature” and characterize the lives of unbelievers (Gal. 5:19-21; Titus 3:3). Paul said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Who among this month’s gallery of biblical characters has impressed you the most? From Abraham to Mary, from the midwives in Egypt to Daniel in Persia, from giants like Noah to a nameless Roman centurion, we have sampled faith and wisdom from the lives of many different people.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Judges 20:29-48
If God is for us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:31
TODAY IN THE WORD
The popular phrase, “I have your back,” is intended to let someone know that you're on their side, looking out for them, protecting their vulnerabilities. In today's reading, we might apply this phrase to Israel's battle strategy of using an ambush (see v. 29), but more important, we'll see how it applies to the work of God.

Yesterday we saw that Israel sought the Lord's direction, obeyed His instruction, and then was pummeled by Benjamin. It's important to be honest about this reality: even when we are seeking the Lord, things may not seem to go well. We don't know exactly why God allowed Israel to suffer two massive defeats at the hand of Benjamin. What we do know is that those first two battles weren't the end of the story.

The dramatic battle strategy and details of the action might distract us from what God is doing. Israel had the responsibility to obey God's instruction to fight, but it was God who won the victory (v. 35).

God had faithfully answered the calls of Israel for direction (vv. 18, 23, 28). Now He faithfully executed His judgment and gave them victory. God “had their back,” and even Benjamin's left-handed sharpshooters were no match for the Lord.

The sin of Gibeah resulted in its total destruction (v. 37). And for standing in solidarity with sin, the entire tribe of Benjamin paid a heavy price. Their fighting force was decimated, their towns were leveled, and even their animals were destroyed (v. 48).

This account raises two issues. First, the wages of sin is death; God cannot allow this to go unpunished (Rom. 6:23). Second, we have an example of Israel dealing with a sinful people and destroying them—unfortunately, it ends up being one of their own tribes instead of the pagan Canaanites. Judges has a sense that this victory comes at the end of a battle that didn't have to happen if Israel had obeyed God from the beginning.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When we face important tests in life, it's completely appropriate to ask the Lord for direction. So what do we do when our situation seems to get worse? First, remember that our current trials are not the end of the story. God is still working. Second, continue to seek His face, pray with other believers, and repent if you are convicted of any sin. Third, hold on to what we know of God: He is gracious, He is faithful, and He will not fail.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Judges 21:1-24
“O Lord, the God of Israel,” they cried, “why has this happened to Israel?” - Judges 21:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
In his short story, “The Sobbin' Women,” Stephen Vincent Benet tells the story of women taken to the Oregon Territory in 1850 to be wives for the frontier men. His story inspired the 1954 musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and was based on the mythic account of the abduction of the Sabine women by the early Romans.

The problem of finding suitable wives wasn't isolated to Romans or American pioneers. After the sin of Gibeah and civil war, the men of Benjamin found themselves in this predicament as well. The rest of Israel had sworn not to give their daughters to marry anyone from Benjamin (v. 1; cf. Deut. 7:1-3). But they weren't happy with the result: with no wives, the tribe of Benjamin would soon die out. The Twelve Tribes of Israel would be forever reduced.

In order to have the right perspective on events in this chapter, we must read the last verse, an echo of the theme of these last chapters in the book: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (v. 25). The writer is recounting this story as yet another example of the chaos and confusion that pervaded Israel during this leadership vacuum.

Not everything that Israel did is necessarily wrong; the writer doesn't say that. Based on the sin and the approval of sin demonstrated by Benjamin, they deserved the harsh oath taken against them. And Israel's compassion for one of their own—a tribe of God's own people—is understandable. But sin often creates messy situations. Israel could only keep the oath if they allowed Benjamin to abduct the girls of Shiloh, for then their fathers hadn't really given them away to marry (v. 22).

Miraculously, we still see God's grace. He allowed Benjamin to survive, instead of being destroyed like Sodom. Indeed, despite their sin, rebellion, idolatry, chaos, and ethical lapses, He had allowed Israel to survive. As we shall see in the next few days, He was working out His plan of salvation even in the darkest days.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
At some point in our spiritual lives, we will go through dark times. If you haven't yet encountered a challenging period—whether a battle with sin or a struggle with difficult circumstances—prepare yourself through the disciplines of prayer and Bible study. If you are in the middle of dark days, lean on the Lord and pray that He will show you His light. And if you have come through darkness, praise the Lord and encourage others by sharing your story of His grace.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 1:1-7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. - Proverbs 9:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
Benjamin Franklin uttered hundreds of pithy sayings such as “a penny saved is a penny earned.” The little book, The Wit and Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin, preserves many of these short yet profound insights into life.

Sometimes the book of Proverbs, our focus this month, feels a bit like “The Wit and Wisdom of King Solomon”–a large collection of seemingly unconnected two-line sayings! Actually, Proverbs is part of a larger type of writing called “wisdom literature.” Far from presenting random sayings about what to do and what not to do, wisdom offers an integrated way of looking at every aspect of life. That’s not to say that wisdom directly addresses every situation we may encounter. Rather, wisdom teaches us how to live according to God’s will.

Proverbs 1-9 introduces the entire book of Proverbs. Today’s passage serves as the opening statement for this larger introduction. In this passage we are introduced to words and types of people that occur throughout Proverbs.

Not surprisingly, the first item listed is wisdom (v. 2), the key promise we can attain by studying Solomon’s proverbs. Notice that wisdom is linked with discipline, suggesting the idea of training, perhaps even hard training. From this training comes the understanding of words of insight. This involves attaining good common sense, including the ability to discern between good and bad. Following naturally from this is the development of good character (v. 3), a quality of the person who knows just what to say or do in any situation. Finally, attaining wisdom gives prudence (v. 4), the idea of knowing the best course of action or knowing when to quit and when to press on.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
People often say that Proverbs presents “skills for living,” which is true–but this can also be misleading if we think of a skill as a technique that’s somehow external to our lives. For example, we can become skilled cooks or drivers without impacting our souls!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 1:8-19
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” - 1 Corinthians 15:33
TODAY IN THE WORD
There’s a popular bumper sticker that says, “I’m the person your parents warned you about.” It’s easy to chuckle over this, but today’s passage shows that such an admission is really nothing to laugh about.

We begin with the command “Listen, my son” (v. , which evokes the common image of parents instructing their child, although these instructions were probably written by King Solomon. Recall that the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, promising him whatever he wanted (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon desired “a discerning heart to govern [God’s] people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:9). Indeed, we read in 1 Kings 4:32-34 that Solomon wrote over three thousand proverbs!

Verse 8 says the same thing both positively (listen to instruction) and negatively (do not forsake teaching). This echoes what we read yesterday that fools are those who reject wisdom. As if to further encourage the child, this exhortation is likened to the beauty of a crown or a string of pearls.

The specific instruction given in this passage concerns a warning about people who could entice this child. Today, this might be a warning against getting involved with gangs.

Notice that these dangerous individuals appeal to the nearly universal desire to be a part of the “in-crowd.” They say, “Come with us,” and the repetition of “let’s” strengthens this false promise of belonging. We can almost hear “Come on, everybody’s doing this . . . it’ll be cool!” In addition to community, these “gang members” promise gain (vv. 13-14). But clearly what they’re up to is no good.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s passage records wise words given by parents to their child, but don’t think that Proverbs only applies to the parent/child context. When it comes to wisdom, we’re all children! This means that all of Proverbs is a word from our Heavenly Father to us as His children. In fact, many believers (Billy Graham among them) have made it their practice to read a chapter from Proverbs every day along with their regular Bible reading. This year might be a good time for you to start this practice as well.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 1:20-33
He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded. - Proverbs 13:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Peter Johnston’s life looks very different today than it did fifteen years ago, when he was addicted to alcohol. Peter used to laugh at people who thought that the Bible had all the answers. What could an ancient book have to say to him? He didn’t doubt that people who practiced what the Bible taught were good, but he was equally sure that they had no fun.

Things changed when Peter met a coworker who loved the Lord. Through this man, Peter began to see that God cared about him and that the Bible just might have a few things to say. Today, he describes God’s Word and fellowship with other believers as an oasis. Proverbs 1:33 gives us a beautiful picture of this oasis.

Prior to this image, however, is the picture of wisdom calling aloud in a public square. In Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman, perhaps because the Hebrew noun for wisdom is feminine. In today’s passage, Woman Wisdom stands on a noisy downtown street, crying out to those who have rejected her . . . people like Peter who didn’t think that the Bible could have anything worth hearing. Verse 22 records her anguished lament over these individuals.

Recall that there are three types of people in Proverbs (see Feb. 1). The simple are those who are ignorant and lack moral direction. These people are still open to instruction, but they are easily seduced and inclined toward evil. Notice that here they are parallel to mockers and fools. In other words, the simple are in a very dangerous place.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s passage can be succinctly summarized: trusting God leads to an oasis and rejecting Him leads to frenzy and despair.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 2:1-22
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33
TODAY IN THE WORD
A very unusual Olympics was held in Chicago last summer. Like most athletic competitions, participants came from all over to see how far they could jump, swim, and run. All the participants, however, were dogs jumping, swimming, and running after a ball!

There’s an analogy to wisdom here. When a dog pursues a ball, it’s as if nothing else in the world matters, or even exists. Proverbs encourages us to pursue wisdom with this same intensity.

Proverbs 2:1-4 stresses this. First, the “child” is told to accept the parent’s words, implying that receptivity is key. Next, the listener is told to store up wisdom, to turn one’s ears and apply one’s heart, and to pursue wisdom like hidden treasure. All this shows that seeking God’s wisdom takes real effort–but it’s more than worth it, because it brings understanding of the fear of the Lord.

Fearing the Lord means respecting Him for who He is, the only One who gives physical and spiritual life. By seeking wisdom, we grow closer to Him and enjoy His protection (vv. 6-8). We also experience a life characterized by rightly relating and speaking to others (vv. 9-10). And as we become more like Him, our own lives reflect these same qualities.

Wisdom protects us from a wasted life. Verses 12-22 give us examples to avoid through warnings about deception and seduction. These two snares are personified as an untruthful man and an unfaithful woman. The deceiver (vv. 12-15) uses perversity to get what he wants. He’s a smooth talker lurking in the shadows!

The seductress also uses the power of words to promise life, but she delivers death. She lacks commitment, both to her husband and to the Lord. What a contrast these two are to our Savior, who is always truthful and always faithful!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Wisdom teaches us how to recognize and avoid deception and seduction. At one level, this means that we learn how to discern these pitfalls in others and avoid being ensnared by them. But by showing the outcome of these evils (ultimately the death of our souls), we are encouraged to avoid these snares in our own lives. This might mean recognizing that even “little white lies” can be quite dangerous, or that the seductive promises of life offered by some advertising are false.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 3:1-12
No discipline seem pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness. - Hebrews 12:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
Sometimes Proverbs presents a very simple approach to life: if you do X, then Y will happen. This simplicity can be hard to reconcile with the complexity of our own lives. We wonder about faithful believers who die young, or others who are persecuted for their Christian witness. While we are still on this side of heaven, we know that the consequences of our fallen world still plague us, even as Christians. But Proverbs wants to emphasize that obedience to God’s commands can lead to physical well-being, as today’s passage makes clear.

Although this passage is addressed to one of Solomon’s children, it clearly echoes our relationship with our Heavenly Father. What’s more, we can be sure that the commands that Solomon taught his children were in fact the Lord’s commands, which is what we are to keep in our hearts.

Verse 3 mentions two of the most importance words in Scripture. “Love” describes, above all, God’s loving kindness, especially as a covenant-keeping God. “Faithfulness” means fidelity, loyalty, and steadfastness, also primarily of God. Here, we are encouraged to write these qualities into our own lives because this leads to a key goal of wisdom: a life pleasing to God and others.

Another emphasis of wisdom is to be honest about our finite, human frailties and to admit that God does know everything. This is easy to say but often very hard to do. Notice the images that flow from surrendering to the Lord: clear direction (v. 6) and good health (v. . Indeed, modern medicine confirms that stress and anxiety are major health risks. Verses 9 and 10 offer us a true test of our trust. It’s easy to say that we honor the Lord, but what we do with our financial resources demonstrates it.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The idea of writing something on your heart means to meditate on something, ponder it, memorize it, and let it become part of the fabric of your being. Psalm 119:11 reads: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” As we’ve seen today, putting God’s commands, or His Word, in your heart has great benefits.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 3:13-20
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - John 10:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
Deep in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona lies a very famous buried treasure, dating back to the Spanish Conquistadors. Any clues to the secret location of this treasure, known as the Lost Dutchman’s Mine, died with its owner, Jacob Waltz in 1891. Since then, numerous individuals have dedicated their lives to finding this treasure–but to date no one has found it.

In Proverbs, wisdom is likened to precious treasure. Unlike the Lost Dutchman’s Mine, however, this treasure is available to all who make God’s wisdom the main pursuit of their lives!

Today’s passage is a praise song for Woman Wisdom and her benefits. Recall from our study on Proverbs 1:20-33 (see Feb. 3) that wisdom and folly are personified as women in Proverbs. As we noted earlier, this may be because the Hebrew word for wisdom is feminine. But it’s also likely that describing wisdom as a person made this teaching more vivid and effective, especially if it was originally directed toward a young man, “my son.” Thus Wisdom is the kind of woman a young man should seek; and foolishness, embodied in Woman Folly, is the kind of woman to avoid.

Many of God’s eternal attributes are easier for finite humans to understand if they are personified. So as we read through today’s passage, we could substitute something like “God, His Word, and His ways” for “wisdom.”

We see right away that Wisdom is more desirable than anything (vv. 14-15). We also find that honor, peace, life, and blessing flow from her (vv. 16-18). As you read these verses, you may be struck by the similarity to the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Some of these qualities are also found in the passage that we’ll look at tomorrow.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we read through Proverbs, it’s important to keep in mind that this book points to truths that are made clear in Jesus Christ. Thus, much of Proverbs offers a picture of the believer’s life in Jesus Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 3:21-35
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. - Romans 12:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
Perhaps one of the best-known family feuds in American history was between the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky. Animosity began during the Civil War when a Hatfield killed a McCoy. Later quarrels arose over stolen livestock and illicit unions, eventually leading to bloodshed. Certainly today’s passage would have had much to say to these two families.

A series of practical applications follow naturally from the praise song that we looked at yesterday. First, the sound judgment and discernment offered by wisdom protect us from fear (vv. 21-26). Here wisdom is a guardian. Picture guardrails on mountain highways; far from curtailing our fun, these guard-rails preserve our lives. If we were to ignore them, we would drive right off a cliff. So too God’s wisdom keeps us from falling off the right path. If you have ever been around someone who has broken the law or somehow cheated, you may have seen the panic and fear that accompanies these actions. It can be hard to sleep at night with a guilty conscience!

Wisdom also teaches us how to act rightly toward our neighbors. First, we are encouraged to help out whenever and however we can. In the ancient world, neighbors often had to rely upon each other. If someone were in need, it was expected that others would help. Second, we are exhorted to treat our neighbors with integrity (vv. 27-28). There’s a trust that should exist between neighbors, and we are to honor that trust. We are also to refrain from false accusations, which often happens with gossip.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s teaching about neighbors isn’t just for the Hatfields and the McCoys–it’s for all of us as we interact with neighbors, coworkers, and others. Often, however, because we don’t feel forced to depend on our neighbors, we don’t even know them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 4:1-9
May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. - Psalm 40:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
There’s a trend among couples planning a wedding to seek business sponsors willing to provide them with a cake, flowers, a wedding dress and tuxedo, and even wed-ding rings, for free. In exchange, these companies display a small plaque at the reception or are listed in the program. Why would any company willingly give away its products? Quite simply, because many businesses recognize that a good testimonial is very effective and often less expensive than many other types of advertising.

Today’s passage provides a powerful testimonial for acquiring wisdom. Even previous generations chime in. The father recalls receiving his own father’s counsel when he was young (vv. 3-4). Since both the father’s and the grandfather’s words are grounded in the Lord’s commands, the cry here is really to seek the Lord and His ways fully.

It’s hard to miss the main point of this passage–get wisdom! We could also translate this as “buy” or “acquire” wisdom. It’s not as if wisdom were for sale, but this command stresses the importance of actively seeking wisdom. Wisdom isn’t something to be pursued when there’s nothing better to do! Wisdom is like the pearl of great price that is to be obtained regardless of its cost (Matt. 13:45-46). The repetition in verses 5 and 7 shows us that wisdom isn’t about how smart someone is, but rather about the decision to seek the Lord and make Him one’s first priority.

Those who seek Wisdom are promised her protection and care. We first saw this idea in Proverbs 2:11-12 (see Feb. 4). This is another way of saying that wisdom prevents us from missteps and decisions that lead to destruction.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s passage echoes Deutero-nomy 6:1–2, which also links loving God and keeping His commands with finding life. What greater benefit could there be for seeking wisdom?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 4:10-19
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. - Joshua 24:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
In “The Road Not Taken,” the poet Robert Frost ponders how his life might have been different had he made different choices. Frost concludes, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.”

This poem reminds us of an important truth: life is a journey and the path we take makes all the difference. Not all paths lead to the same place. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are ultimately on the path to eternal life. But during our lives in this world, we make choices that lead either to abundant life or to spiritual dryness. Proverbs is like a road map that shows us what these two paths look like.

Today’s passage develops this path metaphor. Yesterday we saw that those who sought wisdom found life–a promise echoed in verse 10. Here we see that the way of wisdom is a straight path (v. 11) because it leads to rightness or justice. Thus the way of wisdom allows one to walk unhindered by deception or fear of falling because of sin. Because wisdom leads to life, it’s to be guarded and applied (v. 13).

In addition to seeking wisdom, we must avoid evil. We shouldn’t put even our big toe on this path! This may seem overstated until we consider that initially evil rarely looks bad. In fact, most sins look adventurous and enticing . . . at first. But Proverbs shows us what the end of the road looks like. And here, the end of the evil path really doesn’t look that exciting. Here are people so consumed by greed, lust, revenge, or some other evil, that they can’t even sleep at night. Unless they harm someone, they aren’t content. We may call this thinking psychopathic today, but Proverbs shows that this is where the path of evil leads.

As if to drive this home, verses 18 and 19 compare the two paths. Using the familiar imagery of light and dark, the stark difference between the two paths couldn’t be more vividly drawn.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We would like to emphasize an earlier point: as believers, our ultimate destination is eternal glory with Jesus. But between now and then, we make choices that either promote or hinder abundant life. So it’s worth considering which of these two paths you are on today. Are you asking the Lord to show you how to bless other people’s lives, or are you harboring grudges and vengeful thoughts? These are hard questions. But if you know you’re on the wrong path, it’s not too late to change direction and head down the path to life!