The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, The wicked does not understand such concern. Proverbs 29:7
In a world where money speaks loudly it is important to have those who are advocates for the poor. The wicked know of no such concern for this as they see the poor as a perfect target for their abuse of power. But God makes it clear that the righteous are very concerned for the poor. The literal translation of the proverb begins with the statement, "The righteous knows the cause of the poor." This assumes that there is a cause for which the poor need help. The word used here to describe the rights of the poor is a legal word. It was used in the world of the courts and in lawsuits. What we have then is a situation in which the legal system and the courts are not working the way they should toward the poor. Thus they need for someone to be concerned and to know their plight. This is a situation that unfortunately has existed all through history - and even more unfortunately - exists today. I watched in disgust years ago when a man who had committed a heinous murder had his sentence reduced twice because his family had the money necessary to get his case reviewed again and again. The poor know nothing of these kinds of rights. They don't have the money to afford the high priced lawyers who can use the system both for justice and injustice. The poor pretty much face the system with justice alone. Thus we see the poor going to jail - while the wealthy and influential can work the system to avoid it. Our proverb tells us that the righteous is concerned about these things. They see the injustice and it bothers them. They want to see justice blind to money and blind to political influence. When that is not the case the righteous will fight for the cause of the poor. The wicked don't have any kind of concern here. In fact the proverb tells us that they don't even understand concern. Their worldview has them as most important. Thus, if a poor person is convicted of a crime they did not commit - or a lawsuit is turned against the poor - the wicked don't understand why anyone is upset. In the end the wicked got what they wanted - so why all the fuss? They just go on their way unscathed and unbothered by the legal problems of the poor. The reason this is important is because such things reveal the major differences between the righteous and the wicked. The wicked cares only about himself. He cannot see past his own desires and wants to concern himself with anyone other than himself. The righteous are concerned because they are selfless and want God's justice to prevail in all aspects of life. In the end - we see very clearly the contrast between the wicked and the righteous. But in the most important sense - what we see is a godly selfless lifestyle and that of a selfish wicked person. Knowing this we should do all we can to support the rightes of the poor. To do otherwise would be walking in the very ungodliness that we seek to avoid.
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Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-9 Today there is a form of theology that emphasizes social justice as its core value. This is somewhat confusing to those who desire to walk with God on the basis of grace because it tends to make concern for the physical poor and needy the primary cause of Christianity. As a guy who is quickly approaching the age of 50 I can tell you what the "social justice" movement is going to end up becoming. It will eventually follow in the footsteps of the social gospel of the 60's and 70's - and every other time when the emphasis of those teaching the Scriptures moved away from the gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching that man needs salvation from his sins. I say this with a little hitch in my heart - because if we had just followed the teaching of the Word of God in the first place - we would not have needed an "emphasis" on social justice. Solomon's mom tells us straight up that the godly king - and for that matter any other godly man regardless of authority and position - stands up for those who cannot defend themselves against the powerful. Unfortunately the church from time to time forgets that when the gospel was clarified in the book of Acts the leaders also asked that as we preach the gospel we would remember the poor. There it is - not a social justice emphasis - or a gospel of social works that needs to be taught as a substitute for the real one - but a gospel that teaches salvation by grace from our sins against God and His law. As we go about preaching that gospel - we should also remember the poor - and minister to them accordingly. But at no time do the leaders in Acts condone a gospel that replaces the true one with mere gracious acts to raise the social level of a man without dealing with his fallen spiritual condition. To lifte a man socially without dealing with his core corruption of sin is to prepare a man for hell by making him enjoy earth better before he goes there. We are commanded to open our mouths for the mute. The word here refers to the physical condition of being unable to speak - but the idea is metaphorical. There are those who need an advocate. They are mute not because of a physical disability, but due to a social one. The unborn cannot speak for themselves - thus we must speak for them. If they could speak they would fill the world with their screams and cries of pain and anguish as they are slaughtered by the millions within their mother's womb. They cannot speak - therefore we MUST! In the 60's and 70's the plight of the black man in America was thrust before the church. Shamefully, we did not speak up for their rights - and by our silence (and too often unbiblical teaching supporting racism) we all but lost the black community to a political gospel. When we refuse to speak out for the mute and for the rights of the unfortunate - we are setting up disaster for ourselves in future generations. As much as I love our nation - we made a tremendous mistake in our founding in not abolishing the practice of slavery. We had an opportunity but did not do the right thing. That set up the disaster of the 1860's when our nation fought a bloody war over that issue. I know as a historian that many will complain that the war was fought over states rights, and in one way I would agree with them. But anyone wanting to be historically and morally honest knows that the rights that the state wanted were the rights to continue an odious practice of slavery that had horrific effects on the black man in America. We are to open our mouths and judge righteously. We cannot allow social mores to guide us - we must be guided by God's righteousness. That is why the plight of the homosexual is not the same as the plight of the black man and racism. Homosexuality is a choice - a moral choice. It is called sin in both the Old and New Testaments. It is not the unforgiveable sin, but it is one that Christ died to set us free from nevertheless. Therefore whereas we can speak against those who target homosexuals for violence and hatred, we cannot say that this should be accepted as a normal lifestyle and also should be taught to our children as an acceptable ssexual choice. We are to defend the rights of those afflicted and needy. In Jewish culture of that day this meant speaking out for the poor. It meant standing up for widows and orphans who had no voice in the gate or in a judicial setting. Money was not to speak in the place of justice, righteousness was. When we allow our judicial system to fundamentally treat the rich different than the poor - we must speak out against that kind of abuse. God expects it - no - God commands it. Maybe if the church in generations past HAD spoken up for the poor, the needy, and the afflicted - we would not have to see emphases that detract from the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although we can do little more than humbly apologize for those past oversights - we can offer hope to those who were affected by speaking out against present day abuses. When it comes to the issues of our day we need to ask the question, "Are you speaking out - or have you suddenly lost your voice?" All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. Proverbs 19:7
Fair weather friends . . . what are they. The phrase comes from the idea of those who will be with you while the weather is good, meaning that everything is good in your life and you have no problems. But let a storm come into your life - and they abandon you in the midst of it. They are fair weather friends who only want friends who have no problems or needs. That is what our passage in Proverbs addresses today. The brothers of a poor man hate him. The word poor here means to be a person who has very few resources and no standing or influence in society. When a man is poor - and has nothing of this world's goods or things to offer - he is not embraced by very many. Here we read that even his brothers want nothing to do with him. They don't want a "nobody" as their brother or their friend. Those who think this way miss the reality that the poor are rich in faith - a fact they would not have overlooked if they know the Scriptures. The poor and those lacking in power and influence have not fared well over the ages. They are overlooked and under appreciated. Not only does the poor man's brothers hate him - but his friends abandon him. These are the fair weather friends mentioned at the opening of this post. Friends are not to be chosen on the basis of how much money and influence they bring to the table. Unfortunately, that is how men think in the world - and honestly - more than occasionally in the church. The mindset of, "What can you do for me," permeates the choice of friends. A lack of value on things like wisdom and godliness - only add to this bad habit. Though the poor man puruses these fair weather friends with words, they are gone. The idea here is that they just disappear. It is not magic at work - it is just greed and human stupidity. This is truly the saddest when a person plunges into poverty due to problems, sickness, or injury. It is amazing how a series of problems when they come separate your true friends from those who only want something from you. The poor are also abandoned in places of power and influence. This is especially true in the courtroom. Being poor does not exempt you from obeying the laws of our land - but often it means you do not have the kind of representation that money can buy. As a result, the poor often feel jilted by our system of justice because of how the rich can use their money to obtain a better result. There is one place though where the poor can receive justice - they can receive compassion and mercy. That is at the throne of Almighty God. The Bible instructs us that God is not a respecter of persons. It does not matter what you have or don't have. God's justice is blind to those things - and is focused on the truth. He warned His judges not to take bribes from the rich to pervert justice. He also said that He gives grace to the poor - and that the poor and the rich are alike to Him. When the world turns its back on the poor - the Lord will not abandon him. If ever there were a case where money could buy influence it would have been with the rich man and Lazarus. But the lesson we learn from that story is that God metes out justice and mercy with exacting perfection. The rich man was held accountable for his riches and lack of mercy - while the poor man was shown mercy, having faced great difficulties in life. Both will be held to a judgment based on their sins and whether they have been justified by faith - looking to the Messiah as the One who has paid for their sins and given them a standing of righteousness before God. Though a poor man may not have a friend or a brother who will stand with him in this life, if he knows the Lord Jesus Christ . . . he has a friend who sticks closer than a brother. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest"— 11 Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man. Proverbs 6:9-11
Everyone needs sleep to be able to function in life. If you don't think this is true - try going without sleep for a few days. But there is a problem that comes with too much sleep. Too much sleep leads to laziness. That is the problem that is pointed out in these 3 verses of Proverbs. The question is put to the sluggard, "How long will you lie down?" The writer of Proverbs asks when he is going to rise from sleeping. Here is the problem - we have a man who is more interested in sleeping than in getting up and doing something. There is not an illness involved here. Neither is there a situation where someone has been up all night working or dealing with a child. This is simply a man who does not want to get out of bed. He doesn't want to do this because he is lazy. It is good to have a routine for yourself that includes a time when you are going to wake up in the morning. For the vast majority of us who have jobs - this problem is solved by our employer, who expects us to show up for work each day when he dictates. We have a choice to sleep in . . . it is just that this choice also involves not having a job, food, a place to live - you get what I'm saying. Because of this fact of life - we wake up and get out of bed. If you want to rear a child well - you will also teach your child to get up and get out of bed as well. For this reason it is good for your child to have a job - even if it is one that is around home. I remember hearing a story about a farmer who taught his children to wake up and get working on the farm. His sons were with him in the corn early one morning when a neighbor commented about this practice. His comment was that he sure was working his boys hard to raise corn. I love the comment the farmer gave in return. He said, "Sir, I'm not raising corn - I'm raising sons." What a wonderful statement. We teach our children to wake up and get going each day because we want to train them and teach them how to live in this world. It would be far wiser for them to learn this lesson young and maintain it throughout life - than to learn it only because necessity demands it when they get a job. When we leave it to necessity to educate them - they often learn the hard way. They also resent having their laziness interrupted with something so harsh as . . . reality. Sleep is not the real problem here. It is what comes with too much sleep. There is sleep and slumber that is perfectly fine. If we go to bed on time - we can get plenty of sleep every night. Our problem usually is discerning between a regular night in life - and one that is special. I know some will scoff at this - but it is also wise to teach children (and some adults as well) the difference between a school night - and a weekend or vacation night. For big people reading this - that can also be said this way. We need to discern the difference between a night when we have responsibilities the next day - and one where we do not. Our problem is that we not only sleep and slumber - but we also get the idea that we can fold our hands and not work. When we decide that we don't have to be diligent - we don't have to be hard working - we don't have to be our best for work and our employer each day - we are making a big mistake. The Scriptures teach us that God desires us to work hard - as if we are working for Him. When it is time to work - God wants us to work. This folding of the hands to rest is a picture of a man who values sleep and rest far more than he does hard work. This may sound fine to most - but God made it clear to us from the Law that for six days we are to labor and do our work. Work was not a part of the Fall of man into sin. Work is something God had Adam do in the garden. When we don't work there will be troubles and problems for us in life. First, we won't earn money with which to pay for food and other living items. Second, if we have a job and don't work hard - we will eventually lose that job. Finally, God calls us to work - and when we don't we often find ourselves doing things that we will regret later. Too much free time - plays right into the hands of the devil. I believe the old phrase is, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." No work and all sleep makes Johnny a sinful boy. When we don't work something is coming - and it would be wise if we were warned of what that is. Poverty is coming if you don't wake up and work hard. The warning here from Solomon is that poverty is coming to us. Two descriptions of how poverty is coming are given to us to warn us that this visitor is not welcome in our lives. First, poverty is coming in like a "vagabond." The word here means one who walks back and forth on a highway - and it referred to a highwayman. These were people who walked about on the highways and roads who desired to rob those passing on the road. They were thieves and robbers. Thus what Solomon is saying here is that poverty is going to come upon you like a thief hiding near the road. He will rise up suddenly and attack. Usually this comes without a lot of warning. That is the way it is for the sluggard who loves his sleep. He thinks everything is fine - and then suddenly poverty hits him without him being ready for it. The second picture Solomon uses here to describe how poverty is coming is that of an "armed man." What is fascinating about this word is that it actually refers to a man with a shield, and the same word is used of the protective scales of a crocodile. Most commentators figure that this refers to an armed man with shield and with a sword. This one comes upon you for the purpose of taking what you have. I take a different tack on this word. I think it refers to how hard it is to get out of poverty - especially a poverty caused by laziness, lack of discipline, and being a sluggard. You can try to fight a man with a shield - but it is difficult. He is going to be able to ward off all your attempts to harm him. He will prevail more than once - so you have to be wise and fight hard to vanquish him. When a man is lazy and in poverty - he is hit with the proverbial double-whammy. He not only is poor, he is poor and unwilling to work hard to get out of poverty. All of the stories I've heard about those overcoming poverty had to do with those who worked hard to do so. I can't ever remember one where the man or woman slept in every day and barely worked when they did apply themselves. Laziness is a difficult thing to overcome. Someone who loves their sleep does not train easily. They want to relax and NOT work. Thus they face a very daunting future. They don't want to work - but they do want to eat. They don't want to apply themselves - but they do want the stuff that comes from applying yourself. Unfortunately, our government often gives no incentive to get out of this state as they offer welfare programs and far more incentive NOT to work than TO work. Welfare to those who are just lazy is not a help - it hurts them and society as well. Those truly in need can and should be helped by society - but we've gone well beyond that in our nation. We've subsidized far too much laziness and lack of discipline. That is why our growing socialism, and the laziness it encourages by punishing the successful and rewarding those who stick their hand out to the government, is going to receive a visit from these verses one day. One day even nations will be visited by the highwayman and the man with the shield. Unless we encourage work - hard work - and things like industry and frugality and discipline - we will continue to destroy the work ethic in our country. When that work is completed, we will have put the finishing touches on a sleep-loving, work-hating society. Oh, may God give us wisdom to wake up, work hard, make wise financial choices, and honor Him in it all. May He have mercy on our country and help us to see that laziness, self-indulgence, and the thought that our government owes us a living are not helping us - these things are destroying us. He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished. Proverbs 17:5
So tell me . . . how smart would it be to taunt and mock God to His face? No? Yeah, I don't think it is too smart either. In fact I would say that doing this is about as smart as playing chicken with a Mack truck while riding a tricycle. Therefore, I think it would be wise to heed what Proverbs 17 tells us today. Mocking the poor is not a smart thing to do. God says some pretty interesting things about His care and His graciousness to the poor. He does not take it very well when we decide to mock someone He loves. In fact, what Solomon tells us is that it is like taunting God to His face to mock and make fun of the poor. What He wants us to do is to love the poor and try to lift them up with acts of kindness and mercy. Now, if you are looking to be smacked down for your foolishness - go ahead - mock the poor. The second thing we are told is not to rejoice at the calamity of someone else. The Lord does not look to this too favorably either. God is the One who brings calamity into people's lives for His purposes. By the way, His purposes are gracious and loving - even though there has to be discipline administered to people. God does not rejoice in seeing people have a difficult time in life. He allows and plans these things for His ultimate purposes. He allows these things to happen because He loves us - and wants us to learn from them. But when we look at another's calamity and rejoice over it, it greatly displeases the Lord. Remember this for a moment next time you want to mock at another's calamity . . . One day calamity will come upon you as well. No one escapes problems and difficulties. So, we are far better served by observing calamity and remembering that difficulties will come to us as well. May God give us grace to pray for others - love them - and work side by side with them to get through difficult times. The poor and those in distress will always be with us as long as this world is in its fallen state. May we use our interactions with them to learn greater character and godliness in our own lives. Then maybe the Lord will be gracious to us and send us someone to comfort us if troubles ever come to our own lives. A poor man who oppresses the lowly Is like a driving rain which leaves no food. Proverbs 28:3
We have all heard stories of the oppressive who are rich. God condemns this kind of behavior. But when a poor man does the same - it is an even greater sin because the poor man should know better being among the lowly himself. Proverbs describes this man as a driving rain which leaves no food. The rain described here is one that is a deluge - a true drenching storm. It is described as being a "driving" rain. The word here means something that sweeps things away. It is rain that is so heavy and strong that it literally washes all the crops in an entire field away. It leaves nothing behind, completely destroying all that is in its path. The poor man who oppresses the lowly is best described in the parable of the debtors. Matthew 18 tells this parable of two men who owed money. One owed millions to the king - and there was no way of paying it back - even in a hundred lifetimes. When the king pronounced judgment upon him for his debt, the poor man begged for mercy. The king then acted with unimaginable mercy - forgiving the man every penny of his debt. It is one of the most poignent displays of mercy in all of Sripture. But what did the poor man do with this mercy and newfound freedom. The Word tells us that he went out and found a fellow lowly servant who owed him about 50 to 100 dollars. The fellow servant begged too for mercy - and asked for a little time. He promised to pay it all back. But the forgiven servant then grabbed the other by the throat and cast him into the prison till he was paid all that was owed to him. Indeed, this was a case where the poor was oppressing the lowly. When the other servants heard of this, they informed the king - who then called the poor oppressor to account. He was told that having received mercy - he should have shown it to others. Having been forgiven, he should have forgiven others. The end of the oppressing servant was to be thrown into prison and handed over to the torturers until every cent was repaid of his debt. This proverb does speak to us about the need for reciprocity in showing mercy. If we are the poor - we of all people should have great patience with the por who are around us. To oppress them is like being a driving rain that washes away everything. If there cannot be mutual grace among the lowliest of people, what is left. But there is a greater reminder given to us here. It is the reminder of the spiritual lesson before us. Just like the poor man in the parable, we need to forgive as we have been forgiven. We are the poor in spirit - the spiritually devastated and bankrupt. God has shown us astounding mercy in forgiving our sins and giving us His unmerited favor. Oh, how we should be ready to show that same mercy and grace to others - the ones around us just as poor, just as spiritually bankrupt - as an example of our Father's love. To do otherwise is to be a driving rain that leaves nothing behind. It is to offer no hope of forgiveness and grace among the lost. Our message is also to be our example. By God's grace - when we show grace - we will verify grace - thus offering grace to those who need grace. Don't be a driving hurricane that leaves nothing behind - be a gentle rain that waters so that fruit can be borne to God - fruit that will last - and thus our Father will be glorified. Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. Proverbs 19:4
There are proverbs that God gives us that are just statements of truth. They are not meant to be approving of what is said - just a simple statement of what will be true in this fallen world. What we learn from them is often discerned as we seek the Lord. Today's proverb is one of these. Wealth adds many friends. What a loaded statement. When a man is wealthy he has many friends. Ask anyone who has ever won a lot of money - they will tell you that suddenly friends come out of the woodwork. Watch the rich and famous sports figure - he has an entourage of friends who follow him and do his bidding wherever he goes. The word used for friend in the Hebrew is a very general word which can mean anything from a close friend or lover - to someone who is only an aquaintance. For the wealthy man, the trick is to know which is which. He will have those who become his friend because he is rich and the know they will live well when around him. These are the sycophants and human leaches of society. They are around when you are doing well and when gifts flow freely. When this flow stops - or the promise of some payback no longer is there - they are gone. The second half of this proverb is telling. A poor man is separated from his friend. The word for poor man here is very interesting. It is the Hebrew word, "dal," which means to be poor or weak. these are people who are on the opposite social scale from the rich. The emphasis here is on their poverty and their weakness. Keil and Delitzsch describe this word as meaning reduced, or as "one who has fallen into a tottering condition, who has no resources, and who possesses no means. This man is in the process of being reduced. He may have had wealth - or at least enough - but due to his circumstances and problems he is now being reduced. His condition has become one of a tottering man who is in the process of going down - of falling. This is the man who is separated from his friend. Unfortunately he has fair-weather friends who are around for the ride - who are a friend because of what they "get" from the relationship. Once things start going down - this kind of friend makes himself or herself scarce. This is a lousy friend - and we are being warned here that such friends exist in our world. What we should learn from this passage is that friends come and go - at least some friends do. The true friend is the one who sticks around even when we are being "reduced." Scripture tells us that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. There are those who stay with us even when we are at our lowest and most vulnerable. If you have a friend like this - thank God for him or her - because such friends are not abundant in a fallen world where most are more concerned about themselves than about those around them. Lastly, we should realize that Christ is the ultimate friend. We were absolutely reduced by sin and by our fallen nature. There was NOTHING attractive or alluring about us in God's sight - yet the Lord loved us. We read in Romans 5:8 that "God demonstrated His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Christ is our absolute friend. He loved us while we were in rebellion against Him. In this world we will have friends that disappoint us. But take heart because in the Lord Jesus Christ you have a friend that will never leave you or forsake you. When you have no other friend to turn to - you are still not alone - turn to Him for comfort and for encouragement. He will always be there regardless of whether you are rich . . . or reduced. The poor man utters supplications, But the rich man answers roughly. Proverbs 18:23
What is it about wealth and wealthy men that makes them think they can talk down to other people? I've watched human behavior over the years and have been amazed to watch many rich people speak as if the world should bow at their feet. We've all heard the stories of celebrites and other rich individuals who treated store clerks, servants, and even the police with contempt. Now we read in Proverbs this very same thing - that the rich answers roughly while the poor of this world embrace humility when speaking. First of all - we need to be careful not to over-generalize on this matter. I do know wealthy people who embrace humility and I also know plenty of the poor who are arrogant when they speak to others. But the truth is the truth. When you are poor you tend to offer supplications - the word means to make a request. The idea here is that the poor see their state and thus embrace humility more easily than the rich. The poor man has little to find pride in according to this world's standards, thus he knows that when he comes to ask something - it is best not to add manners to the list of things he has little of in life. The wealthy, though, do have a lot. That is why they have a tendency to speak and answer roughly. Their thought is that their wealth should be respected. They have power - and often are willing to wield it if someone is not jumping through hoops to meet their needs. I remember watching a television show where a rich woman was marching through a store ordering the poor clerks around as if they were her personal slaves. Her actions and attitude were terrible. Granted the purpose of the salesperson is to serve the customer, but that does not give the customer the right to treat them with total contempt. But, this woman was extremely wealthy and with her wealth came worldly power. The idea behind the way the rich answer is interesting. The word "roughly" means the following: "to be strong, powerful, insolent. When used of isolence it refers to a strong, forceful person - wonw who is determined and defiant - in some contexts it also has the idea of greed, covetousness and an insatiable appetite for such things as power and wealth. When referring to how one speaks, it almost always has the idea of answering arrogantly. When reading this list of adjectives one can only shake their head like they would when watching one of this ilk run rough-shod over whomever they think should be serving them at the time. Thinking that their money, power, and position are everything, they consider the world a collection of peons whose purpose is to serve them and show whoever else is watching they are a person of influence and power. This will continue usually throughout their lives unless they receive the wonderful gift of God's humbling, saving grace. What a shock it will be for those who don this kind of attitude at the judgment. Suddenly they will find the tables turned - and a forced humility very bitter indeed to swallow. Yet that is what they face. It will only be in that moment that they will embrace humility and brokenness - which they should have embraced in life - only it will be too late. What can we learn from this proverb? First, we can learn eternal values. What consitutes riches in God's sight is far different from what the world says they are. We read in the New Testament that God has made the poor in this world rich in faith! The currency of heaven does not bear the image of past presidents. That currency flows through faith believing the truth. Second, we can embrace humility toward others - no matter who they are. How have we treated those who serve us in what we would consider menial jobs? Do we answer those we consider "less wealthy" than us with rough arrogant attitudes? Are we gracious no matter what the socio-economic level of person with whom we deal? When looking at this proverb this way - there is much we can learn. The truth is that Jesus Christ was the wealthiest man ever to walk this earth - yet when we watch His interaction with men and women - what we see is Someone who showed precious humility no matter what the state of the man. Oh, that we would learn the same lessons - and manifest the same spirit. And may we grasp that true wealth has little of nothing to do with your wallet - and everything to do with the spirit in which you wield it! |
Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend. Thank you!
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