Ecclesiastes 1:14 – “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after the wind.” Some books of the Bible inspire us immediately. Others challenge us. And then there are books like Ecclesiastes that leave us wondering, Why did God include this in Scripture? For me, Ecclesiastes has always been one of those books. The author never identifies himself by name, but the clues are unmistakable. This is Solomon—the wisest, wealthiest, most accomplished king Israel ever knew. He had everything most people spend their entire lives chasing. He built magnificent structures. He expanded a kingdom. He accumulated knowledge beyond measure. He experienced pleasures, opportunities, and success that few could even imagine. If anyone should have reached ... Read More about The Saddest Man Who Ever Had It All

Proverbs 28:13-14 – “Whoever conceals his transgression will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” As I have read through Proverbs, I have noticed that there are a lot of Solomon’s saying that are advice for business and managing finances. These two verses refer to prospering and being blessed. All of us go through times where we really don’t feel like we are prospering and things are not going well financially. What about you? Do you feel like you are missing out of some of the blessings you read about in scripture? I understand that it is up to God to choose to bless us or not but, remarkably, there are spiritual issues that automatically keep God’s ... Read More about Are You Secretly Sabotaging God’s Blessings?

Proverbs 25:28 – “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” If I’m honest, self-control is one of the most difficult things to maintain in my life. As fallen people living in a fallen world, we constantly battle selfish desires, unhealthy habits, and temptations that pull us away from God. Left to ourselves, we often choose what feels good in the moment rather than what is best in the long run. Solomon compares a person without self-control to a city whose protective walls have been torn down. In ancient times, a city without walls was vulnerable to every enemy attack. In the same way, when we try to live in our own strength, we leave ourselves exposed to temptations that can damage our relationships, weaken our testimony, and rob us of God's best for ... Read More about The Secret to Self-Control Isn’t Self

Proverbs 20:30 – “Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.” This is not a verse most of us would put on a coffee mug or hang on our wall. In fact, if we're honest, we spend much of our lives trying to avoid exactly what Solomon is describing. We pray for comfort, convenience, and relief. God often gives us something different: difficulty, correction, and discipline. Why? Because God is more concerned with our holiness than our comfort. A few verses earlier, Solomon writes, “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts” (Proverbs 20:27). God sees every hidden corner of our hearts. He sees the pride we excuse, the selfishness we justify, the bitterness we conceal, and the sins we have learned to tolerate. Nothing is ... Read More about Don’t Waste Your Pain

Proverbs 11:30 – “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.” If you read through Proverbs you will find a lot written about the righteous and righteousness, but in chapters 11 and 12 you will find the ‘motherload’. The word for righteous in the Hebrew means innocent or just. It refers to a person who is living their life according to God’s standards. Now, you and I know that trying to live a righteous life is impossible. We are all too broken and messed up, just like the Apostle Paul who said in Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from the body of this death?” While we can all relate to that, Paul doesn’t leave us hanging. He answers his on question in the next verse. “I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord.” ... Read More about The Fruit of Righteousness