17 A friend loves at all times,    and a brother is born for adversity. The heart of a true brother or sister is to stick with someone through difficulties. Sometimes that person is innocent and we still by them when everyone else thinks they aren't.Sometimes they are guilty and, though we don't excuse what they have done, we love them and try to minister to them even so. Heavenly Father,Give us t...  Read More

12 Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs    rather than a fool in his folly. Following a fool is dangerous— more dangerous than taking a MamaBear's cubs away from her!When we feel like we have to prove ourselves or "save face" we must remember: itdoesn't matter what everyone else thinks of us, it is more important what Jesus thinks of us.Knowing we are important to Him means that we have no...  Read More

28 A dishonest man spreads strife,    and a whisperer separates close friends. Sometimes there are people who like to stir up trouble and separate close friends with untrue rumors.We must always remember the source and ask the Lord to give us discernment... or eyes to see what is true.Discernment helps us know who we can trust and dismiss those who whisper untruths to hurt us. Dear Heavenly Father...  Read More

3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,    and the Lord tests hearts. Things die and people die, but Jesus gave His life to make a way for us to live again.Life is found when people trust in Jesus.We speak life with our tongues that they (and we) might know the sweetness of the fruit of salvation. Heavenly Father,Test our heart by your Spirit and show us if we are doing somethin...  Read More

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,    and those who love it will eat its fruits. Things die and people die, but Jesus gave His life to make a way for us to live again.Life is found when people trust in Jesus.We speak life with our tongues that they (and we) might know the sweetness of the fruit of salvation. Dear Heavenly Father,Help us to trust in Jesus.Help us to see your Word as ...  Read More

22 Without counsel plans fail,    but with many advisers they succeed. When we don't ask for help it can cause us problems.We need other people sharing their wise words with us.We need teamwork and not to be loners or lone wolves.Most importantly, we need the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is the One Who can guide our lives towards the true success of glorifying Jesus. Dear Heavenly Fa...  Read More

9 The heart of man plans his way,    but the Lord establishes his steps. We learned that sometimes our plans aren't God's plans.God has a plan for us we need to open our hearts to.Sometimes God lets us fall in our pride to bring us to the plan He chose for us in the first place, a plan that humbles us and fixes our eyes on Him. Heavenly Father,Help us to hold our plans loosely.Help us not to be pr...  Read More

1 A soft answer turns away wrath,    but a harsh word stirs up anger. Disrespectfulness can cause angry to build up in someone.A soft answer lets off the pressure and can help us to diffuse a really tense situation.As easy as it sounds, when things get tense it is hard to be the first one who gives a soft answer.We need to ask Jesus to help us to be that one who gives as soft answer.We should pray...  Read More

17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,    but a faithful envoy brings healing. We are all called to be faithful envoys, or messengers.Though wicked messengers are those that lead away from Jesus, faithful messengers share the truth that brings healing.Jesus is the greatest news we can share. Dear Lord,Help us to be faithful messengers bringing the healing of the gospel to others.In Jesus' name ...  Read More

11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,    but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. It is always tempting to get things quickly.Like building wealth, most things in life take patience.We want what we want now, but we need to ask Jesus to help us be content with what we have and help us to invest our money and our lives wisely. Dear Lord,Help us to invest ourselves, our time, our talen...  Read More

3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;    he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. We learned that our words matter.We don't guard our mouths from bragging, lying, or gossip it can get us into trouble.We need to ask Jesus to help us to think before we speak and honor God with our lips. Dear Lord,Help us to think before we speak.No matter if it is trying to impress someone by bragging or t...  Read More

7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;    another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. We learned that our words matter.We don't guard our mouths from bragging, lying, or gossip it can get us into trouble.We need to ask Jesus to help us to think before we speak and honor God with our lips. Dear Lord,Help us to think before we speak.No matter if it is trying to impress someone by braggin...  Read More

26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor,    but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Being in the wrong crowd can lead us into trouble.Choosing friends is important, because God made friends to encourage us.The wrong sorts of friends can encourage us down a wrong path, while the right sort of friends can encourage us down a right path.We will never have perfect friends but we need f...  Read More

25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down,    but a good word makes him glad. Our fears and anxieties weigh us down.When we think about them all the time, they just make us feel overwhelmed and pull us under.When we cast our anxieties and fears on Jesus, and keep our focus on Him, He speaks good words to our heart so we put our trust and Him and our fears start to fade. Dear Lord,Help us to not ...  Read More

25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,    and one who waters will himself be watered. When we pour into others, we benefit from that blessing.The Lord has called us to build up and encourage others.We must receive grace to give grace.It is the Holy Spirit who pours into us, so we can pour His love into others. Dear Lord,Help us to pour out the love and kindness you pour into us.Help us to pr...  Read More

11 A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,    but a just weight is his delight. God cares a lot about things we think are little: like dishonest scales.When we weigh out or judge our own hearts, we usually get it wrong. We use our own dishonest scales.When we look into God's Word, it tells the truth about us. It helps us weigh our hearts correctly.When we feel the weight of our own sin, the...  Read More

17 Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,    but he who rejects reproof leads others astray. We learned that wisdom leads us down the path of life.It takes true wisdom to know when we are on the wrong path and to listen to instruction.Red got a merit badge he didn't deserve. When we trust in Jesus, He gives us His merit as well.Jesus' merit is a merit that we don't deserve, but it is gi...  Read More

13 The woman Folly is loud;    she is seductive and knows nothing.14 She sits at the door of her house;    she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,15 calling to those who pass by,    who are going straight on their way,16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”    And to him who lacks sense she says,17 “Stolen water is sweet,    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” Following fooli...  Read More

34 Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord,36 but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.” When we seek wisdom, we seek true life.Our hearts want what they want and seek what they want.The Lord has to give us the spark that lights the flame within our he...  Read More

...keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Our heart wants what it wants so we are to keep truth in front of us at all times.We need the Holy Spirit to write truth on our hearts and help our heart to want to follow that truth. Lord,Write your truth on our heart.Help us to overcome our selfishness t...  Read More

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. We learned that there are some things that God cannot stand.God can't stand sin and disobedience, but ...  Read More

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. We learned that whatever we do, we should work hard just as if we were working for Jesus Himself!The ants are God's little reminders that we should look ahead, prepare for what's to come, and work hard.Even when we don't feel like ...  Read More

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.  Read More

My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Aat times we don't like it when our parents discipline us, but they do it to correct us and help us.When we have trusted in Jesus, God doesn't punish us, He corrects us with discipline: like letting us get caught so we can be corrected.His disci...  Read More