Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 3:24, The Secret to a Good Night’s Sleep
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3:24 NIV I remember the time our children’s school observed that a growing number of students were experiencing symptoms of sleep deprivation. They sent out an email reminding parents of the importance of ensuring our kids got enough sleep—especially those in high school. Today’s world, it would seem, is suffering from a sleep crisis. We are bombarded by the number of supplements and medications promising to help us sleep. Sleepless nights often go hand in hand with...
info_outline
Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 10:8, Don’t Forget to Execute
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick “The wise in heart will accept and obey commandments, but the foolish of lips will fall headlong.” Proverbs 10:8 AMPC In the Hebrew language, the words "listen" and "obey" are represented by the word “shema.” This means to hear, pay attention, and act upon what is heard. It embodies the concept that true listening includes obedience. In Hebrew and Greek, the original languages of the Old and New Testaments, there is no distinct word for "obey." Listening and doing are considered two sides of one action. We see this sentiment expressed in James, often called...
info_outline
Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 3:13, Wisdom’s Reward
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.” Proverbs 3:13 NIV People talk a lot about profitable investments and especially the ROI, or “return on investment.” According to Proverbs, there are very few investments in life as profitable as the gaining of wisdom. Threaded throughout Proverbs are admonitions to seek wisdom. The gain from wisdom is “better than gain from silver, and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her” (Proverbs 3:14,15 ESV). Do you want to be wise?...
info_outline
Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:22, Joy is Good for Your Health
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 Can practicing thankfulness actually improve your health? Some think so. I read about a study in which participants were asked to list the things for which they were thankful. They were instructed to write their gratitude list and sustain this exercise for exactly five minutes. The results of the study showed that those who practiced gratitude for five minutes experienced a sharp rise in their disease fighting antibodies. These antibodies remained elevated for several hours!...
info_outline
Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 15:17
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.” Proverbs 15:17 Better is dinner with herbs, a meager meal, where there is love, laughter, and joy, than a dinner with feasting and luxurious food where there is hatred. I don’t know about you, but some of my best memories with my family of origin were around the dinner table. My dad, mom, brother, and sister all together sharing memories and conversations. My mom would fix great meals, but it was the laughter and great conversation that have had such an impact on my life. Along with...
info_outline
Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:6
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.” Proverbs 17:6 Grandchildren are the crown of those in old age. And the glory of children is their fathers. This proverb has two great insights. Let’s take a look at them together. First, grandkids are a crown for faithful parents. Marilynn and I now have 12 grandchildren. Yet we vividly remember the years when we were told by doctors that we would never have children. From a barren womb came three children and now 12 grandchildren. In the midst of our brokenness, God was...
info_outline
Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:4
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick “An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.” Proverbs 17:4 Evildoers listen to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. I don’t think any healthy individual would desire to be called an evildoer or a liar. Who has wicked lips? I actually think many could fall into this category. Those who seek to slander and essentially kill someone with their words. Those who spread rumors and lies with evil intent. Those who seek to intimidate and bully others. Those who manipulate you for selfish gain. Those who seduce...
info_outline
Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:3
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.” Proverbs 17:3 Silver is refined in the crucible, as is gold in the furnace. Similarly, our hearts and lives must be tested, purified, and refined by the Lord in whatever ways he sees fit. Titus 2:14 says that Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Jesus sacrificed his life to pave the way for humanity to be reunited with the Father. He died to redeem us and to purify...
info_outline
Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:1
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick “Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.” Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry, crusty morsel of bread in a peaceful home than a house with delicious food and delicacies that is full of strife. Strife. Defined as “conflict or an angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues,” strife ruins relationships. It hinders momentum and stops the Gospel from moving forward. Biblically, in James 3:16, strife is also called “selfish ambition.” If pride is the root of all evil, I would argue strife is one of the most wicked fruits that...
info_outline
Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 6:10-11, The Value of Hard Work
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” Proverbs 6:10-11 NIV I am not a naturally self-disciplined person. But I discovered early on that it was impossible for me to take the kids beyond where I had gone myself. If I was undisciplined, it was hard to discipline the children. If my schedule was inconsistent, it was hard to help them follow a schedule. If I quit before I reached the finish line, it was hard to teach our children to persevere. When an...
info_outlineby David Chadwick
“Pride comes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
One of the most powerful and well-known verses in all of Proverbs says that pride comes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.
Pride is the chief of all sins. It is what caused the devil to become the devil. He became the author of destruction by claiming to know more and know better than God. He wanted Jesus’s position in heaven, and even though he was not the Creator, he hungered for personal worship. Yes, as a mere creature.
To think we always know better than God is what will send us to hell. The failure to acknowledge our sin and great need for a Savior is the greatest downfall. Pride is the impardonable sin. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, at its very core, is pride.
Humility, on the other hand, is the opposite of pride. It promotes dependency, reliance, and a heart bent on leaning on someone bigger than yourself. Someone with a childlike faith displays all of these characteristics toward the One who created us.
Do a heart check today. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
Ask yourself if you see any evidence of pride in your life? Lack of prayer? Disdain toward worship? No care for spiritual and eternal things? Do you always think you’re right and remain unwilling to be corrected?
If so, humble yourself TODAY before the Lord and confess your sins. He will forgive you and purify you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). And will lift you up, closer to him than you’ve ever been before.