True love is not blind. That we cover someone’s mistake through love does not mean that we do not see the sin and do not recognize it as such. Love and justice go together. The Hebrew word for justice, tsedeq, also means love, charity. We cannot have real compassion if we are not just, and … Continue reading –>
Read Proverbs 17:9, Prov. 19:11. What crucial point is being made in these texts? How should we deal with others who fall? When someone messes up, it’s so tempting to spread the story, to tell others. Have you heard about what so-and-so did? Though we might act as if we are appalled by the action, … Continue reading –>
As I read “Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy” (Prov. 14:10,) I’m reminded of the largest single need in the Adventist community today. This need doesn’t involve personalities or institutions. It doesn’t touch on finances or even theology. It speaks to the absolute foundation of experiencing salvation. Much … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Proverbs 17:1-28, 1 Cor 13:5–7, John 8:1–11, Proverbs 18:1-24, Proverbs 19:1-29, Deut. 24:10–22. Memory Text: Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife (Proverbs 17:1, NKJV). Proverbs again denounces the deception of appearances. We may seem to have everything the world offers — wealth, … Continue reading –>
This is the Tampa Bay, Florida area I always write from, which is slightly overcast today. You won’t see this picture on a postcard featuring Florida as the “sunshine state.” Even the sunshine state sees its fair share of storms. Likewise, even our most cheerful friends see their fair share of life’s storms. Each heart knows its … Continue reading –>
When Paul and Christie Brown moved into a less than desirable neighborhood in Elkins, West Virginia, they didn’t know that their home would become a magnet for young people. I’ve always been youth focused, says Paul, so when the neighborhood kids wanted to hang out with our kids at the house, we said, OK, but … Continue reading –>
Further Study: From the beginning Satan has portrayed to men the gains to be won by transgression. Thus he seduced angels. Thus he tempted Adam and Eve to sin. And thus he is still leading multitudes away from obedience to God. The path of transgression is made to appear desirable; but the end thereof are … Continue reading –>
Our lesson this week on What You Get Is Not What You See covers a lot of territory. Proverbs 14 and 15 contain so much valuable instruction that we could probably spend one week on each verse instead of this one week on all 68 verses. Sound wisdom and instruction seem to be in short supply. … Continue reading –>
We all dream and make plans, and yet things turn out differently, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. The Bible acknowledges the value of human responsibility and freedom. Yet the Bible also affirms God’s control over the course of events (see Prov. 20:24, Prov. 21:31, and Daniel 2:1-49, Dan. 7:1-28). What does Proverbs 16:1 … Continue reading –>
The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3 NLT When I was a little boy, way back in the nineteen hundreds, I remember singing the song in cradle roll, “Oh be careful little eyes what you see, Oh be careful little eyes what you see. For the … Continue reading –>
[Thought questions for What You Get is Not What You See February 3, 2015] 1. The fool in us. Our lesson this week opens with a stern warning. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” How often have you said something like, “He didn’t know … Continue reading –>
Read Proverbs 15:1-33. Why is joy such an important human asset? Scripture does not promise us a life without trials. As Jesus Himself said: Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matt. 6:34, NKJV). Proverbs 15:15 explains that amid evil days, the one who maintains a merry heart will have a better time of … Continue reading –>
