FBC Daily Devotions

A Whack on the Head of a Fool

 ¹ A meal of bread and water in contented peace is better
   than a banquet spiced with quarrels.

 ² A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child
   and is honored as one of the family.

 ³ As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan,
   so our lives are assayed by God.

 ⁴ Evil people relish malicious conversation;
   the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.

 ⁵ Whoever mocks poor people insults their Creator;
   gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.

 ⁶ Old people are distinguished by grandchildren;
   children take pride in their parents.

 ⁷ We don’t expect eloquence from fools,
   nor do we expect lies from our leaders.

 ⁸ Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone;
   any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.

 ⁹ Overlook an offense and bond a friendship;
   fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!

 ¹⁰ A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense
   does more than a whack on the head of a fool.

 ¹¹ Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble
   won’t have to wait long—they’ll meet it coming and going!

 ¹² Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs
   than a fool hellbent on folly.

 ¹³ Those who return evil for good
   will meet their own evil returning.

 ¹⁴ The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam,
   so stop it before it bursts.

 ¹⁵ Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people
   are equally abhorrent to God.

 ¹⁶ What’s this? Fools out shopping for wisdom!
   They wouldn’t recognize it if they saw it!

One Who Knows Much Says Little

 ¹⁷ Friends love through all kinds of weather,
   and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.

 ¹⁸ It’s stupid to try to get something for nothing,
   or run up huge bills you can never pay.

 ¹⁹ The person who courts sin marries trouble;
   build a wall, invite a burglar.

 ²⁰ A bad motive can’t achieve a good end;
   double-talk brings you double trouble.

 ²¹ Having a fool for a child is misery;
   it’s no fun being the parent of a dolt.

 ²² A cheerful disposition is good for your health;
   gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.

 ²³ The wicked take bribes under the table;
   they show nothing but contempt for justice.

 ²⁴ The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard;
   fools look for it everywhere but right here.

 ²⁵ A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father,
   a bitter pill for a mother to swallow.

 ²⁶ It’s wrong to penalize good behavior,
   or make good citizens pay for the crimes of others.

 ²⁷ The one who knows much says little;
   an understanding person remains calm.

 ²⁸ Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise;
   as long as they keep their mouths shut, they’re smart.

God Doesn’t Miss a Thing

 ¹ A gentle response defuses anger,
   but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.

 ² Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;
   fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

 ³ God doesn’t miss a thing—
   he’s alert to good and evil alike.

 ⁴ Kind words heal and help;
   cutting words wound and maim.

 ⁵ Moral dropouts won’t listen to their elders;
   welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.

 ⁶ The lives of God-loyal people flourish;
   a misspent life is soon bankrupt.

 ⁷ Perceptive words spread knowledge;
   fools are hollow—there’s nothing to them.

 ⁸ God can’t stand pious poses,
   but he delights in genuine prayers.

 ⁹ A life frittered away disgusts God;
   he loves those who run straight for the finish line.

 ¹⁰ It’s a school of hard knocks for those who leave God’s path,
   a dead-end street for those who hate God’s rules.

 ¹¹ Even hell holds no secrets from God—
   do you think he can’t read human hearts?

Life Ascends to the Heights

 ¹² Know-it-alls don’t like being told what to do;
   they avoid the company of wise men and women.

 ¹³ A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
   a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.

 ¹⁴ An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;
   fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.

 ¹⁵ A miserable heart means a miserable life;
   a cheerful heart fills the day with song.

 ¹⁶ A simple life in the Fear-of-God
   is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.

 ¹⁷ Better a bread crust shared in love
   than a slab of prime rib served in hate.

 ¹⁸ Hot tempers start fights;
   a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.

 ¹⁹ The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers;
   the diligent walk down a smooth road.

 ²⁰ Intelligent children make their parents proud;
   lazy students embarrass their parents.

 ²¹ The empty-headed treat life as a plaything;
   the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.

 ²² Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail;
   take good counsel and watch them succeed.

 ²³ Congenial conversation—what a pleasure!
   The right word at the right time—beautiful!

 ²⁴ Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful—
   it’s a clean about-face from descent into hell.

 ²⁵ God smashes the pretensions of the arrogant;
   he stands with those who have no standing.

 ²⁶ God can’t stand evil scheming,
   but he puts words of grace and beauty on display.

 ²⁷ A greedy and grasping person destroys community;
   those who refuse to exploit live and let live.

 ²⁸ Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people;
   the wicked are sewers of abuse.

 ²⁹ God keeps his distance from the wicked;
   he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.

 ³⁰ A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart,
   and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle.

 ³¹ Listen to good advice if you want to live well,
   an honored guest among wise men and women.

 ³² An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny;
   an obedient, God-willed life is spacious.

 ³³ Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living—
   first you learn humility, then you experience glory.

If You Love Learning

 ¹ If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it—
    how shortsighted to refuse correction!

 ² A good person basks in the delight of God,
   and he wants nothing to do with devious schemers.

 ³ You can’t find firm footing in a swamp,
   but life rooted in God stands firm.

 ⁴ A hearty wife invigorates her husband,
   but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones.

 ⁵ The thinking of principled people makes for justice;
   the plots of degenerates corrupt.

 ⁶ The words of the wicked kill;
   the speech of the upright saves.

 ⁷ Wicked people fall to pieces—there’s nothing to them;
   the homes of good people hold together.

 ⁸ A person who talks sense is honored;
   airheads are held in contempt.

 ⁹ Better to be ordinary and work for a living
   than act important and starve in the process.

 ¹⁰ Good people are good to their animals;
   the “good-hearted” bad people kick and abuse them.

 ¹¹ The one who stays on the job has food on the table;
   the witless chase whims and fancies.

 ¹² What the wicked construct finally falls into ruin,
   while the roots of the righteous give life, and more life.

Wise People Take Advice

 ¹³ The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble;
   the conversation of good people keeps them out of it.

 ¹⁴ Well-spoken words bring satisfaction;
   well-done work has its own reward.

 ¹⁵ Fools are headstrong and do what they like;
   wise people take advice.

 ¹⁶ Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly;
   the prudent quietly shrug off insults.

 ¹⁷ Truthful witness by a good person clears the air,
   but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit.

 ¹⁸ Rash language cuts and maims,
   but there is healing in the words of the wise.

 ¹⁹ Truth lasts;
   lies are here today, gone tomorrow.

 ²⁰ Evil scheming distorts the schemer;
   peace-planning brings joy to the planner.

 ²¹ No evil can overwhelm a good person,
   but the wicked have their hands full of it.

 ²² God can’t stomach liars;
   he loves the company of those who keep their word.

 ²³ Prudent people don’t flaunt their knowledge;
   talkative fools broadcast their silliness.

 ²⁴ The diligent find freedom in their work;
   the lazy are oppressed by work.

 ²⁵ Worry weighs us down;
   a cheerful word picks us up.

 ²⁶ A good person survives misfortune,
   but a wicked life invites disaster.

 ²⁷ A lazy life is an empty life,
   but “early to rise” gets the job done.

 ²⁸ Good men and women travel right into life;
   sin’s detours take you straight to hell.

Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way

 ¹God hates cheating in the marketplace; 
  he loves it when business is aboveboard.

 ² The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
   but down-to-earth people stand firm.

 ³ The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;
   the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.

 ⁴ A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
   but a principled life can stand up to the worst.

 ⁵ Moral character makes for smooth traveling;
   an evil life is a hard life.

 ⁶ Good character is the best insurance;
   crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.

 ⁷ When the wicked die, that’s it—
   the story’s over, end of hope.

 ⁸ A good person is saved from much trouble;
   a bad person runs straight into it.

 ⁹ The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction;
   the common sense of the godly preserves them.

 ¹⁰ When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers;
   when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates.

 ¹¹ When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes;
   evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time.

 ¹² Mean-spirited slander is heartless;
   quiet discretion accompanies good sense.

 ¹³ A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret,
   but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.

 ¹⁴ Without good direction, people lose their way;
   the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.

 ¹⁵ Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned;
   if you keep a cool head, you’ll avoid rash bargains.

 ¹⁶ A woman of gentle grace gets respect,
   but men of rough violence grab for loot.

A God-Shaped Life

 ¹⁷ When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;
   when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself.

 ¹⁸ Bad work gets paid with a bad check;
   good work gets solid pay.

 ¹⁹ Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,
   or chase after phantoms of evil and die.

 ²⁰ God can’t stand deceivers,
   but oh how he relishes integrity.

 ²¹ Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free,
   and God’s loyal people will triumph.

 ²² Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
   is a beautiful face on an empty head.

 ²³ The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
   but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.

 ²⁴ The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
   the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

 ²⁵ The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
   those who help others are helped.

 ²⁶ Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!
   Blessings on all who play fair and square!

 ²⁷ The one who seeks good finds delight;
   the student of evil becomes evil.

 ²⁸ A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
   a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.

 ²⁹ Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air;
   common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.

 ³⁰ A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;
   a violent life destroys souls.

 ³¹ If good people barely make it,
   what’s in store for the bad!

The Wise Sayings of Solomon

An Honest Life Is Immortal

 ¹ Wise son, glad father; stupid son, sad mother.

 ² Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;
   an honest life is immortal.

 ³ God won’t starve an honest soul,
   but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.

 ⁴ Sloth makes you poor;
   diligence brings wealth.

 ⁵ Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart;
   go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid.

 ⁶ Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,
   but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

 ⁷ A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;
   a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.

 ⁸ A wise heart takes orders;
   an empty head will come unglued.

 ⁹ Honesty lives confident and carefree,
   but Shifty is sure to be exposed.

 ¹⁰ An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,
   but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.

 ¹¹ The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,
   but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

 ¹² Hatred starts fights,
   but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.

 ¹³ You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight,
   but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.

 ¹⁴ The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure;
   know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste.

The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life

 ¹⁵ The wealth of the rich is their bastion;
   the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.

 ¹⁶ The wage of a good person is exuberant life;
   an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.

 ¹⁷ The road to life is a disciplined life;
   ignore correction and you’re lost for good.

 ¹⁸ Liars secretly hoard hatred;
   fools openly spread slander.

 ¹⁹ The more talk, the less truth;
   the wise measure their words.

 ²⁰ The speech of a good person is worth waiting for;
   the blabber of the wicked is worthless.

 ²¹ The talk of a good person is rich fare for many,
   but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.

Fear-of-God Expands Your Life

 ²² God’s blessing makes life rich;
   nothing we do can improve on God.

 ²³ An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,
   but a mindful person relishes wisdom.

 ²⁴ The nightmares of the wicked come true;
   what the good people desire, they get.

 ²⁵ When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked;
   good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed.

 ²⁶ A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;
   it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.

 ²⁷ The Fear-of-God expands your life;
   a wicked life is a puny life.

 ²⁸ The aspirations of good people end in celebration;
   the ambitions of bad people crash.

 ²⁹ God is solid backing to a well-lived life,
   but he calls into question a shabby performance.

 ³⁰ Good people last—they can’t be moved;
   the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.

 ³¹ A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;
   a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.

 ³² The speech of a good person clears the air;
   the words of the wicked pollute it.