John Stanko

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

 “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you” - 4:6.

If you treat wisdom with respect, she will take care of you. She will watch over you and you won't even know she is doing so. There are times when God is shaping and directing your thoughts, and you aren't  aware it's happening, but that occurs only if you make a solid commitment to follow His wisdom. What are you doing to grow in, apply, and dispense wisdom? Are you walking in the wisdom you seek? Read Titus 2 to get a quick overview of what God expects from you as you mature in the Lord and walk in His wisdom for life.

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

“Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble” - 3:23. 

Once again, the Lord promises safety and protection as we move forward in the purpose He assigned us. If God is with you and has made many promises of protection and help, why are you still afraid? Is your fear masquerading as something else, like responsibility or spirituality? The time to hesitate and wait on the Lord is past. It's time to step out and take action. What can you do today that will bring you a step closer to a goal or dream you have had, perhaps for a long time? Take some time to read Deuteronomy 20:2-4 and 31:6 and then summon the courage to act.

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

“But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm” - 1:33.

The human experience is a fragile entity. Not only are there threats from within like disease and injury, there are dangers without, things like terrorism, economic uncertainty, and the hurtful attitudes and behaviors of others, especially those closest to you. The antidote for worry and fear is wisdom, which is abundantly available and useful if you ask, but only if you listen and heed her advice. Worry is a choice, just like seeking and applying God's wisdom is also a choice. So choose wisely today as to how you will live. Do you understand that worry isn't just a bad habit, but rather sinful behavior? Do you see that worry (and not to worry) is within your control with the Spirit's help? Do you make the most of God's Word to fill your mind and heart with anti-worry thoughts? Read what Paul said about anxiety and worry in Philippians 4:6-7 and then adjust first your thoughts and then your behavior accordingly.

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread" - 30:8.

The spirit of the age says that everyone should earn and have as much as they want. That has led to unprecedented levels of materialism and greed, for the love of money is the root of all evil. Jesus prescribed an entirely different life philosophy and that is to trust God for your daily provision ("give us this day our daily bread") and to be generous and share what you have with those who have not. When you think of it, your daily needs should be your only focus. Are you fretting about your tomorrow? Are you free from the materialistic pursuit of more? Where have riches or their absence caused you to go awry spiritually?  The best approach is to thank God for what you have today and trust Him for tomorrow's provision, even when you are experiencing lean times. You can read more about this life philosophy in Philippians 4:10-13 and Ephesians 4:14-16. 

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern" - 29:7. 

The Bible is full of commands to care for the poor, and Jesus emphasized this practice in His ministry as well. Yet it can be easy to agree with this and still not comply because your thinking can be, "I am poor myself (or at least broke). I don't have anything to give." When you think like that, you agree someone needs to help the poor; it just can't be you. As you approach Christmas, what can you do to help the poor? What more can you do year-round to promote justice for the downtrodden or to help alleviate their suffering? Where are you dismissing your responsibility to help the poor because you think you are poor yourself? Read what Jesus had to say about this in Luke 12:22-34, then determine how you are going to fulfill it!

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

"He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses" - 28:27. 

When you ignore the poor, you are in trouble with God. When you take care of them, God takes care of you. That's a simple concept, but it's easy to ignore or overlook in the midst of your own financial woes. Can some of your current financial problems be due to your own neglect of those who are close to God's heart? Find the poor someplace in your world today, help and bless them, and keep on doing so, confident in today's promise. Read God's instructions to Israel in Deuteronomy 15:7-11 to see that God has always been concerned for the poor and communicated His instructions for their care in the Old Testament Law.

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

"The lambs will provide you with clothing . . . You will have
plenty of goats' milk to feed you and your family . . . " - 27:26-27. 

Are you worried about provision?  You need not be! The Lord knows how to provide for you and your family and for all the families under his care. To see an example of how He once did this, read 2 Kings 4:1-7 and then be encouraged that God can do the same thing for you if you ever need it. 

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

"If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it;
if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him" - 26:27.

You cannot escape the fact that you reap what you sow, which is a life principle God has established. What's more, God responds to you the way you respond to Him, so in a sense, you determine how God will relate to you. For example, if you are merciful to others, He will be merciful to you. If you are generous with others, He will be generous with you. If you are proud, He will resist you. Therefore, you have some measure of control over how God reacts to you, which is another expression of reaping what you sow. If you need more proof of this truth, then read Psalm 18:24-27 and Psalm 41:1-4.

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink" - 25:21. 

You are to treat your enemies like friends, for this is just what God does! He causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust. How well are you treating those who are not only not your friends, but who also may be mistreating you?  Read Jesus' instruction on how to relate to your enemies in Matthew 5:43-48 and what Paul wrote about the same in Romans 13:8-10.

Your daily dose of Proverbs:

"Thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds" - 24:31.

Life, like farming, is a constant cycle of sowing and reaping. When you stop tending and sowing, whether it is in the realm of finances, health, relationships, or spiritual things, the weeds overtake your fields and you have no crops to harvest. It is remarkable that it takes much work for a harvest but little effort to have an excellent crop of unwanted weeds. What are you harvesting these days? Do you have a bumper crop of good things or a field full of weeds due to laziness, neglect, or fear? What can you plant today so you will have an abundant harvest in that area of your life in the future? You can read Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 and Galatians 6:7-10 for more insight into this spiritual truth.