Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 11:21

by David Chadwick

"Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.”

Proverbs 11:21

“Be assured…” is how today’s proverb starts out. Let’s take a look at it together. “Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered” (Proverbs 11:21).

According to these words, we should be absolutely assured of the truths in this Scripture. So what is it of which we should be assured? That no evil person will go unpunished!

How many of you have ever been wrongly hurt by an evildoer? Betrayed by a close friend? Used by a boss for his or her own benefit? Abused by a spouse? Lied about? Slandered? And then seemingly gotten away with their evil acts?

Does any of this sound familiar? Of course!

We have all had people wrongly hurt us. It’s an unfortunate part of living in a broken world.

But according to God’s Word, no evil person will go unpunished. Every evil person who has ever lived must face the judgment seat of God. They will be judged for their wrongdoing and will face consequences. God’s judgment will be a perfect judgment.

Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” Alexander the Coppersmith did the apostle Paul “great harm.” Paul simply said, “the Lord will repay him for his deeds” (2 Timothy 4:14).

What a powerful reminder for us all! We must leave vengeance to the Lord. Only he can and will judge all things perfectly. We can’t match his righteous ability to bring about justice in our sinful state. Our flawed human hearts, minds, and perspectives are always skewed.

Nonetheless, rest assured: God will judge all evil and wrongdoing.

In light of that, don’t be vengeful. Don’t become an evil person in your pain caused by evil people. Remember, bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. So, release your offenders. Forgive. Let God be God. And enjoy the rest of your life knowing he will ultimately bring about true justice.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 11:4

by David Chadwick

"Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”

Proverbs 11:4

When God pours out his wrath, and that day will surely come, your wealth will mean nothing. When it comes to eternal salvation, the amount of money you have accumulated will not impress God at all. When you die and face the One who owns all the world and everything in it, he is not going to say, “Wow, your wealth is really impressive!”

I have often asked people this question, “Have you ever seen a hearse with a U-Haul attached to it?” Of course, the answer is a resounding, “No!”

In fact, Rockefeller’s financial overseer was purportedly asked, after Rockefeller died, how much he left behind. Candidly, the financial overseer supposedly responded, “He left it all.”

King Solomon himself was a man of riches. He excelled not just himself but also “all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom” (1 Kings 10:23). As someone who experienced great wealth Solomon still knew this truth: “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death” (Proverbs 11:4).

Don’t miss the very important second part of this proverb: On the day of God’s wrath, it is righteousness, not riches, that delivers us from death.

God’s righteousness is found solely in Jesus. Accepting him gives us forgiveness so that when God looks at our souls, he sees the righteousness of God in Jesus. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

One day, God’s wrath will come. In that moment, there will only be two options: Either you have Jesus’s righteousness or you don’t. Please, my dear friends, make sure you are covered in the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10), as it truly is life’s most precious possession!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 31:17, She Makes Her Arms Strong

by Marilynn Chadwick

“She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.”

Proverbs 31:17 ESV

The two Hebrew words describing the Proverbs 31 woman, eshet chayil, are translated “woman of valor” (Proverbs 31:10 OJB). From the beginning, God created the woman to be part nurturer and part warrior.

Valor means showing courage in the face of danger. So naturally, valor requires a measure of mental toughness. But the Proverbs 31 woman of valor also had to be physically strong: she “works with eager hands…gets up while it is still dark,” provides food and tasks for her family and servants, “buys a field… plants a vineyard”… and “sets about her work vigorously” (Proverbs 31:13-16). Even her arms, we’re told, “are strong for her tasks” (Proverbs 31:17 NIV). Another version reads: “She makes her arms strong” (Proverbs 31:17 ESV).

I have to smile when I think about her “strong arms” because it reminds me of my friend Beth. We both loved being mothers and now grandmothers. But we agree—when raising our own children, we were used to the constant physical demands that came with lifting, dressing, and bathing little ones. Our arms grew strong. But lifting grandchildren is a little harder.

So Beth started doing 100 pushups a day. “I want to be able to lift all those grandbabies,” she laughed. She does her first set during her normal exercise time—then she drops to the floor for a few more throughout the day. “It’s amazing how they add up,” she said. Beth—and her 100 daily pushups—give us a good mental picture of what it looks like to make our arms strong.

The Amplified Bible describes the Proverbs 31 woman’s strength in more detail: “She equips herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong” (Proverbs 31:17 AMP).

Why not begin now to reflect on how to strengthen yourself—spiritually, mentally, and physically? Who knows? Maybe you’ll even want to try Beth’s 100 push-ups challenge!

Today’s Moment of Hope is adapted from Woman of Valor, Discovering the Courage and Strength God Gave You by Marilynn Chadwick.

Click here to order your copy today!