Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 13:15

by David Chadwick

“Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.”

Proverbs 13:15

Common sense is severely lacking in our current culture. One of the most dangerous parts of our modern society is that everyone is a self-proclaimed expert, but many lack common sense. There are lots of opinions, little wisdom. Many voices, few sages.

If you spend 5 minutes on social media of any kind, you quickly see that there is no shortage of thoughts circulating. In fact, so many that I think many people are always internalizing, never applying.

The practical wisdom found in the book of Proverbs is imperative to learn and implement; one of those truths being that it is highly valuable to know the right thing to do simply because it’s obvious. Good sense, or common sense, is not just a good skill; it’s a biblical skill. Treachery, on the other hand, is a destructive habit, full of deception with an aim to betray.

Where common sense wins favor and grants advancement, treachery eventually brings ruin. One of my favorite quotes says, “Time and truth travel together.” With enough patience and time, deception will be revealed. The truth always wins! And good sense is one of the best ways to see truth come to light.

I’m once again reminded of some of my dad’s wise words when he said that he often thought that great prayer was really just good old common sense. Knowing what makes sense in a situation and partnering with God to pray it into reality. I can see why he said this. When you have good common sense, you know what to pray for, and will see God’s mighty answers.

Therefore, see common sense. Seek to understand what the obvious right thing to do is. Then pray for that. And watch God work.

After all, good sense wins favor and, I think, the blessing of God.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 26:17

by David Chadwick

“Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.”

Proverbs 26:17

Today’s proverb gives some very wise advice: Don’t meddle in other people’s affairs. You’ll often get caught in the middle, and your own life will be hurt or even ruined. One or both of the parties involved might even turn against you!

A meddler puts their nose where it doesn’t belong. Proverbs compares it to someone who grabs a passing dog by the ears. Can you picture the end result of that decision? A lot of thrashing, frustration, and chaos.

A great biblical example of this truth is found in the story of King Josiah. God blessed him because he was a righteous and good king who led well. But he got caught in the crosshairs of a battle between Egypt and Babylon. Egypt’s King Neco was taking his army north to battle against Babylon. King Neco told King Josiah that his battle was not with Israel, and he promised to pass through Israel without any intention of harm to Josiah’s people (2 Chronicles 35).

Instead of staying out of the fray of the fight, Josiah decided to take on King Neco in battle. He put on his armor and led his people into battle and ended up being killed. Had he refrained from meddling in something that wasn’t his business, he would have lived.

Dear friends, you are not meant to fight every battle. My dad used to say to me often, “Choose your battles wisely. Not every battle is yours.” These were such wise words from my dad, and his words perfectly aligned with Solomon’s wisdom. It is one of the most important lessons to learn.

Every situation that arises is not your mountain to climb. Too many people get themselves in trouble when they think they are supposed to fix every problem that pops up. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to put your head down, stay in your lane, and let God be God.

Surrender. Let go of control. This puts God back in the driver’s seat. And choose faith! Today and every day until Jesus returns!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 13:12

by David Chadwick

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Proverbs 13:12

Hope is a powerful weapon. It provides the motivation to keep persevering, keep moving forward, and keep believing. In fact, hope is so powerful that Proverbs says hope deferred makes the heart sick.

Have you ever hoped for something and had to wait upon the Lord? Have you desired something that took a long time to come to pass? What do you do when God’s answer simply doesn’t come in the period you have wanted to see it happen? What happens when you wait and wait and wait some more?

Many of us are all too familiar with this reality. So what do you do? Believe. Have faith. Trust that the delay has purpose. Know that delay does not equal God’s denial.

Sometimes hope must be cultivated alongside patience and endurance. When a desire takes a long time to be fulfilled, it is important to be long-suffering while contending in hope. God may be doing something in you, in your eternal character, that he couldn’t do without the waiting.

Do you know how to be long-suffering? If not, let me share a few tips that will help you cultivate the fruit of patience in your life. First, remain childlike. Jesus said to let the little children come to him because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them (Matthew 19:14). Children have pure hearts and believe that anything is possible.

Secondly, memorize verses like Isaiah 40:31, which says that our strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord. Don’t allow waiting to deter your faith and hope, but rather use the “wait room” much like a physical “weight room” to build your spiritual muscles of faith and hope.

Third, pray and fast. The Bible is clear that some breakthroughs only come through prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). There must be a reason Jesus practiced this spiritual discipline himself and encouraged us to do the same.

After all of this, when the final victory comes, you will see how much you learned during your waiting period. You will praise God not just for the prize of the “desire fulfilled,” but for all that you learned in the process.