Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 16:31

by David Chadwick

“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.”

Proverbs 16:31

Gray hair is a crown of glory and is gained by a righteous life. Some perspectives and insights only come through a righteous life. Often the only way that you can learn how to make wise decisions is by making wrong ones. And the only way you can learn from wrong decisions is to live long enough to learn from them!

I sometimes joke, as I look at the increasing number of gray hairs on my head, that I’ve earned every one of them. They have come through years of joys and sorrows, trials and victories, leading to many learned lessons.

This is one of the reasons why it is so important to go to “gray hairs” when needing counsel and advice. Especially those who hunger and thirst after righteousness and whose desire is to love and obey God wholeheartedly. Those people who have sought to abide in Jesus, know God’s Word, and live by it. These are the ones who usually have insights that younger people do not have.

For those of you who have gray hair, I would also urge you to seek after the passion of the young. Joel 2 describes the last days, when God pours out his Spirit on all people, as being a time when old men will dream dreams and young men will see visions. “The wisdom of the old and the passion of the young” is a powerful combination. It creates insight in motion. Wisdom in action. These qualities bring powerful momentum to carry the Gospel forward.

And one final thought: if you are beginning to see a few gray hairs appear on your scalp, don’t despair! See each one as a new jewel in your crown of glory from God. Who knows? Maybe in heaven, everyone’s hair will be gray! A sign of a life marked by wisdom, closeness, and devotion to God.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 16:25

by David Chadwick

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

Proverbs 16:25

There is a way that seems right at the moment, but the end result is really destructive. This principle speaks to the blessing of being aware of long-term consequences over short-term urges.

How do you make decisions? Do you surrender to an authority greater than yourself to lead and guide you? Or do you follow whichever whim or fancy you feel? If your answer is the latter, I would urge you to pause today and meditate on this teaching.

There is great danger in relying on feelings. An overemphasis on what seems right, what feels right, and what the world thinks is right can lead to deception. Instant gratification is a dangerous motivation. And so is a life that seeks to gain applause and immediate notoriety.

If something is not God’s will, if it’s not right, if it’s not good for you in the long run, yet you give in to the short-sighted fleshly desires, you will regret it. These are devilish traps that can ruin people’s lives later on. The broad path leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).

Dear friends, we must immerse ourselves in God's Word. We must live for the future more than the moment, seeking to do what is right at every moment and always trusting that over time God will work things out for our good and his glory.

As followers of Jesus, we must always live for eternity, not for this temporary world. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Today, my prayer is that each of you will seek after an eternal perspective. Allow that mindset to be your driving force as you await our soon-coming King.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 16:18

by David Chadwick

“Pride comes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 16:18

One of the most powerful and well-known verses in all of Proverbs says that pride comes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.

Pride is the chief of all sins. It is what caused the devil to become the devil. He became the author of destruction by claiming to know more and know better than God. He wanted Jesus’s position in heaven, and even though he was not the Creator, he hungered for personal worship. Yes, as a mere creature.

To think we always know better than God is what will send us to hell. The failure to acknowledge our sin and great need for a Savior is the greatest downfall. Pride is the impardonable sin. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, at its very core, is pride.

Humility, on the other hand, is the opposite of pride. It promotes dependency, reliance, and a heart bent on leaning on someone bigger than yourself. Someone with a childlike faith displays all of these characteristics toward the One who created us.

Do a heart check today. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

Ask yourself if you see any evidence of pride in your life? Lack of prayer? Disdain toward worship? No care for spiritual and eternal things? Do you always think you’re right and remain unwilling to be corrected?

If so, humble yourself TODAY before the Lord and confess your sins. He will forgive you and purify you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). And will lift you up, closer to him than you’ve ever been before.