Posts by Josh Moody

Isaiah 6-8, Proverbs 19:15-29, Luke 21:1-19, Hebrews 2:1-9  Proverbs 19:15-29: “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger” (19:15). We constantly need to fight against the sweet danger of laziness: yes, it can bring you deep sleep (relaxation, calm), but if not addressed, laziness can lead to real “hunger.” The solution to every…

Isaiah 3-5, Proverbs 19:1-14, Luke 20:41-47, Hebrews 1:10-41  Proverbs 19:1-14: More words of wisdom! “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool” (19:1). Better the poor whose way of life is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. We understandably fear poverty, but there…

Isaiah 1-2, Proverbs 18, Luke 20:27-40, Hebrews 1:1-9  Proverbs 18:  “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (18:1). Friendliness is much prized by many people and for good reason. For behind a belligerent unfriendliness is often a selfish goal, and that leads to quarrelling. How to be friendly? Pursue not selfish…

Esther 9-10, Proverbs 17:15-28, Luke 20:20-26, Philemon 12-25   Proverbs 17:15-28:   More acute, timely, and timeless wisdom from Proverbs. Read, learn, and inwardly digest!   We start with a proverb about justice:  “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord” (17:15).   It is as bad to excuse those who do evil as…

Esther 7-8, Proverbs 17:1-14, Luke 20:9-19, Philemon 1-11   Proverbs 17:1-14:   Take these proverbs, read them, reflect on them, and learn from them! We begin with some wisdom about home life and the household:  “Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife” (17:1).   “A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son…

Esther 5-6, Proverbs 16:17-33, Luke 20:1-8, Titus 3:9-15   Proverbs 16:17-33:   It is easy to assume that evil is something obvious, rare, or unlikely to affect us. But the reality is subtler. Here is a set of Proverbs that press into various ways that we need to resist evil and develop Christlikeness in the pursuit of wisdom to the…

Esther 3-4, Proverbs 16:1-16, Luke 19:39-48, Titus 3:1-8   Proverbs 16:1-16:   This section appears to be subdivided into two broad areas: first, planning; second, justice. It ends with a summary statement regarding wisdom that expresses the conclusion that because of these themes, wisdom is very precious.  Therefore, choose wisdom!   First, we have an area that addresses the matter of…

Esther 2, Proverbs 15:18-33, Luke 19:28-38, Titus 2:11-15   Proverbs 15:18-33:   Here in this section, there are many wise words worth reflecting on, acting on, believing and practicing. First, a proverb about temper: “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel” (15:18). If you are in a situation where there is much…

Esther 1, Proverbs 15:1-17, Luke 19:11-27, Titus 2:1-10   Proverbs 15:1-17:   This section of Proverbs is subdivided into three subsections: speech, the Lord’s judgment, and the heart. Many of the proverbs turn up surprises, but once understood, grasp you by the lapels and urge you to listen to their truth!   First, we come across a series of proverbs…

Nehemiah 13, Proverbs 14:19-35, Luke 19:1-10, Titus 1:10-16   Proverbs 14:19-35:   More nuggets of gold to extract from wisdom’s goldmine of Proverbs! First, a proverb about the ultimate triumph of good: “Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous” (14:19). At times it can seem as if the…