Foundation

As concrete sets the steel beams that form the foundation for a building, kindness cements the foundation for a friendship between neighbors. Which neighbor will you be kind to today?

Proverbs 29:5 (HCSB): A man who flatters  his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

Giving to get

In the economy of God, giving is how you get! Today, who will you give to?

Proverbs 28:27 (HCSB):
The one who gives to the poor will not be in need, but one who turns his eyes away will receive many curses.

The Family of God

Our actions represent more than us as an individual, because we are part of a larger whole, beginning with our family. As our earthly parents want us to represent our families well, so our Heavenly Father wants us to represent His family well. What will your actions today tell others about the family of God?

Proverbs 27:11 (HCSB): Be wise, my son, and bring my heart joy, so that I can answer anyone who taunts me.

Liars and Fires

Once they figure it out, people will flee from a liar just as quickly as a deranged killer. Gain a reputation as a liar, and you’ll be left all alone and unable to repair the damage you’ve done.

Proverbs 26:18–19 (HCSB): Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,
so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

Correction

Any fool can yell and scream; but the authority figure who can reprove and correct without ranting and raving is often the one most heard.  Today, will you be heard by those you need to correct?

Proverbs 25:12 (HCSB):  A wise correction to a receptive ear is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.

C'mon

Common sense says that with 7.3 Billion people on the planet, being human is pretty common. In the big picture, all those people share a common humanity,  are ultimately equal in value.  C'mon and recognize every person's value today!

Proverbs 22:2 (HCSB): The rich and the poor have this in common:
the Lord made them both.

Mockingbird

The Mockingbird may look pretty and sound good, but at the end of the day, it doesn't even have its own song! In the same way, a mocker derides what he cannot do, and doesn't have ideas of his own. Make sure you're not a mocked today!

Proverbs 21:24 (HCSB): The proud and arrogant person, named “Mocker,”
acts with excessive pride

Judge, Jury, and Executioner

Parents are often judge, jury, and executioner when their children misbehave, and it's easy to forget different crimes require different punishments. As you discipline your children today, are you keeping this in mind?

Proverbs 19:25 (HCSB): Strike a mocker, and the inexperienced learn a lesson;
rebuke the discerning, and he gains knowledge.

Vandals

As a vandal destroys property that someone else has to repair, so the lazy person destroys productivity that others have to replace. Today, will you be a helper or a hindrance to others?

Proverbs 18:9 (HCSB): The one who is truly lazy in his work
is brother to a vandal.

Floodwaters

My house is on the lower end of a slope, and last weekend we had a deluge of rain in our city, and the water came faster than the ground could soak it up.  As I was watching the rain, I noticed it pooling up against the rear of my house before flowing around the sides. Another 1/2" of water, and I was going to have a river from my back door through my garage. I pulled on boots and a slicker, grabbed a scoop shovel from the shed, and for the next 45 minutes bailed water until the rain subsided. Let's work as hard to prevent conflict as we would to keep our houses from flooding!

Proverbs 17:13–14 (HCSB):
If anyone returns evil for good,
evil will never depart from his house.
To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out.

Expectation

Many people expect being a good person is enough to get you into Heaven. However, the moral of the story is that you can be a “good moral person” and still end up in hell once you die. Hope placed in the wrong thing doesn’t save!

Proverbs 11:7 (HCSB): When the wicked man dies, his expectation comes to nothing, and hope placed in wealth vanishes.

Back that hitch up

The story about never seeing a hearse pulling a moving trailer is true! When your day comes, what will you save you?

Proverbs 11:4 (HCSB): Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath,
but righteousness rescues from death.