As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. Proverbs 26:11 The reason it is not courteous to bring up the idea of vomit in polite society is because vomit, by its very nature, is uncouth and disgusting. I don’t remember a time in my life when our family did not own a dog. Added to that is the fact that for most of my childhood and into adulthood my dad owned a business in which he worked with dogs on a daily basis, and I had the pleasure of helping him

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Proverbs 1:8 When I was growing up, I was like most kids when it came to eating dessert. If I would have ever been given the choice between eating real food or eating dessert, I would easily have chosen dessert every time. Tasting the

The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. Proverbs 20:4 The world loves a “go-getter.” In fact, the world rewards the one who gets out early, puts his nose to the grindstone, and makes things happen. Men like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and countless others, who started out with little more than a drea

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 Do you remember taking any long trips as a kid? I had nine brothers and sisters, so we didn’t take many vacations, but I did have the opportunity to take a lot of trips with our youth group. We went to the Grand Canyon, Pike’s Peak, Mexico, the boundary waters of Canada, and many other places in

Recently, we decided it was time to install some video cameras on our church property so we could monitor things that happened when we were

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…. Proverbs 23:7 I have a tough assignment for you: try to do something, anything, without thinking about it first. The harder you try, the more impossible it becomes. Even if it is a split second decision, you still think about it for that split second before you do it. Here is an even tougher assignment: try to sit there without thinking at all. Try to turn your mind completely off – think about absolutely nothing. Anot

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off; you sit still and trust the engineer.” Corrie ten Boom, the author of the previous statement, suffered terribly in a concentration camp when it was discovered that she and her family were helping Jew

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he... Proverbs 23:7 Benedict Arnold was well-respected among his peers for his intelligence and bravery during the American War for Independence. He was wounded in battle several times and had to be relieved of his combat duties for some time because his leg had been shattered. He was promoted to major general after he captured Fort Ticonderoga; and by all accounts, he had a reputation for being a ve

Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. Proverbs 12:22 There is a good reason that polygraph tests are inadmissible in court – they are unreliable. A person who is subjected to a polygraph test is hooked up to a blood pressure monitor

Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him. Proverbs 29:20 I heard someone tell a story once about an old saint who was wounded very badly by the false but hurtful words that a young man used against him. The old

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. Proverbs 17:9 Between my years of growing up with a wood stove and now having a wood stove of my own, I have split a lot of firewood in my life. In that time, I have come across some pieces of wood that were extremely difficult to split because they were gnarled and knotted and had obviously been fused together fo

A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight. Proverbs 11:1 Can you imagine a circus performer with no ability whatsoever on a unicycle climbing onto one to do a juggling act? You would think, “How in the world did that guy ever get a job doing that if he cannot even balance on the unicycle?” Or could you imagine seeing a guy wit

Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. Proverbs 13:6 Noodling – a popular sport, especially in southern states, but illegal in many – is a sport where someone catches catfish with his bare hands. A noodler will stick his hands into a known catfish hole or under some brush in a river or lake and wait for the fish to latch

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. Proverbs 12:15 When daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped out of his space capsule from 128,100 feet on October 14, 2012, he was attempting to set a world record. He ended up setting more than one. He s

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit . Ephesians 3:18 In sailing, a “sheet” is a rope used to control the movable corners of a sail. There are three main sails held in place by the sheets aboard a sailing vessel. When those sheets

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17 It happens most often as we move into the winter season: people inevitably start showing up to work and school with the sniffles. That usually leads to coughing, sneezing, and a lot less hand-shaking and interaction between co-workers and classmates. Often the person with the cold will say, “I would shake your hand, but I’m contagious and I don’t want to get you sick.” That is usually our

Remove not the old landmark… Proverbs 23:10 It is a fact that most people live within fifty miles of where they grew up. That is not the case for me. I live over eight hundred miles from my home town. Naturally, I don’t get to go back home as often as I would like to, and things change a lot between visits. The home that I lived in for the first six years of my life is torn down; the little store I used to walk to to buy “penny candy” has been moved; and even the little groce