Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Proverbs 13:10 My father was a very wise man. He had both street smarts and book learning. The street smarts came from living during extremely difficult times. He never went to college or formally finish high school. The book learning came from his never ending thirst for reading and his continual education during a 22 year career in the Army. I can remember seeing him with a book in his hands almost every night. When I was a teenager, my dad and I would talk for hours about politics, the Vietnam War, famous people, his ..read more

Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 9:33–35 Have you ever wished you had King Solomon as a personal advisor when a major decision loomed? Wouldn’t it be great to have someone wise to help you make the right choice whenever uncertain circumstances arise? Well, why settle for the apprentice when you can have the Master? Today’s passage reminds us to listen wisely to the Lord’s instruction. But how do we listen so a ..read more

For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6 Solomon was the wisest man to ever walk the face of the earth. He asked for only one monumental thing from the Lord. Solomon asked for wisdom sufficient to lead God’s people properly. It stands to reason God gave him wisdom far beyond what anyone has yet to attain. Much of the Book of Proverbs is attributed to Solomon and wisdom is a major theme throughout the text. Today’s passage reminds us that it is the Lord who gives wisdom. From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. I can certainly use all ..read more

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. Psalm 111:10 Any study of wisdom should start with today’s passage from Psalms. The Psalmist asserts “the fear of the Lord” is the beginning of wisdom. The use of the word fear has a different connotation than that of being terrified of something. I look at “fear of the Lord” like I do fear of my earthly father. I was fearful I would disappoint him with my decisions in life; I would not live up to the moral standards by which he lived his life; I would not grow t ..read more

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Psalm 35:1 A couple of weeks ago my wife and I participated in the State Advocacy Day sponsored by our local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. During the event, we meet with state senators and representatives in our state capitol at Frankfort, Kentucky to share my story and seek additional support for legislation that would help Alzheimer’s patients living in long term care facilities. Since my diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease over nine years ago, I speak at every opportunity about livi ..read more

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14 My son, Ben, bought a 300 magnum rifle years ago to hunt coyotes and deer. After buying the rifle, a friend commented I’d better hold firmly to the stock since a 300 magnum kicks quite a bit. I thanked him for his advice but soon forgot it. The next weekend Ben and I were zeroing in the scope for deer season. We set up a target and loaded the rifle. I got in the prone position, aimed, and gently squeezed the trigger. The round went off an ..read more

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Isaiah 7:9 I love to watch the old Dirty Harry movies where Clint Eastwood stars as Detective Harry Callahan. I love these movies because I always know where Detective Callahan stands when it comes to law enforcement and the apprehension of known criminals. He doesn’t play favorites, politics, or games. He always stands on the side of justice. If you stand on the other side, well, you’re just likely to make his day. To Harry, it seems pretty clear what is right and wrong. The book of Isaiah is pretty clear cut as well. You defi ..read more

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13–14 Most of my life has been pretty easy compared to my father’s life. He lived on a tenant farm during the lean time right after the Great Depression. Life was tough but he was raised by two God-fearing parents who went to church every Sunday and had a strong and courageous faith. His parents worked hard and raised nine children on a small dairy farm. Being a farmer in those days was difficult because modern farm machinery was still in its infancy. Most work was accomplished with ..read more

…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. Acts 10:38 I love the way Luke describes the ministry of Jesus when he says, “He went throughout the land doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil.” It is especially important how Luke places doing good before healing in his description of Jesus’ ministry. Perhaps doing good is the first step in living a life orchestrated by God. Did you catch the secret to how Jesus did this? God anointed ..read more

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 3 John 11 When I was a boy I joined Boy Scouts and poured my heart into it. I remember the camping trips, merit badges, summer camp, and special things we did in Troop 486. One thing remains rooted in my heart from scouting: do one good deed every day. I can still recall lying down at night to go to sleep and remembering I had not done my good deed for the day. I would get out of bed and do something for my mom so I could fulfill my scout obligation. Soon ..read more