Daily Challenges Archive

Years ago, a local ministry leader used to tell me how beautiful my wife was. I certainly was already aware of that, but it was a bit uncomfortable, yet kind of him to say so, I guess. Over time, he continued to tell me that, and I finally let him...

Detest is a strong emotion. The dictionary simply defines it as ‘to despise intensely.’ Another source puts it this way: ‘to feel abhorrence of; hate; dislike intensely.’ Obviously, you and I don’t want the Lord detesting anything about us. Here, ...

When I was a teenager, there was nothing like payday. I loved opening the envelope and seeing that check. Yes, long ago, we actually received a check on payday. Solomon is letting us know what the righteous and the wicked earn. Ultimately, their p...

I have often wondered about the meaning behind the seven pillars. What if they had said six or eight instead? God doesn’t waste words or descriptions. We know seven is an important number in God’s Kingdom. “Some commentators interpret the pillars ...

I never really cared for rhetorical questions. Ask a question or make a statement, but asking a question with a fairly obvious answer and not expecting a response feels kind of smart-alecky to me. In this verse, it is used as a way for Solomon to ...

We have a local restaurant that provides excellent service from the kindest, most pleasantly attentive servers. As you look around the place, you’ll notice a chalkboard along the end of a low wall separating the tables. On the chalkboard, you’ll f...

Two days ago, I was in a meeting with a group of area pastors. As we walked through the agenda, one of the members, who works closely with those in difficult financial situations, brought up what was happening to people in today’s economy. His poi...

In this section of Proverbs, Solomon is cautioning his readers not only to avoid sin but also to stay away from it to the extent of keeping their journey far from it. Sin is always working to get close. To tempt us, Satan knows that if he can keep...

I have mastered the ability to do my daily Bible reading plan with sports radio playing in the background or my TV news keeping me informed at the same time. If your first response to that sentence was skepticism, you are correct. One of the key p...

As a teenager, peace and a long life were not issues I considered often. Prosperity was basically a tank of gas and burger money. Today, all three are regularly creeping into my thoughts. It is logical that as I age, I find these issues a bit more...

Solomon is referring back to the beginning of this chapter. He tells us that as we invest in God’s truth, His word, knowing what we need to live correctly is the byproduct. It can be easy—often, organizations, even churches, get caught up in progr...

Have you ever made a decision, moved forward with it, and suddenly wished you had done something differently? There is a sense of that in this verse. Solomon wants us to know that God offers all the wisdom, understanding, and direction we need. W...