S – A person’s spirit can endure sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit? 

Proverbs 18:14 CSB

O – Commentary:

But if a person is crushed (“stricken or prostrated”; cf. 15:13; 17:22) inwardly, if his inner strength is gone, medicine can hardly sustain him. A physically ill person can be borne along by his spirit, but if his spirit is down too, if he is depressed, what or who can lift him out of his illness?

“Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

“Broken” – nâkê˒, smitten, i.e. (fig.) afflicted:— broken, stricken, wounded.

 James Strong, The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words

A – Mental health is a real, valid area today.  One of the most significant battlefields in our lives will be in our minds.  Our thoughts are foundational to our everyday health.  We must invite the Holy Spirit into our thoughts and ask God to help us “renew” our minds daily.  

R – Heavenly Father, you are our Creator and hold all things.  We invite you to renew our minds through your Word and relationship.  Help us eliminate the thoughts that don’t honor you or ourselves.  Keep us strong in our minds, souls and bodies.

S – “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” 

⁷ I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; 

today I have become your Father.

Psalms 2:6–7 CSB

O –  Commentary:

my son (or Son). Today I have become your Father (or Today I reveal you as my son): People in the ancient Near East commonly accepted a father-son relationship between gods and kings. In Israel, the Lord adopted kings as his sons. God set David apart as his most excellent and exalted son (89:27). All descendants of David were the Lord’s representatives or agents. As an eternal member of the Godhead (John 1:1) and a descendant of David (Acts 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5), Jesus is the true Son of God.

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A—God affirms his covenant with David that his lineage will be “as sons” to him. This also perpetuates his plan of the Messiah coming through the line of David to save the world.  Jesus uses this verse to affirm who He is when he was before religious leaders.  This statement spans hundreds of years and works together to accomplish God’s plans.

R – Heavenly Father, we honor you above everything.  Thank you for your plan and purpose to save us from our sins.  We invite your Holy Spirit to lead us today.  Give us courage and discernment to hear your voice in all we do.  Let us honor you today.

S – Before his downfall a person’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. 

Proverbs 18:12 CSB

O – Commentary:

Haughtiness cultivates pride. It leads to failure because it does not allow for change in the face of criticism. Humility learns from others and leads to the honor of success

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A – I like the commentary  where it says, “Doesn’t allow for change.”  Change isn’t easy.  Yet, we live in a world of change.  If we are to navigate it well, we cannot rely only on ourselves.  Nor can we be arrogant enough to think we don’t need to learn from God and others.  Humility invites the Holy Spirit and others to speak healthy truths into our lives.

R –  Heavenly Father, we honor and glorify you today.  We invite your Holy Spirit to be part of our thoughts, words and actions.  Show us your ways and empower us to change when necessary.  We want to show your love to others.

S – ¹ Hallelujah! 

Praise God in his sanctuary. 

Praise him in his mighty expanse. 

² Praise him for his powerful acts; 

praise him for his abundant greatness.

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. 

Hallelujah! 

 Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ps 150:6.

Psalms 150:1–2, 6 CSB

O – “Hallelujah” – defined

hâlal, haw-lal’;  to be clea; to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; caus. to celebrate; also to stultify:

Yâhh, yaw;  Jah, the sacred name:— Jah, the Lord, most vehement. comp. names in “-iah,” “-jah.”

The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996).

The Psalm ends with anything that breathes should celebrate the holy name of God. 

A – This appears to be a simple command.  We should boast and give glory to the One, True God.  We can do this every day with our thoughts, words and actions – basically our lives.  The challenge comes when He doesn’t meet our expectations or we are challenged.  As long as we are breathing, we need to honor Him.

R – Heavenly Father, we choose today to put our boast in you.  We want to honor you with every breath and action we take.  Thank you for another day to walk in your plans and purposes for us.

S – After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’ 

Acts 21:10–11 CSB

O—The prophet Agabus gave a visual prophecy depicting Paul’s capture by the Jews in Jerusalem and trial by the Gentiles. The powerful illustration was fulfilled. 

A – Paul knew what would happen to him and still moved toward it.  Life is challenging and complicated at times.  What do you do when you know God is putting you into a difficult situation?  You move into it knowing that the Holy Spirit is with you and that you have all of God’s resources.

R—Heavenly Father, we surrender and worship you. As we enter a new week, we honor you first.  We know this week will have challenges.  Help us to walk confidently in your presence and power.  Give us courage to face all that we go into and obey your direction.

S – He remained faithful to the Lord and did not turn from following him but kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses. 

⁷ The Lord was with him, and wherever he went he prospered

 2 Kings 18:6–7 CSB

O – Hezekiah remained faithful to the Lord.  He did not fall away at the end or turn to other gods during his reign. God rewarded that with his presence and prosperity.

A—This embodies our challenge. We love God today. Will we stay aligned with Him and His will? Will we do this for a lifetime and “finish strong?” God is ready to provide his presence, power, peace and blessing. The choice is ours.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the one true God.  There is no other God that is above you.  Give us strength and conviction to follow you today and each day.  We want to finish strong, knowing that we have honored you in our lifetime.

S – Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded

Acts 19:14–16 CSB

O – Commentary:

I know—I know (γινώσκω—ἐπίσταμαι). There is a purpose in using two different words to denote the demon’s recognition of the Divine Master and of the human agent, though it is not easy to convey the difference in a translation. It is the difference between an instinctive perception or recognition of a supreme power and the more intimate knowledge of a human agent. A divine mystery would invest Jesus, which the demon would feel, though he could not penetrate it. His knowledge of a man would be greater, in his own estimation at least. The difference may be given roughly, thus: “Jesus I recognize, and Paul I am acquainted with.”

Word Studies in the New Testament, 

A – Each of us needs a personal relationship with God.  We cannot say, “My parents or good friends know God” and expect us to get “grandfathered” into the relationship.  Each of us will be accountable for our own relationship.  We need others to help us grow but the responsibility falls on us.

R – Heavenly Father, you invite us to enter a relationship with you.  We know that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior.  Help us to grow that relationship in strength and intimacy.  

S – He remains faithful forever, ⁷ executing justice for the exploited 

and giving food to the hungry. The Lord frees prisoners. 

⁸ The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are oppressed.^, 

The Lord loves the righteous. 

⁹ The Lord protects resident aliens and helps the fatherless and the widow, 

but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalms 146:6–9 CSB

O – Commentary:

The idea of God’s faithfulness (v. 6) suggested to the psalmist many ways in which the Lord is gracious and righteous to people. He helps the oppressed … gives food to the hungry (cf. 111:5; 132:15; 136:25; 145:15), releases prisoners … gives sight to … blind people, raises up the defeated, loves the righteous, protects the sojourner, and leads the orphan and widow to security. But, because He is just, He also leads the wicked away into frustration.

“Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – God is faithful.  It is hard to comprehend an unlimited God.  Yet, he “gets into the weeds” when it comes to us and bringing justice to those in need.  I personally love that he takes care of the fatherless and the widows.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the God above all things. Thank you for getting into the details of our lives.  We invite you to do your will and fulfill your purposes.  We love you today!

S – The one who has knowledge restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head 

is a person of understanding. ²⁸ Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent—

discerning, when he seals his lips.

Proverbs 17:27–28 CSB

O –  Commentary:

A wise man is cautious in what he says; he thinks before he talks (cf. 14:8) and does not gab. This reveals that he is even-tempered (lit., “cool of spirit”; cf. the recent phrase “keeping one’s cool”). Restraint in talking may even cause a fool (’ěwîl, an arrogant, hardened fool; see comments on 1:7) to be considered wise.

“Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – Most people are considered wise for what they say.  This brings the other side of the equation.  Listening and restraint is an important aspect as well. 

R – Heavenly Father, we surrender and stand in awe of you.  Help us to listen today.  Give us restraint when we we want to surge forward.  We desire to do your will and accomplish your purposes today.