S – My innermost being will celebrate when your lips say what is right.

Proverbs 23:16 CSB

O – When are words are healthy, it is an indication that our hearts are in a good place.  

A – Our thought life is closest associated with our hearts and souls.  The Bible says out of the “abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”  When our foundation is solid and we can meet life’s ups and downs with words of life, we make an impact for God.

R – Lord, help me to do this today.

S – Humility, the fear of the Lord, results in wealth, honor, and life.

 Proverbs 22:4 CSB

O – The fear of the Lord is based in respect and honor for God.  Humility is knowing you are not the focal point of all that is going on.  They work together.  The result is abundance, honor and we are truly alive.

A – Interesting that less of me and more of God results in more than expected in goods, wealth, resources…respect, elevation in position, value by others…meaning, purpose, and all in perspective.

The things we want the deepest start with our view of God.  And doing this while elevating Him and keeping a healthy perspective of ourselves.

R – Lord, help me to do this today.

S – A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses

Proverbs 21:1 CSB

O – Commentary:  A king was the most powerful individual in an ancient nation, and it seemed that he could do as he pleased. However, God directs the heart of the king.

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A – Our actions are directed by wants, needs and desires.  That is the visible layer of the “why” behind what we do.  We also are led by our hearts and that is the realm that God/ Holy Spirit work in each day.  The key is to align our hearts with God’s plan and purpose.

R – Lord, help me to align my heart with your purpose and desire for me today.  

S – The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth

 Proverbs 20:19 CSB

O – There are people who want to be in the know and share too much from it.  Stay away from them.

A – We live in an age where information is more accessible than ever.  People fear missing out and want to be included.  Be the leader that gives communicates well – good information at the right time.  Listening is just as important.  Having a “big mouth” rarely works to your advantage.

R – Lord, let me listen well and communicate effectively today.

S – The one who acquires good sense loves himself; one who safeguards understanding finds success

 Proverbs 19:8 CSB

O – Commentary:  Wisdom translates lēḇ (lit., “heart”) which here means “sense” (rendered “understanding” in 15:32). Living sensibly shows that a person loves his … soul. This does not refer to vanity or narcissism but to genuine concern for one’s destiny. Cherishes is literally, “keeps, guards, or preserves” (cf. 19:16). To keep watch over one’s understanding results in benefits to one’s soul (8:35–36); he prospers (cf. 16:20) spiritually and emotionally (as well as materially).

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

A – I like the commentary on this.  It isn’t just applied knowledge.  It connects to your heart and soul.  It confirms the interweaving connection of mind, soul and body.

R – Lord, help me to be wise and have common sense.  And let it bring all the benefits to my soul, mind and body.

S – A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. 

 Pr 18:22 CSB

O – Commentary:  Matrimony is desirable because a wife is “a suitable helper” (see Gen. 2:20 and comments there). The Lord sanctions marriage for He states that finding a wife is a good thing and that God is pleased with marriage (on the noun favor, rāṣôn.

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

A – This reaffirms God’s plan from the beginning.  Man and woman would come together to accomplish His purpose and will.  They would do this in a relationship with Him and with each other.  The woman in Genesis 2:20 is “Ezer Kenegdo,” which means “A strong warrior, complementary to man.”  It is a good thing when a husband and wife can do life together, complementing each other in their gifts, attitudes and actions.

R – Lord, thank you for the gift of my wife today.  Together, we choose to walk with You and each other in a way that brings glory to you.

S – A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the Lord is the tester of hearts.

 Proverbs 17:3 CSB

O – Commentary:  As silver and … gold are purified under intense heat (cf. 27:21), so a believer’s heart is purified by the heat of trials which the Lord brings (James 1:2–3; 1 Peter 1:7).

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

A – The Lord will test us…and it will be intense.  As we grow in the Lord, the testing and challenges continue to grow so our faith will develop even more.  Interesting that the result is purification.  Goes back to God looking at our motives.  We can clean up our acts (words, thoughts and emotions) but He sees the heart…an ongoing battle that needs constant refinement.

R – Lord, search and purify my heart each day.  In the process, draw me closer to you.

S – All a person’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs motives.

 Proverbs  16:2 CSB

O – Commentary: A person may think nothing is wrong with what he does; outwardly it may seem innocent. But God knows his heart, whether the motives behind his actions are pure or not. The Lord judges people on the basis of why they act (cf. 17:3; 21:2) because He sees human hearts (cf. Matt. 6:4, 8, 18).

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – God looks at the heart.  My intentions and my attitudes are on display for him to judge.  I need to act from a pure heart and motive.

R – Lord, help me to do this today.

S – Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. 

Proverbs 15:22 CSB

O – As wise and knowledgeable as one person can be, they are limited to only what they bring to the moment.  With a number of wise advisors, they will have more complete success.

A – It is my responsibility to bring my best to the moment.  It is also my responsibility to know where I lack and invite someone with that strength to the moment.  When I do this, I will achieve greater results than if I was alone.

R – Lord, help me to do this today.

S – There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty.

 Proverbs 14:23 CSB

O – There is something to be gained in work.  Mentally, physically and psychologically – we grow when we work.  Those who chose to talk, strategize and explain beyond a healthy point will never achieve the gain of the task.

A – We should embrace our work as a catalyst to make us better.  We need to talk and listen in a healthy way that is a catalyst for us to work effectively.

R – Lord, help me to do this today.