S – Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. ⁵  When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. 

Proverbs 23:4–5 ESV

O – Commentary:

These verses warn against overwork for the sake of gaining riches. This speaks not against being industrious but against consuming oneself for money. Wise restraint in this area (as well as in what one eats at a banquet, vv. 1–2) is needed, especially in the present day when materialism drives many people to excessive work loads in order to accumulate more money. The reason for this advice is that riches are temporary and unstable 

 Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 956.

A – God wants us to work hard and money is our gain for it.  It allows us to enjoy life’s blessings.  Yet, it shouldn’t take precedence or a higher place than God.  When we find the proper pursuit for both God and money, our lives are in alignment spiritually and materialistically.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Jehovah Jireh, our Provider.  Thank you for your blessings that you bestow upon us.  We are grateful for the abilities you give us to work diligently and to earn what we live on daily.  You provide and bless us in many ways.

S – The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. 

      Proverbs 22:4 ESV

O – Commentary:

Humility and the fear of the Lord go together (cf. 15:33). A person cannot be fearing God (worshiping, trusting, obeying, and serving Him) and be filled with selfish pride at the same time. Wealth … honor, and life result from fearing God, and as in 21:21 (see comments there) they also come from righteous living. So the fear of the Lord and righteousness are closely related.

Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 952.

A – Great commentary – our life cannot be filled with selfish ego and pride while pursuing a holy God.  As we grow closer to him, our life needs to emulate the one we are in relationship with daily.  We will never eradicate it completely.  Instead, we see less of it and more of Him in our daily actions.  The results and blessings are amazing.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Holy and worthy of our worship.  Empower us to walk in humility and fear of you.  We do not want to be known for our ego or pride. Instead, we want to honor and trust in you.

S – The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. 

Proverbs 21:1 ESV

O – The king is the most powerful person in the land than he reigns over.  Yet, God is the one who directs him to accomplish his will and purposes.

A – God will accomplish his purpose in our lives. (Job 42:2). Either we can align with his will and enjoy the blessings or we can continue to fight for our own will and be disappointed that we didn’t get our way.  If we trust God to do things for our good, it causes us to  surrender to him.  

R – Heavenly Father, we worship and surrender to you.  We give you our hearts to hold and direct.  We want our will to align with your will.  Help us to grow in faith and trust in you.  We know you have things that bless and grow us.

S – The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him! 

Proverbs 20:7 ESV

O – Commentary:

Usually a righteous man, a person who consistently behaves aright and is blameless (morally whole; cf. 2:7; 10:9), has children who are blessed. His children, seeing his example of integrity, are encouraged to be the same kind of people.

Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 948.

A – Proverbs has such a practical application.  When we choose to pursue character, integrity and authenticity, it has a dramatic effect on our lives…and those who see us live it out.  They want to pursue it too.  What a great promise for us that our children will receive the benefits of our pursuits.

R – Heavenly Father, thank you for all of the blessings you give us each day.  Help us to have the same heart to pursue integrity, honesty and character in our own lives.  As you model it for us, we want to do that for our children and families as well.

S – Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 

Proverbs 19:21 ESV

O – We will come up with many ideas and we should plan accordingly.  God has a purpose and plan for us as well.  His will overrules our will plans.

A – As we grow more like Christ, the gap between our will and plans and God’s should become smaller.  We want to do what he has purposed for us.  It also speaks to our faith in him when his plans differ from His.  The idea of holding all things with “open hands” is a growth point for all believers.

R – Heavenly Father, you alone are God.  We can put our faith and trust in you that your plans are better for us than even our own.  Help us to grow so they two wills become one.  We want to know and grow in the purpose you created us to accomplish.

S – An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 

Proverbs 18:15 ESV

O – A smart person desires to know more.  A wise person recognizes the importance of continuing to learn.

A – There is considerable amount of data that shows how our overall life is affected by learning as we get older.  Being curious and learning new things keeps us healthier and more vibrant in life. This proverb talks how the “heart” acquires the knowledge.  Just as we feed our bodies and souls, we must feed our heart with new growth.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the source of all wisdom and knowledge.  Help us to continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom in our hearts.  Guide us in all things today that will make us a better reflection of you and your love.

S – The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts. 

Proverbs 17:3 ESV

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).

Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 942.

A – The Lord tests us and allows trials.  They reveal the “cracks” in the foundation of our lives – our hearts.  In these trials, we find out what our true convictions are that we live by each day.  We also see the depth of our strength.  What we learn in a test allows us to expand our maturity and wisdom.  The key question is “Do we love God in the trial and have more faith and love for him after?”  If we do that, we are maturing in our relationship with Him.

R – Heavenly Father, you are God.  No one enjoys times of testing and trials.  Yet, we want to grow in our relationship with you.  Empower and strengthen us to meet our challenges and challengers with a deep faith and love for you.  Refine our love so we can be more like you in our hearts and convictions.

S – Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 

Proverbs 16:18 ESV

O – Commentary:

The pride of those who resist God and stubbornly rely on their own strength (16:5) is self-destructive and foolish because, apart from God’s help, no one has the resources required for life.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Pr 16:18.

A – No one says they aspire to be prideful or haughty.  Yet, it has been the battle since the garden of Eden.  Simply put – “My way is better than God’s way.”  We want to pursue our own will and purpose and use our own gifts and talents to do it.  And, we will succeed to the level and results all of those will support.  With God, there is so much more including His wisdom, power, presence and the elevation of all that he has already given us naturally.  We need to eliminate the pride and humbly invite him for more.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Jehovah Jireh, our Provider.  You have given us gifts, talents and abilities to accomplish your purpose for our lives.  Empower us to pursue this humbly and reliant on you.  We want to see true victory that comes from a growing relationship with you.

S – Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of man! 
Proverbs 15: 11

O -Death (še’ôl) and destruction (’ăḇaddôn, from ’āḇaḏ, “to perish or die”) may be synonyms of the grave and of the dead in it (cf. 27:20; Job 26:6; “destruction” [ ’ăḇaddôn] is also used in Job 28:22; 31:12; Ps. 88:11). Since God can see the dead in their graves, surely He can see living people’s hearts (cf. Prov. 15:3), that is, their motives, thoughts, and desires (cf. Ps. 38:9a). Man’s heart deceives him but God knows it
 
Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” (https://ref.ly/logosres/bkc?ref=Bible.Pr15.11&off=7&ctx=15%3a11.+~Death+(s%CC%8Ce%E2%80%99o%CC%82l)+and+destruction+() in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 937.

A – God knows all.  He is omniscient.  We can imagine that as a “Good” God, he would not have anything to do with the enemy’s ways.  God is the Creator of all things so he knows of death and destruction and the heart of each person.  He knows each of us with full knowledge.  We can share our hearts in good and bad times because He is there to help us navigate all we face.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the Creator of all. Empower us today to share our hearts with your openly.  You already know our challenges and joys.  Meet us there today and help us to grow our hearts to be more like yours.

S – A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated. 

Proverbs  14:17 ESV

O – Commentary:

Quick-tempered connects this verse with the preceding one. Such a person does foolish things (cf. v. 29; 15:18). “Flying off the handle”—not controlling one’s temper—causes a person to do and say ridiculous things, which he may later regret and be unable to undo. Even more difficult to live or work with is a person who is crafty (cf. 12:2) or scheming (mezimmâh; see comments on 1:4). A person who schemes and works underhandedly to get his way and to oppose others is hated by others because he is untrustworthy. He goes astray

 Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 935.

A – It is interesting that both the quick temper and evil devices erode trust with that individual.  You cannot trust a person if you are unsure of the ability to handle a situation.  Same with a scheming person – you will always wonder “what is their angle or purpose?”  Great wisdom for us to evaluate ourselves and those in our inner circle.  Both qualities are detrimental to building trust with others.

R – Heavenly Father, we worship and surrender to you.  Help us to grow in our ability to be trusted.  We want to be slow to anger like you are and honest in our plans.  Empower us to eliminate any traces of this in our lives.  Also, help us to recognize it in others and love them enough to share it with them honestly.