S – A wise person is cautious and turns from evil, but a fool is easily angered and is careless. 

Pr 14:16 CSB

O – “Cautious” – yârê˒, to fear; mor. to revere; caus. to frighten:— affright, be (make) afraid, dread (-ful), (put in) fear (-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence (-end), × see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).

The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words

• The wise person references and has a healthy fear (dread and terror) of God. A fool lacks both of these and is led by his own emotions and actions. Notice that his thoughts are not addressed.

A – Our culture maligns the “cautious” person. We love the bold and courageous. There is a time for that. There is wisdom in being cautious. In the spiritual realm, having a healthy reverence and understanding of God’s magnitude causes us to look for evil and run from it. A fool left to his own interpretations, is emotional and uncaring.

R – Heavenly Father, we surrender and worship You today. You have no limits and are all-powerful and all-knowing. Give us the wisdom to fear you in reverence today. You are the one, true God and you have no equal. Please help us to walk in this wisdom.

S – ⁴ In him was life,^, and that life was the light of men. ⁵ That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. 

John 1:4–5 CSB

 O – Commentary:

Life is man’s most important asset. To lose life is tragic. John affirmed that in the ultimate sense, life is in Christ. Man’s spiritual and physical life come from Him. (For John’s teaching on life, cf. 5:26; 6:57; 10:10; 11:25; 14:6; 17:3; 20:31.) Jesus, the Source of “life” (cf. 11:25), is also the light of men (cf. 8:12). Light is commonly used in the Bible as an emblem of God; darkness is commonly used to denote death, ignorance, sin, and separation from God

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

A –  So much is said about Jesus in these verses.  The essence of it all is that He is the source of life, He is in the darkness and is victorious over the darkness. We are invited into a relationship with our Creator and source of life.  That is mind-blowing.  What we do with that is our choice.

R – Heavenly Father, thank you for our relationship with you through Jesus Christ.  We love that your light always wins no matter how dark it gets.  Please help us to walk in that courage and strength today. We love you today.

S – Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” ⁴⁰ Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet.

Luke 24:39–40 CSB

O – Jesus is giving the disciples tangible evidence that He is the one crucified and resurrected.  The fact that He stood before them should suffice.  Yet, they needed more.

A – Whether by accepting Christ as Lord or even walking that decision out daily, it takes faith.  We are often in situations like the disciples here.  We can see that God is working but we still need more “proof.”  God continues to extend his grace by showing His love in tangible ways.

R – Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus going to the cross for our sins.  That is enough for our salvation and relationship with you.  In times of doubt, please help us to grow our faith.  We can see your work in so many areas of our lives.

S – When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves by worshiping the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. ³⁴ The Israelites did not remember the Lord their God who had rescued them from the hand of the enemies around them. ³⁵ They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel. 

Judges 8:33–35 CSB

O – Commentary:

Gideon’s ephod (8:27) quickly became part of a pagan shrine honoring images of the ever-present Canaanite deity Baal, here called Baal-berith (“Baal of the covenant”). Fundamental to this apostasy were the twin themes of forgetting the Lord and his works and disloyalty to godly leadership. Remembering is basic to biblical, covenantal worship, from the time of the Exodus (Exod 12:14, 24) to the ongoing Christian celebration of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:25).

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A – Forgetting what God did for the Israelites is a common OT theme. Additionally, they did not honor the one who delivered them from oppression.  We need to remember God daily.  Such a great caveat to notice at the Lord’s Supper that Jesus reminds us to remember.  Honor is important as well.  We should recognize and appreciate those who have gone before us so we can enjoy the freedoms of today.

R – Heavenly Father, we love you today.  We will not forget all that you have done for us.  Most importantly, Jesus went to the cross, crucified and resurrected so we may be forgiven of sin.  Thank you for the things you do to show us your love.  Help us honor those who have gone before us for their sacrifice and actions that allow us to live a better life today.

S – The Lord has made his victory known; he has revealed his righteousness 

in the sight of the nations.

Psalms 98:2 CSB

O – “nations” – gôy,  a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (fig.) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:— Gentile, heathen, nation, people

The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words 

The Lord has made known his deliverance and salvation by His character and rightness in all people.

A – People need God.  Evangelism isn’t a church thing; it is the heartbeat of God to be in a relationship with all people.  If it is important to God, it should be important to us to share our faith so others can know Him too.  He has done his part by revealing himself, even when people refuse Him.  We need to do our part of allowing His love and character to flow through us.

R – Father, we love you today.  We are grateful for the relationship you have with us.  Help us to share it with others in our words and actions.  As you reveal yourself to others, we want to share our story as well.

S – That very day Herod and Pilate became friends.^, Previously, they had been enemies

Luke 23:12 CSB

O – Two very distinct leaders – Herod who led by fear and Pilate who led by pride – became friends.

A – My wife Kristin shared this principle with me a while back.  As Jesus moved closer to the cross, these two leaders joined forces physically to crucify him.  In the spiritual realm, fear and pride work together daily to destroy Christians.  Fear keeps you from doing what God tells you to do and pride pushes you to be before God.  They align perfectly to keep you distant from God, with you as the center of your life.

R – Heavenly Father, I surrender and worship you today.  I reject fear and pride in my life.  I do not want them.  I ask for your strength and courage to choose your way and not allow either to influence my thoughts, words or actions.  I want to be a reflection of your true love and character in these areas.

S – Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 

Luke 22:41–42 CSB

O – Facing the journey of the cross, Jesus prays for God to take this burden from him. In the end, Jesus yields to the Father’s will.

A – We all have things we do not want to do but know it is what we are supposed to do.  The gravity of the cross is the ultimate “discipline” of obedience.  Jesus knew the plan and what results it would produce for mankind.  I appreciate his humanness of him to say “Is there another way.”  We can all relate to that.

R – Father, there are hard things you want us to do today.  Knowing You are with us, we want to obey with humility and courage.  Let us move with resolute strength to accomplish Your will today.

S – That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works he had done for Israel. 

¹¹ The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight

Judges 2:10–11 CSB

O – Commentary: 

The new generation of Israelites that grew up after their faithful fathers died was distinguished by its faithlessness toward the Lord. That they knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel could imply a failure of the older generation to communicate God’s acts to them (cf. Deut. 6:7). But the word “knew” probably has the sense of “acknowledge” (cf. Prov. 3:6, where “know” is trans. “acknowledge”), thus indicating unbelief rather than ignorance. They rejected both the Lord’s grace toward them and their responsibilities toward Him. This led to the idolatrous practices cited in the verses that follow.

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

A – The present generation’s responsibility to teach, equip and prepare the next generation is huge.  They should make it a significant priority.  Ultimately, that responsibility shifts to the generation as they move into leadership and pursue their own goals.  With such a rich history of freedom and conquest, it is disappointing to see the new generation of Israelites move in an evil direction.

R – Heavenly Father, we come to you knowing that we are human and broken.  Our love for you keeps us moving toward you.  We recognize our human design is sinful and self-seeking.  We need your Holy Spirt to lead and direct us today.  Victory over evil starts with victory over ourselves.

S – The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently

Proverbs 13:24 CSB

O – Commentary: 

He who withholds his rod hates his child Proverbs emphasizes the importance of discipline, viewing it as a matter of life or death (19:18; 23:13–14). Since children are characterized by folly in Proverbs (22:15), proper training and discipline ensure they will remain on the right path throughout their lives (22:6)

Faithlife Study Bible 

A – Discipline is a foundational principle.  What was ever accomplished by random, haphazard actions?  Love drives us to work hard with our kids to ensure they have good moral and life skills.  As a parent, you must do the work – you pick what age you want to do it.  Discipline done in love yields strong, lifelong results.

R – Heavenly Father, your love for us causes you to discipline us.  Please help us embrace that discipline to grow and stop doing things detrimental to our lives.  We honor and thank you for all the ways you express love to us.

S – But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” 

Joshua 24:15 CSB

O – In his last days, Joshua challenges Israel to make a choice.  Continue to worship the gods of their past or exclusively the Lord.  He declares He will serve the Lord.

A – This is the dilemma we face each day.  Are we going to serve the things that are not God or are we going to serve the true God?  God gives us a free will and a choice.  I agree with Joshua – me and my family will choose God.

R – Lord, there is no other God than you.  You are the one, true God.  I choose you and in put my faith, trust and life in your hands.  Help me to grow in our relationship today.