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Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Tradition from the biblical world records a practice of mothers with their newborn infants. To stimulate the nursing reflex, a mother would rub the juice from a crushed date on the lips and palate of the infant to stimulate the sucking reflex. That idea is consistent with the meaning of the Hebrew word for “train up” (or “start”) in Proverbs 22:6. The word for “train up” is also translated as “dedicate”—as in dedicating a house or a temple (Deuteronomy 20:5; Ezra 6:16; 1 Kings 8:63).

Initiate, start, dedicate, train up—all are in the semantic range of meaning when it comes to raising a child so he will not leave the moral and spiritual “way” when he is old. The book of Proverbs suggests two primary means for raising a child in “the way”: instruction and correction (discipline). Instruction identifies the way and starts him on it; correction puts him back on the way should he stray from it.

If you are a parent or grandparent, keep these two priorities in clear focus for the children in your family.

Children need to be trained, not just in the facts of life, but in the ways of life.
Anonymous

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Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well…. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
Proverbs 5:15, 18

Recommended Reading: Song of Solomon 4:15

When Sennacherib, king of Assyria, threatened to invade Judah, King Hezekiah blocked off all the springs around Jerusalem so the Assyrian army could not access water. Most famously, he blocked a spring in Gihon outside the city walls and dug a tunnel from the spring to a pool in the city to supply water for Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:1-4, 30). Known today as Hezekiah’s tunnel, tourists to Jerusalem can walk through the entire length of the 1,749-foot-long tunnel.

That historical event shows how valuable water was in the arid Middle East. Wells, cisterns, and springs were protected at all costs. Solomon used wells and cisterns to illustrate the importance of a man protecting his wife (Proverbs 5:15-20). Not only should he refresh himself from his own “well” (wife), but he should also protect his wife so that strangers will never seek refreshment from her (verse 17). A good marriage is a life-sustaining source and force.

May your marriage be nurtured and protected and be a source of life and refreshment.

There is no estate to which Satan is more opposed than marriage.
Martin Luther

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He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 31:10-29

The Bible was not written primarily as a marriage manual, but if you study the Word of God carefully, you’ll find invaluable principles that will help you build a strong family. The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom for choosing a spouse, establishing a marriage, building a home, and safeguarding one’s relationships.

Proverbs tells us that one of the building blocks of marriage is spiritual. If you are married or if you are considering marriage, it’s important to make sure the Lord is in the equation. The man who finds a godly wife—and the wife who finds a godly husband—finds something priceless.

If you are asking God for someone to marry, read through the book of Proverbs and notice how involved the Lord can be in the process. Proverbs 19:14 says, “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” Proverbs 31:10 asks the question, “Who can find a virtuous wife?” Or husband? The implied answer is—the Lord!

As someone once said, “We can do more than pray after we’ve prayed, but we can’t do more than pray before we’ve prayed.”

A good marriage isn’t something you find; it’s something you make.
Gary L. Thomas

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August 10, 2026

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Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers. Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.
Proverbs 4:14-15, NLT

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 4:14-18

One of the most recent studies in marital issues found that 20 percent of married men and 13 percent of married women admit to sexual infidelity—to cheating. But not all infidelity involves sex. More than 90 percent of women and nearly 80 percent of men admit to having had an emotional affair at some point. Where do affairs start? The study shows 37 percent begin in friendship groups, 31 percent in the workplace, and 25 percent begin with social media and online.¹

We are all vulnerable! But we can also run. We can flee. We can do as Proverbs 4 says—don’t follow that path. Don’t even think about it. Don’t go that way. Turn away, and keep moving.

If you’re in a tempting situation, do everything you can to get out of it, and ask the Lord to keep you from temptation. In Genesis 39, Joseph literally ran from Potiphar’s wife, leaving his cloak in her covetous hands. Are your personal defenses weakening? Are you getting careless with your Internet use? Are you becoming too friendly in a platonic relationship? Take corrective steps now!

True love for Christ will mean hatred of sin.
John Benton

1. Kayla Crane, “Infidelity Statistics 2026: Cheating Rates, Affairs & Research Data,” South Denver Therapy, January 27, 2026.

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Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess.
Deuteronomy 4:5

Recommended Reading: Psalm 1

The Pentagon, a five-sided building constructed during World War II, was designed for an irregular plot of land bounded by roads that formed a rough five-sided shape. The Latin word for five is pent, and that’s also why the first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch.

The Jews called these books the Law or the Torah, and they contain core teachings foundational to biblical truth. When an observant Jew reads Psalm 1, for example, this is the way he reads it: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly … but his delight is in the [Torah] of the Lord. And in His [Torah] he meditates day and night” (verses 1-2).

Most of us like to read familiar biblical passages. But it all goes back to the Torah, and we would be wise to read it more often. Deuteronomy is especially rich. Read it, and you’ll find the Lord’s statutes and judgments that show us how to act in the land we are possessing with our souls.

Moses makes it clear that blessings come when the heart is right.
Warren Wiersbe

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A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly and suffers the consequences.
Proverbs 22:3, NLT

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 27:12-17

The high school student was an actor, and the blood was fake. But the emergency teams were real, and the trauma felt real too. Students listened as the intensive care doctors, nurses, and organ donor specialists tried to deal with the consequences of one fictional student’s risky behavior. The coordinator said, “We don’t want to stop young people from enjoying their independence, but we also want to give them a different perspective on the real-world consequences that can follow a rash decision.”¹

Proverbs 22:3 also warns us of real-world consequences for risky behavior, and the message is so important the verse is repeated word for word in Proverbs 27:12.

When we sin, there is a spiritual price tag. God forgives, but He doesn’t take away the consequences. That’s why we have to think ahead, foresee danger, and take precautions. One of the precautions is to fill your heart with verses from God’s Word so that you can make good decisions on a daily basis.

As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, to sit in judgment upon our character and conduct.
Jerry Bridges

1. “A Lesson in Consequences of Risky Behavior,” Coast Community News, March 31, 2026.

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Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings.
Daniel 2:20-21

Recommended Reading: Daniel 6:1-10

In seventeenth-century England the Protestant Reformation was in turmoil, and a civil war had erupted. The English king sought to impose his “divine right” to rule over the Protestant churches. A Scottish Presbyterian pastor Samuel Rutherford published a book in 1644, titled Lex, Rex (“The Law Is King”), to point out that the king is not above divine law. His theme was the same as that of the apostles who told the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

While the Bible is clear that secular rulers are to be obeyed, it is also clear that we are “to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). For example, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den for refusing to obey the king’s law prohibiting prayer to God (Daniel 6). And Daniel’s three friends were subjected to a fiery furnace because they refused to worship the king’s golden image (Daniel 3).

If you are ever subjected to an ordinance that violates God’s law, seek the Lord for discernment. Remember that God establishes rulers for His purposes.

God is a totalitarian ruler who demands full allegiance from his subjects.
R. B. Kuiper

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My child, fear the Lord and the king. Don’t associate with rebels, for disaster will hit them suddenly. Who knows what punishment will come from the Lord and the king?
Proverbs 24:21-22, NLT

Recommended Reading: Romans 13:1-7

One of the Pharisees’ attempts to entrap Jesus concerned paying taxes to Caesar. If Jesus said it was wrong to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would have reported Him to the Roman governor. If He said it was appropriate to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would have accused Him of being disloyal to God. His answer negated their attempts at entrapment: pay to Caesar what is owed to Caesar and pay to God what is owed to God (Matthew 22:15-22).

In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, we are told to honor both God and the king (Ecclesiastes 8:2-5; 1 Peter 2:17). Paul gives the most detailed explanation in Romans 13:1-7 where he says that civil rulers have been established by God. Therefore, to rebel against civil authority is to rebel against God. He says that civil authorities are God’s ministers who commend right behavior and punish wrong behavior.

We may not always agree with civil authorities, but we are to honor them just as we are to fear the Lord (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

All the world’s thrones are occupied by rulers under God’s authority.
John Blanchard

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10

Recommended Reading: Job 28:12-19

We may never find ourselves in a predicament as trying as Job’s. But that doesn’t mean we won’t have some of the same questions. We would do well to learn from Job’s search for wisdom as he tried to unravel the reasons for his circumstances.

Job was searching for the wisdom to navigate his difficulties. In his discourse with his friends, Job said, “But where can wisdom be found?… From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?… And to man [God] said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom’” (Job 28:12, 20, 28). Job’s words would find agreement from Solomon who later wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). When we lack answers, the place to begin is the fear of the Lord—which means elevating His plans and purposes above our own and submitting our lack of answers to His omniscience.

When you find yourself needing wisdom, remember the words of James who quoted Solomon: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

Humility is the hallmark of wisdom. 
Jeremy Collier

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If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5

Recommended Reading: 1 Kings 3:4-14

Imagine you are facing the most daunting challenge of your life—and you feel totally unprepared to handle it. Then imagine God invites you to ask Him for anything you need. What would you ask Him for?

This was the experience of Solomon, David’s son, when he was about twenty years old and became king. What would you have felt as a twenty year old in Solomon’s position? God came to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he needed (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon’s reply to God was humble and wise. He asked God for “an understanding heart” to be able to judge the people of Israel as king. Because Solomon did not ask for long life, riches, or victory over enemies, God granted his request and gave him “a wise and understanding heart” (1 Kings 3:9, 12).

The apostle James wrote that we have the same privilege—to ask God for wisdom whenever we need it. If you are facing a challenge in your life, ask God for wisdom and expect to receive it.

Of all the pursuits open to men, the search for wisdom is most perfect, more sublime, more profitable, and more full of joy.
Thomas Aquinas

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Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another.
Exodus 26:3

Recommended Reading: Exodus 26:1-6

Since August has five weekends, let’s have fun with biblical fives, starting with the Old Testament tabernacle. God the Father so loved His people, He wanted to camp among them. The tabernacle was a special, ornate tent designed for that purpose, and we keep bumping into the number five as we study it. There were five curtains (Exodus 26:3), five supporting rods (26:26-28), and five pillars at the entrance (26:37). The altar was five cubits long and five cubits wide (27:1), and there were ten sets of five loops and clasps (26:5-6).

There’s nothing magical about the number five, but it does show us how intentional God was in structuring a place to abide among the Israelites. Nothing about the tabernacle was random. It was planned, structured, and graciously provided for.

In the same way, the God who arranged every curtain and pillar has also arranged all that is needed to make His home in your heart through His Spirit. His presence with you is wisely ordered, and your very body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). What a blessing!

The Holy Spirit takes up residence in believers, making their bodies a holy place for the dwelling of God’s special presence.
Richard L. Pratt, Jr.

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Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.
Romans 12:6

Recommended Reading: Romans 12:3-8

A recent study conducted by scholars from China and Switzerland found they could use brain stimulation to make people more generous. Gently syncing two brain areas made people noticeably more generous, even when it ended up being costly to them.¹

The apostle Paul wanted to stimulate the brains and hearts of Christians by the power of the Word of God. So he said we should use our gifts generously, whether prophesying or ministry or teaching or exhorting or giving or leading or showing mercy (Romans 12:6-8).

Giving is tangible evidence of the reality of our love. We see God’s love all around us as we benefit from His blessings. So why would we not desire to do things for the Lord after all He has done for us? Whether it’s through tithing, getting involved in a church ministry, or serving others as He directs you, make a point to evidence your faith through giving.

All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence to be with them.
J. Hudson Taylor

1. PLOS, “Scientists Used Brain Stimulation to Make People More Generous,” Science Daily, February 13, 2026.

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Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Romans 6:16

Recommended Reading: Romans 6:15-19

Paul begins Romans by calling himself a bondservant of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1). He uses the same Greek word, doulos, in chapter 7. But here in chapter 6 it is translated as “slave.” We were at one time slaves to the law and to sin. Now, he says, we are slaves to righteousness. He adds in verse 22: “Having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness.”

Everyone serves someone. Are you a slave to sin or to righteousness? By birth we are slaves to sin, but by grace and faith we have become slaves of God. There’s no need to be enslaved by shame, addiction, sin, guilt, and death. Christ wants to set you free from all of those things that you might be a slave to God.

Have you become a servant of God? If not, take time today to accept Christ as Savior, and He will set you free.

Obedience to God releases His blessings and joy, here and hereafter…. Humbling acts of service to others, as Jesus modeled when He washed the feet of His disciples, releases joy in our hearts.
Bill Bright

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My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.
Galatians 4:19

Recommended Reading: Galatians 4:17-20

It takes time to grow into the image of Jesus Christ. This reality is counterintuitive to our instant gratification culture where we can get same-day delivery for packages and instant accessibility to the world from the palms of our hands. But forming our souls does not happen at digital speed. It occurs slowly and often painfully.

The apostle Paul told the Galatians that he was laboring for Christ to be formed within them. This is the ultimate goal of our Christian experience. We want our souls and spirits to be shaped into the personality of Jesus Christ. And, for the glory of God, we want others to see this.

If you spend time with someone for a while, you can know what they’re like. Similarly, when someone spends time with us, we want them to be able to tell by our actions that we are Christ followers. Are you living in a way that proclaims your commitment to the Lord?

Spiritual maturity is marked by spiritual knowledge being put into action. 
Edward Bedore

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As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
1 Chronicles 28:9

Recommended Reading: 1 Chronicles 28:1-10

A recent survey found the top friendliest small businesses in America. The results included a candle company in South Dakota, a chocolate company in Minneapolis, and a bookstore in Montana.¹ These enterprises had gone above and beyond in serving their clientele. The survey didn’t include churches, but wouldn’t we expect local churches to be the friendliest places town?

That depends on you and me. How important to know God and to serve Him with a loyal heart and a willing mind. When we serve others outwardly, it strengthens our inner being. And it not only glorifies God, but it also benefits us as Christians.

If you are not serving, you are not living and nourishing your inward being. Consider places in your church where you can serve, and volunteer with a willing heart.

One of the principal rules of religion is, to lose no occasion of serving God. And since he is invisible to our eyes, we are to serve him in our neighbor.
John Wesley

1. Irving Betesh, “Study Reveals the Top 150 Friendliest Small Businesses in the U.S.,” Advance Funds Network, February 19, 2026

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We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18

Recommended Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

Both the Old Testament (1 Samuel 16:7) and the New Testament draw a clear distinction between the priority of the inner person over the outer person. Yet in our modern world that priority is reversed. Far more attention is put on cultivating the outward appearance than is put on developing the spiritual person.

That’s not to say that the physical person is not important. Paul made clear that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and should be treated accordingly (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). But Paul also made clear that our physical body is slowly fading away and will return to dust in anticipation of a glorified, eternal body when Christ returns. As he said in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18, things that are seen are temporary while things that are not seen are eternal. Death is at work in us physically, but life is at work in us spiritually (verse 12).

Make sure your priorities are biblical and that you are cultivating the life that will live eternally through prayer and Bible study.

All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.
C. S. Lewis

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Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:24

Recommended Reading: Luke 6:46-49

“The wise man built his house upon the rock…. And the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down, and the floods came up…. And the house on the rock stood firm.”¹

Many Christians have fond memories of singing in their childhood Sunday school classes. One of the most memorable songs they probably sang was about a wise man who built his house on the rock and a foolish man who built his house on the sand. Complete with hand motions, the song taught the lesson found in Jesus’ parable in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27). Jesus likened the rock to His teachings—building a house (life) on His words would be a strong defense against life’s winds, rains, and floods. Ignoring His teachings would be the equivalent of building a house on the sand. In the Middle East there is no shortage of rocks and sand—the lesson would have been obvious to Jesus’ listeners.

Take Jesus’ words to heart—build your life on the sure foundation of His Word.

My conscience is captive to the Word of God.
Martin Luther

1. Ann Omley, “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man,” 1948, public domain.

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The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:6, NIV

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:1-9

Some chapters of the Bible are special enough to have nicknames. We call Hebrews 11 the Faith Chapter of the Bible. We think of 1 Corinthians 13 as the Love Chapter. Psalm 23 is the Shepherd’s Psalm. We consider Romans 8 the Holy Spirit Chapter of the Bible. The Spirit is mentioned twice in the first seven chapters of Romans. In Romans 8, the Holy Spirit is mentioned about twenty times.

When our mind is governed by the Spirit, a peace floods our hearts. The Spirit takes the verses of the Bible which we have been studying, and He makes them real to us. We learn to set our minds on Christ and turn our thoughts to things above.

When we have fears and doubts, we can experience the peace of God as the Holy Spirit manifests the life of Christ in and through us. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to come alongside us to comfort and encourage us. Take steps to make sure your mind is governed by the Spirit. Focus on Scripture. Let the truth of God establish your steps.

The Holy Spirit hath given us relief…by supplying us with a rule of the interpretation of Scripture.
John Owen

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Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
Job 34:12

Recommended Reading: Job 34:10-15

Kendra Thomas, professor of psychology, listens when children cry, “It’s not fair!” She wrote, “Every experience shapes a kid’s worldview. In childhood, injustice comes with the sense of powerlessness; it is both outraging and demoralizing.” She said that children need adults in their lives to “teach them how to cope with it…. Perhaps they are handling a minor injustice and need a listening ear and some perspective.”¹

When Job was going through his trials, he and his friends often questioned whether justice was being served. Job’s friends thought that he deserved punishment, but Job could not understand why God let him suffer so greatly. However, the great points of the book of Job are that God will never do wickedly and the Almighty will never pervert justice.

You may be going through some situations that are not fair, not just. But as time goes by, it’s amazing how we can look back and see God’s hand of goodness and justice. We can trust Him with hard days. Remember the wise saying: When you cannot trace God’s hand, you can trust His heart.

Sometimes when we get overwhelmed, we forget how big God is.
A. W. Tozer

1. Kendra Thomas, “Why You Should Listen When Your Child Cries, ‘Not Fair!’” Scientific American, March 18, 2024.

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Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders…. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power.
Job 37:14, 23, NIV

Recommended Reading: Romans 1:19-20

What is your response when you hear something about God or the Bible that you have never heard before or which you have heard but don’t believe? All of us have blind spots due to lack of teaching or due to our presuppositions. After investigation we may find our original position confirmed, or we may change our views. But in the beginning we must be humble and ask God to show us what is correct.

Job was a man who had blind spots about God. He had four friends who attempted to enlighten him with some views that were correct and some that were incorrect. But Job was not receptive. He thought what he knew about God was accurate until God revealed Himself. Job was forced to repent and change his beliefs and actions (Job 38–42). He had to acknowledge that God was bigger and more majestic than he had ever known.

Make room in your understanding for God to reveal Himself in ways that you did not expect. Allow Him to expand your knowledge and experience.

Every work of [God] serves to display His glory, and set off the greatness of His majesty.
John Gill

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