- The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30 – While Solomon would not have had Paul’s writings yet to study, we see that Solomon understood the concept of the fruits of the Spirit. That the result of a life living in obedience to the Lord’s word is fruit that brings life to themselves, and as we see in the second part of the verse, to others as well. We see that the one who “captures souls” is wise. What this means is the one who is about sharing the Gospel and winning lives to the Lord is a wise person. While the gospel as we know it wasn’t on Solomon’s mind when he penned this proverb, he was meaning the one who leads people into a right relationship of obedience and faithfulness to the Lord is a wise person. God longs for His people to be wise like this. To be capturing souls. To be out in our daily lives at work and school and the gym and at home seeking to win lives to Jesus Christ. If we then are seeking out what is the wisest way to handle ourselves in life, let this verse be your answer. The wisest thing you can do in your life is be about people hearing the Gospel. Why is that the wisest thing? Because when that is what your life is about, then you are living in obedience to the Lord and that is a lifestyle the Lord is waiting to bless. Life for yourself is what you find in such a righteous life, and life for others is also found from such a life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2919
- One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:24-25- Here we see a lesson that heavily goes against much of what the world says. We learn from this passage that those who give out have more. Those who give encouragement will find support for themselves. Those that help will find help. Those that hold back from giving anything will find themselves lacking help when they need it. Don’t listen to the lie that to make it to the top you have to hold all that you have close to you and never share. Giving out is what will create the trust and bonds with people that will have your back when you need it and will help you get to where you’re going. Giving, not withholding, is what will push you into further success. Always remember that healthy relationships with people and God is far more valuable than any dollar amount you can have in your bank account. Invest in what really matters. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 682
- When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too. Proverbs 11:7 – His hope will die. That’s a scary thing to read and dwell on. Hope is the thing that keeps us going. When life is rough, our hope is what inspires us to move to take another step. Yet here, hope dies. For the wicked, his hope perishes. This means all the things he is expecting to save him in his day of trouble die and fade, making it impossible for them to be there for him when he needs them. His own strength perishes, wealth perishes, his position perishes. We need a place to put our hope that will never perish. The only one in all of existence that can be our source of never-perishing hope is Jesus. All other things perish and can’t stand the test of time like Jesus. Chase after Jesus then, the only source of hope that will fully provide when you need it most. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1693
Daily DEVO 