DAY 1 – JUNE 20

TITLE: “A GOOD NAME”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: PROVERBS 22:1-6

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Proverbs 22:1-2

Key Verse: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1

What thoughts and emotions come to mind when you read the following names: Billy Graham, Abraham Lincoln, Bin Laden, Brittney Spears, Adolf Hitler and Chuck Colson? Behind each of these names is a life that has resulted in a reputation of some sort. Some have reputations that bring healing and hope and others have reputations that bring pain and hurt. Their names are identified in some way with their actions.

This passage points out the value of a good reputation. I heard a story about a company that hired a management consultant to appraise the personnel efficiency reports made out by their managers and supervisors. The consultant expected the reports to be dull going, but found, to his surprise, they contained a good deal of intentional -- and unintentional -- humor. Here are a few examples...

· This foreman has talents but has kept them well hidden.

· Can express a sentence in two paragraphs at a time.

· A quiet, reticent manager. Industrious, tenacious, careful, and neat. I do not wish to have this woman as a member of my department under any circumstances.

· In any change in policy or procedure, he can be relied upon to produce the improbable, hypothetical situation in which the new policy cannot work.

· Needs careful watching since he borders on brilliant.

· Open to suggestions but never follows them.

· Is keenly analytical, and his highly developed mentality could best be utilized in research and development. He lacks common sense.

· Never makes the same mistake twice, but it seems to me he had made them all once. 

This story points to the reality that each one of us is building a reputation. The actions, attitudes, and words we speak are the wood and plaster that our reputations are made of.

In the book of Acts, we find the story of a man by the name of Cornelius. He was a converted Roman centurion at Caesarea. He is known as the first Gentile convert, and through his conversion, the door of faith was opened unto the Gentiles. Author, Herbert Lockyer, writes of him, “Prayerfulness, obedience and spiritual receptivity characterize this godly Roman centurion.” Scripture describes him by saying, “He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people.” Acts 10:22. He was a man with a reputation God can use. Are you building every day a reputation God can use for His glory?

DAY 2 – JUNE 21

TITLE: “DANGER”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: PROVERBS 22:1-6

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Proverbs 22:3

Key Verse: “A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Proverbs 22:3

As I write this, tornadoes, floods, and Mississippi have all been on the news. A story has been told that in 1969, in Pass Christian, Mississippi, a group of people were preparing to have a "hurricane party" in the face of a storm named Camille. Were they ignorant of the dangers? Could they have been overconfident? Did they let their egos and pride influence their decision? We'll never know.

What we do know is that the wind was howling outside the posh Richelieu Apartments when Police Chief Jerry Peralta pulled up sometime after dark. Facing the beach less than 250 feet from the surf, the apartments were directly in the line of danger. A man with a drink in his hand came out to the second-floor balcony and waved. Peralta yelled up, "You all need to clear out of here as quickly as you can. The storm's getting worse." But, as others joined the man on the balcony, they just laughed at Peralta's order to leave. "This is my land," one of them yelled back. "If you want me off, you'll have to arrest me."

Police Chief Peralta didn't arrest anyone, but he wasn't able to persuade them to leave either. He wrote down the names of the next of kin of the twenty or so people who gathered there to party through the storm. They laughed as he took their names. They had been warned, but they had no intention of leaving.

It was 10:15 p.m. when the front wall of the storm came ashore. Scientists clocked Camille's wind speed at more than 205 miles-per-hour, the strongest on record at the time. Raindrops hit with the force of bullets, as waves off the Gulf Coast crested between twenty-two and twenty-eight feet high. News reports later showed that the worst damage came at the little settlement of motels, go-go bars, and gambling houses known as Pass Christian, Mississippi, where some twenty people were killed at a hurricane party in the Richelieu Apartments. Nothing was left of that three-story structure but the foundation; the only survivor was a five-year-old boy found clinging to a mattress the following day.  

They were warned of the coming danger but they refused to take refuge. They kept on going and consequently paid a terrible cost for their decision. Godly wisdom calls us to take refuge when we see the danger ahead of us. God is our refuge. Listen and reflect on this promise today. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1.

DAY 3 – JUNE 22

TITLE: “HUMILITY”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: PROVERBS 22:1-6

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Proverbs 22:4

Key Verse: “Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

As I reflect on the word humility, a story in the New Testament comes to mind. It is the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector, as recorded in Luke 18:8-14. Both men went up to pray, but one went with pride and the other with humility. The Pharisee prayed about himself and his accomplishments. Scripture goes on to say, “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” Listen to the commentary Jesus gave on this story. Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:13-14.

In essence, this is what Proverbs 22:4 is saying, “It is the humble that will be exalted.” God desires humility, not pride. Pride always gets in the way. Self-centeredness is at the very heart of unrighteousness. Pride reveals a spiritual arrogance. God accepts the humble of heart. The humble in heart are those who are repentant and trust their lives to Him and His mercy. We do not come to God like the Pharisees on the basis of our goodness, merits, discipline, or religious rituals. We come to God in humility because of His great grace and love. It is through the door of humility that we enter into His presence.

The other night, I was playing the piano and decided to play the 1st Movement of the Moonlight Sonata written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1801. He remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time. As I reflected on the song, I was reminded of a story about Beethoven. On a visit to the Beethoven museum in Bonn, a young American student became fascinated by the piano on which Beethoven had composed some of his greatest works. She asked the museum guard if she could play a few bars on it; she accompanied the request with a lavish tip and the guard agreed. The girl went to the piano and tinkled out the opening of the Moonlight Sonata. As she was leaving, she said to the guard, "I suppose all the great pianists who come here want to play on that piano." The guard shook his head. "Paderewski [the famed Polish pianist] was here a few years ago and he said he wasn't worthy to touch it."

Whenever I think of that story, I think of the difference between pride and humility. It takes humility to live wisely. Humility is the key to experiencing what God can bring to our lives when we fear Him.

DAY 4 – JUNE 23

TITLE: “THE RIGHT PATH”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: PROVERBS 22:1-6

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Proverbs 22:5

Key Verse: “In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.” Proverbs 22:5

The other night, Sharon, Amanda, and I decided that we would play a board game. Amanda said she wanted to play The Game of LIFE. We had not played that game in a long time. And, the reason why is because we had misplaced the game. That evening, I went and did some extra hard looking and found it.

Because it had been awhile since we last played the game, we had to read some of the rules again and refresh our memories on how to play. While I taped the box back together, since it had pretty much fallen apart, the girls got the game ready for us to play.

As we began to play, we discovered that a choice had to be made as to which path each player would take in the game. There are two options in The Game of Life. However, the decision one makes about which path to take can impact the rest of the game. Each path offers possible benefits that the other path does not. The path you take will determine the salary you will receive throughout the game and can ultimately determine whether you win or lose.

In the real game of life, there are many choices that we can make. However, in Scripture, there are two basic paths that we can choose from. One is the path of wisdom and the other is the path of foolishness. The call of this passage is to choose the path of wisdom and not the paths of the wicked. To choose the path of wisdom is to guard your soul and stay away from the thorns and snares found in the paths of the wicked.

In the Old Testament, one of my favorite Bible characters is Joshua. Toward the end of his life, Joshua called the people to make a choice. The choice was to take the path of being faithful to the true God or the path to serve other gods. Joshua then said, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15b. He made the choice to guard his soul and take the path of righteousness, staying away from the path of wickedness.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14. Choose the right path by guarding your soul and staying away from the thorns and snares found on the paths of the wicked.

DAY 5 – JUNE 24

TITLE: “WHAT ARE WE TEACHING THE CHILDREN?”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: PROVERBS 22:1-6

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Proverbs 22:6

Key Verse: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

The life we model and teach by our actions is often learned. If we want those we are teaching to go in a certain direction then we must lead in that direction.

If a child lives with criticism,
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with tolerance,
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love. (Unknown)

Every day, we are teaching and influencing others by the way we live. The children that live in our homes have a front row seat to watch the life we live. What are we teaching our children with our daily actions and words? Though there are some who are reading this who don’t have children in the home, most of us still come into contact with children in some way on a regular basis. Whether it be a grandchild or a great-grandchild, a nephew or niece, a neighborhood child or a child that we see at church, little eyes are watching us. Let us talk and walk the way that we desire that children should go. Let us live in a way that pleases God so that those who watch us will want to live that way also.