¹⁸ Telling lies about others
    is as harmful as hitting them with an ax,
wounding them with a sword,
    or shooting them with a sharp arrow. ~ Proverbs 25:18

Once a lie is spoken about someone it can NEVER be undone. The damage is done and the people who hear the lies will not look at this person the same again. The truth is it is as harmful and hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword or shooting them with sharp arrow, it does not kill them but wounds them for life, leaves a scare that will be with them for life.

Usually when we lie about someone the motive is purely selfish, it’s always to make ourselves look better. It is a matter of pride, low self esteem and a dishonest heart. Always speak the truth — ALWAYS — even if it hurts or it’s very hard, in the end when all is said and done, nobody is hurt.

Break PRIDE in your life, it’s the root of all sins and shortcomings, it’s the ruin of friendships, families and marriages.

Now go out and have an EPIC day today.

Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
    don’t be happy when they stumble.
For the Lord will be displeased with you
    and will turn his anger away from them. ~~ Proverbs 24:17-18

Most of us are guilty of this to some degree. We love to see our enemies stumble and fall. Just think for a moment of the magnitude of this scripture, let’s look at who are our enemies in the world. Christians vs the world. Let me say right up front that it should NOT be this way, in reality we should have NO enemies except Satan and his demons.

If this scripture is true think about our actions when it comes to…..

Abortion – gay marriage – death with dignity – the president of the United States – and the list can go on and on. …….

What should be the Christians actions? Prayer!!! Prayer!!! Prayer!!! Does it mean we have to be silent and stand up for justice? NO NO NO it does not. We need to stand, we need to make noise, we need to fight for justice BUT we do not need to HATE!

This very simple little scriptures says that when we do rejoice that God will turn his anger away from our enemies… think about that.

Now what about in our personal lives? We all have people we don’t really like, we work with them, we go to school with them, we live next door to them etc…. PRAY for them!! Do not rejoice and hope for a fall, do not wish or even pray for them to stumble so YOUR life is easier. This comes our of a heart of love that comes from a relationship with Jesus…. He transforms and renews our hearts and minds.

This could be written so much deeper, this is just a short blog but it’s a very important word.

Now go our and have an EPIC day today.

Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.
    Be wise enough to know when to quit.
⁵ In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,
    for it will sprout wings
    and fly away like an eagle. ~ Proverbs 23:4-5

I know people, good people, God lovers, who spend their entire life focused on getting rich. Always looking for the “next” thing, the next get rich plan, the next book or seminar that comes along to get rich. I know people who work crazy long days and night, leaving their family, never in church / ministry, leaving friends and family behind trying to make it big enough to be rich.

A man / woman has to take care of their family, they have to work to put food on the table and to pay bills. They have to work hard to provide for a family and a future. BUT…. there is a line we should not cross. There is a place where “faith” that God will take care of us and provide our needs over leaving family behind and 100% focused on making money. There is NO wisdom in living that way!!

Like the word says here.. “it will fly away in the blink of an eye” and you will be left with nothing, no money, no bank accounts, not family and no friends and most of all a very weak is any relationship with the Lord.

Be wise when it comes to working. Your children are more important than money, your marriage is more important than money and your relationship with Jesus is more important than money.

Now go out and have an EPIC day today.

¹⁷ Listen to the words of the wise;
    apply your heart to my instruction.
¹⁸ For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart
    and always ready on your lips.
¹⁹ I am teaching you today—yes, you—
    so you will trust in the Lord.
²⁰ I have written thirty sayings^[b] for you,
    filled with advice and knowledge.
²¹ In this way, you may know the truth ~ Proverbs 22;17-21

Says it all — if we just read the word and then move on to the next portion of scripture it really does not good to us, but if we study, re-read, until we KNOW them then it becomes life changing. When you know the truth and you gain wisdom from God’s Word they will always come back to us when making a choice, a decision, and a move in our life. You will be filled with knowledge and advice. I LOVE THIS!!!

The very 1st post I made on when I started this journey was about how within the Proverbs there is wisdom in every single situation we will EVER fact. The answers are within these 31 chapters.

Now go out and have an EPIC day today

³ The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just
    than when we offer him sacrifices. ~ Proverbs 21:3

Wow do I love this and how true this is…. As Christians many try to please God or think they please God by going to church, serving on a board or giving in the offering. Being a “good churchman” or using the right words to sound like a strong Christian. But as we have seen over and over again in these Proverbs God sees the heart of man, even our very thoughts!!

God would rather and is pleased that we do what is right and just over going to church services to make an appearance. OUCH.

God is all about Justice and He is looking for men and women in the kingdom to stand for justice in a world where justice has no place. Justice in this world today is turned upside down….take a look at all the “moral” issues we face today, take a look at the money issues, the racial issues etc…. they are ALL upside down and we are being led to some very dangerous places.

Stand up and do what is right….and what is just in this world. Jesus did!!!

Now go out and have an EPIC day today

²⁷ The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit,
    exposing every hidden motive. ~ Proverbs 20:17

This is such a powerful scripture to learn in our lives. Once again most of us live like this is NOT true at all. I always say “you are what you believe” so we can quote a word like this, we can teach a word like this and we can preach a word like this. But if we do not believe it we will NEVER ever live it. When we try to live it out and do not really believe it, then it become a form of legalism and a life long battle.

God sees OUR HEARTS, our spirits and our motives in every action, every word and every thought……nothing is hidden from Him.

The big question is, How do we go from knowledge of a scripture to “believing” a scripture? The answer is really very simple and anyone can do it. RELATIONSHIP with Jesus, fall IN LOVE with Jesus. It all boils down to His Word, this is how you get to know Him and you cannot fall in love with Him if you do not know Him. I am shocked and amazed by how many people who claim Jesus as savior do NOT read His word. With today’s technology you can read, listen in almost any format. Not a preacher but the WORD/BIBLE

Now go out and have an EPIC day today.

¹⁷ If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—
    and he will repay you! ~ Proverbs 19:17

I think for the most part almost everyone will agree it’s a good thing to feed the hungry. The problem I see in this is we determine who the hungry is. Why? Because we feel like and have been told how many scammers are out there, I don’t know how many times I’ve heard about the man begging on the street corner and around the corner he has a Mercedes parked.

A few weeks back I was at the gas station, I know everyone who works there and a woman came up to me and asked for money for food. She didn’t make up some story about needing gas to get her sick mother to a hospital etc, but simply said “I’m hungry can you help?” I gave her a couple bucks and said bless you and she walked away. When I went into the station to pay they ALL jumped on me telling me what a “FOOL” I am and how she begs there every single day….laughed at me and called me a fool. I walked out of there shaking my head and thinking “I’m a fool???? they are the fools” So what if she begs there daily and lives off that, in the bible there are stories of men and woman who sat in the same place begging for years and we read these stories and think nothing of it.

Then there is the one “they just go buy alcohol with it and I’m not going to give for that….” — I take this stance …. If I feel a nudge from the spirit to give them something, it’s not my business what they do with it, it is between them and God. After all if God uses me to give them money, the money is from HIM!!! I am sick of walking around trying to protect myself from being taken when I GIVE money away to someone. In the end what really matters?

God rewards, God provides, and it’s His money, his resources … as for me I’m a Stewart of his stuff.

A very good word today indeed.

Now go out and have an EPIC day today

¹² Haughtiness goes before destruction;
    humility precedes honor. ~ Proverbs 18:12

adjective, haughtier, haughtiest…….

1. disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious:

Another way to put this is “Pride always comes before a fall” I can say by looking back at my life just about every bad decision I’ve made, every person I’ve hurt, every financial failure I’ve had, every friend or family member I’ve lost has been due to PRIDE. When we start thinking we are “all that” in our lives, our schools, our careers, our family, and our friendships we are DOOMED.

Even as a pastor, a man who is after God’s own heart, a man that is called to lead others to Jesus, a man that dedicates his life to ministry……when this man starts thinking that he is something special, that everyone needs him he is LOST and DOOMED to fall. I have seen it and I have lived it.

Work force is the same, the boss or leader who thinks the company can’t make it without them… they are set up for a fall…. husbands….wives…children…friends…..EVERYTHING and EVERY POSITION in life this holds true. So what is the answer?

It’s actually very simple… HUMILITY!!! In fact the very thing prideful people are looking for is HONOR in their world and the Word says it is humility that proceeds honor.

Here is my view of my life today at 63 years old…. I deserve NOTHING,…. nobody owes me anything…. the truth is I can’t even be trusted with my own life, I’ve made mess after mess trying!! I humbly come to the Lord daily and rest in His perfect peace.

Want a good long peaceful life… learn at a very early age about HUMILITY.

Now go out and have an EPIC day today!!

⁹ Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
    but dwelling on it separates close friends ~ Proverbs 17:9

Forgiveness is a powerful thing!!! When you truly forgive someone it empowers them, it empowers you and love always prospers! Love is advanced in this world to new places, new levels, and to new people. When someone wrongs you it does a multitude of different things to your emotions, feelings, and heart. It literary can mess a person up for life if they allow it.

WAY too many people dwell on the “wrong” the “fault” that was done to them…..and the reality is this puts you in bondage while the person who wronged you is walking free…this bondage can make you ill, take all your energy, cause mental illness, stress, addictions, weight gain, and even death. DO YOU REALLY WANT to live that way? FORGIVE FORGIVE FORGIVE… I hear people all the time say “I just can’t forgive…..it was too bad, they hurt me too deep….” I am sorry but that is wrong!!

You can forgive and that does not mean you have to be friends. Here is the test if you really have forgiven or not…. do you think about it? do you still get angry? do you still cry? do you dwell? do you still say “what if’s” ?

Forgiveness is for YOU

Here is a link to a song written by my friend Lisa Daggs — Forgiveness is a Powerful Thing

Now go out and have an EPIC day today