Wednesday, April 12th

Today’s Scripture

Work hard at your job and you’ll have what you need. Following a get-rich-quick scheme is nothing but a fantasy. The cravings of the wicked are only for what is evil, but righteousness is the core motivation for the lovers of God, and it keeps them content and flourishing. The wicked will get trapped by their words of gossip, slander, and lies. But for the righteous, honesty is its own defense. For there is great satisfaction in speaking the truth, and hard work brings blessings back to you. A fool is in love with his own opinion, but wisdom means being teachable. If you shrug off an insult and refuse to take offense, you demonstrate discretion indeed. But the fool has a short fuse and will immediately let you know when he’s offended. Truthfulness marks the righteous, but the habitual liar can never be trusted. Reckless words are like the thrusts of a sword, cutting remarks meant to stab and to hurt. But the words of the wise soothe and heal. Truthful words will stand the test of time, but one day every lie will be seen for what it is.

Proverbs 12:11-19

Today’s Thought

Stand against offense with all your might and never give it access to your heart… It’s coming but never receive it — reject it and overcome it… It’s your job to stay on guard against it… Resist the enemies of your heart and they will flee…

Today’s Confession 

Thank you, Lord, for helping me to guard my heart against offense. Help me stand firm and resist all temptation to let offense get to my heart. I will choose to resist the enemies of my heart knowing they will flee!