Thought for the Day

In these verses, we find three precious gems of wisdom: how to avoid contention, how to prosper financially, and how the results of answered prayer will produce growth and life.

Verse 10 - Unyielding pride always produces strife. To live peaceably, we must be humble, not thinking of ourselves as better than others. To be right about the facts, and yet act in a wrong way is still not right. As God's children, we must always act as He would have us act (1 Peter 5:5-7). This is not to say we should always defer to others or be a "door mat." Sometimes, it is harder to face people by speaking the truth in love, as we would rather avoid a difficult confrontation. When we find ourselves in disagreement, we should ask God how He would have us respond, no matter what our personal feelings. If we feel we are being treated unfairly, the best way to seek justice is to forgive, and treat others as we wish to be treated. When we pray for the good of others, God will defend us. We should never pray for evil to come to those who oppose us. Such a prayer does not come from God's heart. By blessing our enemies in our thoughts and prayers, we overcome evil with good (Romans 12:19-20).

Verse 11 - Obtaining money quickly does not develop character, which comes with patience and hard work. Those lacking character soon waste their money. Wealth gained by the sale of goods of a detrimental nature, such as drugs and pornography, will not last either. Wealth that is obtained at the expense of another's harm will dwindle away. History has recorded the deeds of some very wealthy men who gained their wealth by exploiting others. At the end of their lives, they were left as paupers.

Verse 12 - The last gem in our study tells us that when something we have set our heart on does not come to pass, we can become heart-sick. If disappointment comes over and over again, hope is soon lost. However, when a person receives the desire of his heart, it produces great joy, like a tree of life. A healthy tree grows bigger and stronger each year. So it is, when we receive things that we have prayed for and desired. As Christians, we should never yield to discouragement or despair, because the One Who is Hope lives in us. We must remember God has a perfect time to answer our prayers. We must learn not to depend on people or circumstances for encouragement but on the Lord. We must be like David who sought encouragement from God when threatened by his own men. "And David was greatly distressed…but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God" (1 Samuel 30:6).