God’s Wisdom Saves Lives

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives. Proverbs 11:30

Heavenly Father, please give me wisdom to follow Your path and directions. Help me to look out for others as You guide me.

Scripture Insight 

As general statements of wisdom and guidelines for living, proverbs predict expected outcomes based on our wise or foolish choices. Generosity is the theme of several of these proverbs (11:24-26), and the conclusion is clear: generosity is a wise approach to life. The apostle Paul highlighted the principle of sowing and reaping mentioned in verse 24 when he wrote, “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). Conversely, hoarding hurts both ourselves and others. By distributing what we have, we bless all concerned. Bible commentator David Stabnow points out how King Sihon of Heshbon refused to sell grain to the Israelites when they were passing through his land, and he and his people were destroyed (Deuteronomy 2:26-36). Joseph, on the other hand, stored grain for the purpose of distributing it. By doing so, he blessed the entire region with life—and preserved the nation of Israel in the process (Genesis 41:56).

Tim Gustafson