You can never be certain that your motives are pure. You know all too well the deceptive nature of your good intentions. Yet, we still tend to trust them. And, we believe the lie that we can know the motives and intentions of others. This combination is destructive to peace, contentment and stable relationships. Solomon makes this warning about motives in Proverbs 16:2: All the ways of a person are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord is the one who evaluates motives. Here are three important lessons to.. read more

God is good because of who he is. He is not good because of the beauty of nature. He is not good because of who is or is not the president. He is not good because I am happy with my circumstances. He is not good because I deserve it. He is not good because I have good health. He is not good because I live in apparent safety. He is not good because it is a beautiful day. God is good because his own being and character defines goodness.  .. read more

The Holy Spirit has this radically shocking idea that it is better to acquire wisdom than gold. Solomon is not saying that it is wrong to have precious metals. He is simply saying that without wisdom, gold and silver will lead to evil and a destructive life! Here is how Solomon talks about the value of wisdom over gold in Proverbs 16:16-17: How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his.. read more