While badgers are animals without many defenses, they are wise enough to make their homes in the rocky cliffs... (Proverbs 30:26 VOICE) Making one's homes in the rocky cliffs might not seem very 'safe' from our perspective, when one wants a 'defense' against predators, it might just make a whole lot of sense to be in a place not easily reached! Some of us could take a lesson from the 'badger' - especially when it comes to finding the right 'defensive line'. The ants lay up for the lean season, the locusts know they need each other and move in mass, and the lizard can go places others cannot. All four of these creatures are considered wise, giving us a lesson to learn from each of their 'traits'. The badger knows he needs a good defense against attack, as do each of us! The 'badgers' referenced in this passage were merely rabbit-sized mammal of the region that had very little in the way of its own defenses. They lack physical streng...
A tender answer turns away rage, but a prickly reply spikes anger. (Proverbs 15:1 VOICE) It was John F. Kennedy who said, "We must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." The words we live by are more than words - they are a testimony to the grace and love of God within us, or the selfishness and pride that wells up when a soul isn't serving Christ. The more we live by truth instead of just speaking it, the more we will see the lives of those around us impacted by the 'words we live'. John Maxwell reminds us, "People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude." This is never truer than when we display an unkind or selfish attitude. The words might be 'kind' or 'understanding', but if the attitude behind them is sarcastic, they can be viewed as unkind. Sarcasm is often used because someone wants to be funny, but it can also become a weapon that brings hurt to the heart of one hearing ...