31 Days of Wisdom

Written with young people in mind — wisdom for anybody, at any age.

How it works

One chapter of Proverbs a day. Start any day — today’s chapter is the day of the month, so if today is the 14th, today’s lesson is Proverbs 14. When a new month begins, start again at Proverbs 1.

Each lesson is short: read the chapter, sit with the lesson, and live one thing out.

Today’s wisdom

Day 1 — Proverbs 1

Open today’s lesson

How to read Proverbs

Proverbs are patterns, not promises.

A proverb says, "This is how life usually works." It does not say, "Do this and God owes you a reward." A farmer who plants in season usually harvests — but a storm can still come. In the same way, wise choices usually lead somewhere good, but they don't guarantee an easy life.

Jesus is the perfect example. He lived with perfect wisdom, and He still suffered. He trusted His Father all the way through it. Wisdom doesn't mean nothing hard ever happens. It means you walk with God through whatever happens.

So as you read one chapter a day, don't ask, "What do I get if I obey?" Ask the question at the heart of this whole program: "What stood out to you today?" Then live that one thing out.

All 31 lessons

Glossary

Fear of Yahweh: Deep respect and trust for God. Not being scared of Him. It's taking Him seriously, the way you'd take a good father's wisdom seriously.
Yahweh: God's personal name in the Old Testament. Many Bibles print it as "the LORD" in capital letters. When you see Yahweh, that's Him — the God who made everything and keeps His promises.
Sheol: The grave, the place of the dead, the way the Old Testament pictures it. When Proverbs warns that a path "goes down to Sheol," it means that path ends in death and ruin.
Sluggard: A lazy person who won't work. Proverbs holds up the ant next to the sluggard and lets you pick which one to be.
Collateral: Promising to pay someone else's debt if they can't pay it themselves. Proverbs warns: don't sign your name to what you can't cover.
Abomination: Something God hates deeply. Proverbs uses it for things like lying lips and cheating scales — not for people. God loves people, even the ones who do what He hates.
Abaddon: A Hebrew word for the place of destruction — the grave's darkest corner. When Proverbs says even Sheol and Abaddon lie open before God, it means nothing is hidden from Him. Not even death's deepest dark.
Conies: Small wild animals that live in the rocks, like rabbits. Proverbs 30 points at them because they're weak but wise: they make their homes safe in the rocks instead of out in the open.
Distaff: A stick used for spinning thread by hand. When Proverbs 31 says she "lays her hands to the distaff," it means she works hard with her own hands. She isn't idle.