Notes from Linda:
12/1/22: I just found out that most of the commentaries on the Bible Study Tools website are no longer free. That's where most of the quotes that appear on the "Verse of the Day" and "Previous Verses" pages of my website are taken from, so from now on, many of the "Source:" links that I provide on those pages will not contain the quoted text.I was disgusted to read about the organization's new "PLUS" membership, and the only thing I can say about it is that the Bible has this warning in 1 Timothy 6:10 for the owner of Bible Study Tools: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
____________________
8/8/21: Something is wrong with my Christian forum. Everything seems to be working normally (i.e., the articles are there, and the links work), but for some reason, the forum's format has changed slightly, and I am currently unable to post anything new.
I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully, the problem is only temporay and will be fixed soon.
"Verse of the Day"
Bible Verses
Bible Verses
"Verse of the Day"
Bible Verses
Bible Verses
Current Month
January 2026
JANUARY 6
Matthew 15:7, 8
Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees (the religious leaders of his day):
Matthew 15:7-8: "Ye [you] hypocrites [pretenders], well [rightly, correctly] did Esaias [Isaiah] prophesy of you [in the Old Testament--Isaiah 29:13], saying [that the Lord said], This people [referring to the Jewish nation] draweth nigh unto [or 'draw nigh (near) unto' or 'come close to'] me [God] with their mouth, and honoureth [honor (worship and praise)] me with their lips; but their heart [and mind, which should have a true love for God,] is far [away] from me."
JANUARY 4-5
Proverbs 4:14, 15, 16, 17
Stay Away From Bad People
In these verses, King Solomon was teaching his son (and us) some of the do's and don'ts of life:
Proverbs 4:14-15: "Enter not into [or 'don't enter'] the path of the wicked, and go not [or 'do not go'] in the way of evil men [and women and children] [i.e., don't do what they do]. Avoid it [the 'path of the wicked'], pass not by it, turn [aside] from it, and pass away [from it]."
Proverbs 4:16: [Why we should stay away from bad, or evil, people:] "For they [the evil people] sleep not [or 'cannot sleep'], except [unless] they have done mischief [or 'caused harm to others']; and their sleep is taken away [from them, meaning they can't sleep], unless they cause some [people] to fall [into sin]."
Proverbs 4:17: [Evil people 'do mischief' and 'cause some to fall':] "For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence." [And according to Pastor Delany of Salem Bible Church, 'A steady diet of violence, immorality, perversion, and vice {wrongdoing} creates an appetite for even more…'--see note below (*) for a link to the pastor's commentary.]
"1. In this section, [King] Solomon likens [compares] life to a pathway… a road with many turns and twists.
"2. There are many cut offs and forks in the road, and the pilgrim [or traveler, especially someone who travels to foreign lands] must make choices all along the way.
"3. John Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress has this as its theme… pilgrims journeying through life on their way to the Celestial city [i.e., heaven]--with many evil men and seducers trying to cause them to swerve off the straight and narrow way.
"4. Bunyan alludes [refers] to many passages [in the Bible] from the book of Proverbs.
"5. Solomon wanted his son to view life that way--a long journey down a road. This journey requires wisdom, discernment [good judgment], and the ability to make good choices."
____________________
Here are some excerpts from the rest of the commentary:
"• Crime is a game for the criminal… an evil game."
"b. Many criminals are extremely intelligent--consider the hackers on the web [referring to the World Wide Web on the computer]… they have the FBI and CIA confounded [confused]!"
"d. Criminals get a sort of morbid [macabre, gruesome] pleasure from hurting and stealing… it isn't just for the money, it is often for the thrill of it! The web hackers didn't get any money--just the pleasure of causing trouble!"
"b. They [criminals and other bad people] plot ways to obtain the wealth of others…"
"a. Just like some men go to college and study engineering or math, these men study violence…"
____________________
"a. This is the gang life--criminals who get pleasure from inflicting pain and injury on others.
"b. Ex[ample]: an older couple took a wrong turn in Los Angeles a few years ago, into the territory of a notorious [i.e., a famous or well-known] gang. The gang members blocked off the road with barrels so the car could not escape--and they then beat the couple to death--just for the fun of it.
"c. A steady diet of violence, immorality, perversion, and vice [wickedness] creates an appetite for even more…"
____________________
"a. Evil men might come to an inexperienced young man and hope to capture him… make him their victim… infect him with their evil ways.
"b. They may begin by speaking filthy language… to see how he responds. They may continue by showing him some dirty pictures… and eventually lead him to the prostitute…
"c. They may entice [tempt, lure] him with promises of easy money …
"d. They may entice him with strong drink [i.e., alcoholic beverages] or drugs…
"e. Of course, they [the evil men] always begin on a small scale… then on to bigger and better things… more evil… more violence."
____________________
"• You can't walk [or hang around or associate] with evil men and expect that it will not have an effect on you! It will!
"• It will have an evil effect! You will be contaminated.
"• First the evil company is enjoyed; then the evil OF the company is enjoyed."
____________________
If you want to read more of the above-mentioned commentary, go to https://www.salembible.org/proverbs/ and scroll down to "4:14-17."
JANUARY 3
Proverbs 3:7, 8
A Biblical Way to Stay Strong and Healthy
Proverbs 3:7: "Be not wise in thine [your] own eyes [in other words, don't be a know-it-all (someone who is filled with pride and is overly confident in himself or herself)]: fear the LORD [have reverence (love, honor, and respect) for God, and a fear of disobeying and offending him], and depart from evil [thoughts and deeds, which means that you should try not to have bad feelings, such as anxiety (worry), fear, depression, hatred, anger, envy, resentment, guilt, etc., and that you shouldn't hold grudges, and that you should stop doing bad things (like abusing alcohol and/or drugs, committing adultery and/or fornication (i.e., having sexual relations with someone you are not married to), lying, stealing, etc.)]."
Proverbs 3:8: "It [i.e., fearing God and departing from evil, as stated in Proverbs 3:7] shall be [or will result in] health [healing] to thy [your] navel [or 'throughout your body,' similar to the way in which a baby receives nourishment through the umbilical cord while in its mother's womb], and [will also result in] marrow [strength] to thy bones."
"c. It [i.e., the phrase health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones in Proverbs 3:8] seems to point to a physical health as well as health to the soul. Spiritual health and physical health are related.
"• Fear, worry, envy, hatred, anger, depression, resentment, guilt--are NOT good for you physically!
"• If we don't depart from these evils--they could kill us!"
"d. This is God's wellness program [i.e., one that promotes good health]. You don't have to buy any expensive herbs or join a club. Fear God and depart from evil. THAT will result in wellness [good health] in your body and soul!
"• To a certain extent, our outer man, our body IS affected by our inner man.
"• Rather than trust in the Lord, we sometimes worry and that can [cause an ulcer and sometimes] burn a hole in our stomach… bring up our blood pressure…
"• The believer [born-again Christian] that has rejected God's wisdom and is walking in his own wisdom has every right to be anxious… worried about the future.
"• God RESISTS the proud [person]. It is an unsettling feeling to know that someone with infinite power [i.e., God] is resisting you!
"• When the believer walks in the wisdom of the world--he has made himself an enemy of God. He has good reason to worry about chastisement [punishment]! Friendship with the world is enmity with [or being an enemy of] God.
"e. BUT, the believer who walks humbly with God--fears God--does NOT trust in his own understanding, nor is wise in his own eyes--that believer can have REST in his soul. He has health to his navel--deep down in his gut--there is peace and rest, knowing God is on his side."
____________________
If you want to read more of the pastor's commentary, go to https://www.salembible.org/proverbs/ and scroll down to "3:7-8."
(Please note: This verse on the Salem Baptist Church website currently shows the wrong commentary, but it should be fixed soon. Sorry!)
JANUARY 1-2
Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the LORD [which means not only actually being afraid of Almighty God (because of who he is and what he can do if we disobey, displease, or offend him in any way), but also having great respect, admiration, and love for him] is the beginning of knowledge: but fools [people who do not fear God] despise [hate] wisdom and instruction."
____________________
According to Pastor Delany, having the fear of God will help us know where to look for the answers to many things, including: (1) how to avoid marital (marriage) problems, (2) why we are here (on earth), (3) where the sun and moon came from, (4) how we can get to heaven, (5) how to deal with the problem of self-control (over things like alcohol, drugs, lust, sexual sins, greed, anger, etc.), and (6) the right way to bring up our children. As you may have guessed, all of these things are discussed in God's word (i.e., the Bible).
____________________
If you want to read the pastor's commentary, go to https://www.salembible.org/proverbs/ and scroll down to "1:7."
Matthew 15:7, 8
Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees (the religious leaders of his day):
Matthew 15:7-8: "Ye [you] hypocrites [pretenders], well [rightly, correctly] did Esaias [Isaiah] prophesy of you [in the Old Testament--Isaiah 29:13], saying [that the Lord said], This people [referring to the Jewish nation] draweth nigh unto [or 'draw nigh (near) unto' or 'come close to'] me [God] with their mouth, and honoureth [honor (worship and praise)] me with their lips; but their heart [and mind, which should have a true love for God,] is far [away] from me."
_______________
There were hypocrites in Bible times, and there are many hypocrites in the world today. That being the case, we should all ask ourselves: When we praise God and say that we love him, do we really mean it?* * * * *
The GotQuestions.org article that relates to today's verse is entitled "What does it mean that 'these people honor me with their lips' (Matthew 15:8)?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/these-people-honor-me-with-their-lips.html.JANUARY 4-5
Proverbs 4:14, 15, 16, 17
Stay Away From Bad People
In these verses, King Solomon was teaching his son (and us) some of the do's and don'ts of life:
Proverbs 4:14-15: "Enter not into [or 'don't enter'] the path of the wicked, and go not [or 'do not go'] in the way of evil men [and women and children] [i.e., don't do what they do]. Avoid it [the 'path of the wicked'], pass not by it, turn [aside] from it, and pass away [from it]."
Proverbs 4:16: [Why we should stay away from bad, or evil, people:] "For they [the evil people] sleep not [or 'cannot sleep'], except [unless] they have done mischief [or 'caused harm to others']; and their sleep is taken away [from them, meaning they can't sleep], unless they cause some [people] to fall [into sin]."
Proverbs 4:17: [Evil people 'do mischief' and 'cause some to fall':] "For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence." [And according to Pastor Delany of Salem Bible Church, 'A steady diet of violence, immorality, perversion, and vice {wrongdoing} creates an appetite for even more…'--see note below (*) for a link to the pastor's commentary.]
_______________
King Solomon's advice: Don't associate or have anything to do with bad people--don't be their friends, don't join gangs, etc. That's the best way to stay out of trouble.* * * * *
*Pastor Jim Delany of Salem Bible Church has a good commentary on today's verses. In the introduction, he wrote:"1. In this section, [King] Solomon likens [compares] life to a pathway… a road with many turns and twists.
"2. There are many cut offs and forks in the road, and the pilgrim [or traveler, especially someone who travels to foreign lands] must make choices all along the way.
"3. John Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress has this as its theme… pilgrims journeying through life on their way to the Celestial city [i.e., heaven]--with many evil men and seducers trying to cause them to swerve off the straight and narrow way.
"4. Bunyan alludes [refers] to many passages [in the Bible] from the book of Proverbs.
"5. Solomon wanted his son to view life that way--a long journey down a road. This journey requires wisdom, discernment [good judgment], and the ability to make good choices."
____________________
Here are some excerpts from the rest of the commentary:
"• Crime is a game for the criminal… an evil game."
"b. Many criminals are extremely intelligent--consider the hackers on the web [referring to the World Wide Web on the computer]… they have the FBI and CIA confounded [confused]!"
"d. Criminals get a sort of morbid [macabre, gruesome] pleasure from hurting and stealing… it isn't just for the money, it is often for the thrill of it! The web hackers didn't get any money--just the pleasure of causing trouble!"
"b. They [criminals and other bad people] plot ways to obtain the wealth of others…"
"a. Just like some men go to college and study engineering or math, these men study violence…"
____________________
"a. This is the gang life--criminals who get pleasure from inflicting pain and injury on others.
"b. Ex[ample]: an older couple took a wrong turn in Los Angeles a few years ago, into the territory of a notorious [i.e., a famous or well-known] gang. The gang members blocked off the road with barrels so the car could not escape--and they then beat the couple to death--just for the fun of it.
"c. A steady diet of violence, immorality, perversion, and vice [wickedness] creates an appetite for even more…"
____________________
"a. Evil men might come to an inexperienced young man and hope to capture him… make him their victim… infect him with their evil ways.
"b. They may begin by speaking filthy language… to see how he responds. They may continue by showing him some dirty pictures… and eventually lead him to the prostitute…
"c. They may entice [tempt, lure] him with promises of easy money …
"d. They may entice him with strong drink [i.e., alcoholic beverages] or drugs…
"e. Of course, they [the evil men] always begin on a small scale… then on to bigger and better things… more evil… more violence."
____________________
"• You can't walk [or hang around or associate] with evil men and expect that it will not have an effect on you! It will!
"• It will have an evil effect! You will be contaminated.
"• First the evil company is enjoyed; then the evil OF the company is enjoyed."
____________________
If you want to read more of the above-mentioned commentary, go to https://www.salembible.org/proverbs/ and scroll down to "4:14-17."
JANUARY 3
Proverbs 3:7, 8
A Biblical Way to Stay Strong and Healthy
Proverbs 3:7: "Be not wise in thine [your] own eyes [in other words, don't be a know-it-all (someone who is filled with pride and is overly confident in himself or herself)]: fear the LORD [have reverence (love, honor, and respect) for God, and a fear of disobeying and offending him], and depart from evil [thoughts and deeds, which means that you should try not to have bad feelings, such as anxiety (worry), fear, depression, hatred, anger, envy, resentment, guilt, etc., and that you shouldn't hold grudges, and that you should stop doing bad things (like abusing alcohol and/or drugs, committing adultery and/or fornication (i.e., having sexual relations with someone you are not married to), lying, stealing, etc.)]."
Proverbs 3:8: "It [i.e., fearing God and departing from evil, as stated in Proverbs 3:7] shall be [or will result in] health [healing] to thy [your] navel [or 'throughout your body,' similar to the way in which a baby receives nourishment through the umbilical cord while in its mother's womb], and [will also result in] marrow [strength] to thy bones."
_______________
If you want to be healthy--physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally--fear God, and don't do bad things.* * * * *
In paragraph 2 near the end of his commentary on the above verses, Pastor Delany of Salem Bible Church says:"c. It [i.e., the phrase health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones in Proverbs 3:8] seems to point to a physical health as well as health to the soul. Spiritual health and physical health are related.
"• Fear, worry, envy, hatred, anger, depression, resentment, guilt--are NOT good for you physically!
"• If we don't depart from these evils--they could kill us!"
"d. This is God's wellness program [i.e., one that promotes good health]. You don't have to buy any expensive herbs or join a club. Fear God and depart from evil. THAT will result in wellness [good health] in your body and soul!
"• To a certain extent, our outer man, our body IS affected by our inner man.
"• Rather than trust in the Lord, we sometimes worry and that can [cause an ulcer and sometimes] burn a hole in our stomach… bring up our blood pressure…
"• The believer [born-again Christian] that has rejected God's wisdom and is walking in his own wisdom has every right to be anxious… worried about the future.
"• God RESISTS the proud [person]. It is an unsettling feeling to know that someone with infinite power [i.e., God] is resisting you!
"• When the believer walks in the wisdom of the world--he has made himself an enemy of God. He has good reason to worry about chastisement [punishment]! Friendship with the world is enmity with [or being an enemy of] God.
"e. BUT, the believer who walks humbly with God--fears God--does NOT trust in his own understanding, nor is wise in his own eyes--that believer can have REST in his soul. He has health to his navel--deep down in his gut--there is peace and rest, knowing God is on his side."
____________________
If you want to read more of the pastor's commentary, go to https://www.salembible.org/proverbs/ and scroll down to "3:7-8."
(Please note: This verse on the Salem Baptist Church website currently shows the wrong commentary, but it should be fixed soon. Sorry!)
JANUARY 1-2
Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the LORD [which means not only actually being afraid of Almighty God (because of who he is and what he can do if we disobey, displease, or offend him in any way), but also having great respect, admiration, and love for him] is the beginning of knowledge: but fools [people who do not fear God] despise [hate] wisdom and instruction."
_______________
In his commentary on Proverbs 1:7, Pastor Jim Delany of Salem Bible Church explains the meaning of the phrase fear of the LORD and tells why fearing God is the principal (most important) part of knowledge.____________________
According to Pastor Delany, having the fear of God will help us know where to look for the answers to many things, including: (1) how to avoid marital (marriage) problems, (2) why we are here (on earth), (3) where the sun and moon came from, (4) how we can get to heaven, (5) how to deal with the problem of self-control (over things like alcohol, drugs, lust, sexual sins, greed, anger, etc.), and (6) the right way to bring up our children. As you may have guessed, all of these things are discussed in God's word (i.e., the Bible).
____________________
If you want to read the pastor's commentary, go to https://www.salembible.org/proverbs/ and scroll down to "1:7."
