Never Envy a Violent Person

 

Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways …

—from Proverbs 3:31

Did you ever see someone who seemed really tough and wish you could become more like that person? Maybe that kind of feeling is just a “boy thing.” Most young boys look up to real people, or comic book heroes, who are big, strong, and tough. Almost no one identifies with a powder-puff weakling. It’s always the superhero who gains the attention.

But in life, the tough guys are also often the bad guys. Of course, there are exceptions. United States Marines are tough guys and not bad guys. So, are Navy Seals and Army Rangers. But, for the most part, the toughest guys are gangsters, or bullies, or otherwise bad dudes.

Women are not exempt either. There are tough women, who also fit into the “bad person” category. Their toughness is usually magnified by deviousness and treachery. Naturally, some very strong women are truly kind and fair. But, for the most part, when we think of “tough” women, we think of violent ones, or nasty females who would just as soon stab someone as look at them.

In sharp contrast are those who follow Jesus. There’s nothing wrong with God-given strength. But, violence and toughness of the basest kind has no part among Kingdom warriors. Notice what King Solomon wrote, as recorded in Proverbs 3:31-32:

Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the Lord detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.

There is no room for violence in the Kingdom of God.

“Wait a minute,” you say. “Didn’t God send the Israelites to destroy their enemies? Wasn’t that violent?” Yes, of course it was. But, it wasn’t violence simply for violence sake.

The God of justice was “rewarding” the sinfulness and godlessness of the people who had rejected His overtures of love, joy, and peace. Their rampant sinfulness caused Him to send His chosen people to destroy them. The just reward of those people whom God destroyed serves as a cautionary tale for all those who choose to reject God, His holiness, His righteousness, and His judgment. That God-directed punishment is something quite different from the kind of violence that springs forth for no good reason and wreaks havoc.

As we begin a new day, we need to guard our minds and hearts against violence of all kinds. We need to put off any prospect of physical violence. And, even more so, we need to put aside any form of mental, emotional, or intellectual violence, as well. Our words can hurt someone as deeply as the wound of a sword. Even in our zeal for what we deeply believe, we need to make certain we are not using hurtful, sharp, condemning words.

God celebrates strength under control. That’s one of the many reasons He has given us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will help us remain strong, without any tendency toward violence—in the things we do and the words we say. We do so much better when we lay aside every attempt of our enemy to drag us into violence.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Special Kind of Love

 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart …

—from Mark 12:30

“Love makes the world go ’round,” the motivational speaker stated forcefully.

“No!” shouted someone in the back of the room. “Change makes the world go ’round. Love only keeps it populated.”

The 2,000 people in the audience roared with laughter.

No matter how you may feel about that exchange, love does play a very important role in the life of a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are Jesus’ own words, as recorded in Mark 12:30-31:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

God breathes His love into us—into all four of our human modalities: heart, soul, mind, and strength. In return, we must first breathe that love back to God. And, we must do so with all four of our human modalities: emotional (heart), spiritual (soul), intellectual (mind), and physical (strength). Then, we must breathe that love outwardly, so that it touches the lives of the people who cross the pathway of our lives.

As we begin a new year of life here on earth, let’s ask God to fill us full with His God-breathed agape love. Then, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us breathe that God-breathed agape love back out into a world that desperately needs God’s love.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Patient One

 

A patient man has great understanding …

—from Proverbs 14:29

I am not a patient person. In fact, I am noted for my decided lack of patience. One of my dear friends interrupted someone who was proposing a somewhat convoluted solution to a fire protection engineering problem one day with these words:

“If you plan to make that proposal to Dean, don’t bother. He would not have the patience. He does not suffer fools or their ideas.”

While that retort seemed humorous at the time, I now feel quite ashamed that, for so many years, I projected such an image. Instead of seeing me as someone who lovingly and patiently showed encouragement toward others, I was—and for many still am—viewed as someone who has very little patience. However, as followers of Jesus, we do well to seek to have a patient spirit. Notice what King Solomon wrote, as recorded in Proverbs 14:29:

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.

Oops! A quick-tempered person displays folly! That’s not good—that’s not good at all. There is definitely a better way. And, it is the way of patience.

As we begin another new day, let’s ask God to gently and tenderly guide our spirits, so that we learn how to wait patiently on Him and on others. We will do a much better job of representing God, whose patience toward us seemingly knows no measure. Yes, let’s learn how to manifest a patient spirit.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

It Will All Be Okay

 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

—Romans 8:28

I greatly enjoy reading mystery novels. From Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to Sue Grafton, I devour mystery novels. I enjoy seeing how the author unfolds the plot, the twists and turns, the ultimate discovery of the perpetrator, and the justice that comes in the end. In fact, certain mystery novels have so intrigued me that I have stayed up nearly all night reading until I reach the end of the particular novel.

I also greatly enjoy the movies produced by the two Hallmark cable television channels. Of course, one of those channels is devoted to mysteries. The other to what some consider to be the most syrupy love stories of all time.

You may wonder what do these two delights of mine—mystery novels and the Hallmark channels—have in common. No matter how discouraging things may seem in the course of both the mystery story and the love story, I know that it will all be okay in the end. I admit it: I like happy endings. I enjoy a nicely convoluted plot, with all of its ups and downs. But, when the story or movie ends, I want everything to work out just fine for the protagonist in the storyline.

As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can live our lives knowing that it will all be okay in the end. Notice what the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:28-30:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

God makes certain that, no matter what trials, or difficulties, or discouragements we may face, it will all work out just exactly as He intends, and that will be the best possible result. I know that sometimes it may not seem as if that is true. Please let me explain.

I have been grieving the death of my dearly loved sister-in-law over the course of the last ten and a half years. She was a wonderful wife, mother, and devoted follower of Jesus. If I had been writing the story of her life, she would have lived well up into her nineties, all the while enjoying her children, grandchildren, and perhaps even great-grandchildren. But, that didn’t happen. She died on July 30, 2015, after a difficult and courageous battle with multiple myeloma. She was only 67 years old.

For many months, hundreds of us prayed for God to heal her and restore her to full health. For a time, it seemed as if our prayers were answered. Then, the cancer returned with a vengeance, and in a few weeks she was dead. My heart still aches at the thought of the years of life with her family here on earth that she did not get to enjoy.

But, I also realize that, as deep as my pain of loss may be, God actually did heal my dear sister-in-law. He welcomed her home to heaven where all pain and sorrow is gone. She now is fully alive in the best possible place she could be. Her new life—her eternal life—has begun. Someday soon, we will join her there.

God had a better plan than we had. And, the truth is, He always does. His plan for each of us is perfect. He will always remain faithful to those He loves. We can go out into this new day knowing that what the Apostle Paul wrote is true:

“…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Taught by the Anointing

 

… the anointing you received from him remains in you …

—from 1 John 2:27

One of the benefits of God choosing us to belong to Him comes forth in the anointing He has given us of His Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit comes to live in our bodies, our minds, and our hearts, we have direct access to God’s perfect will. Of course, to experience the fullness of this great gift, we must lay aside our own selfish wills and submit fully to God’s divine and perfect will. In writing about this signal experience, the Apostle John penned these words, found in 1 John 2:27:

As for you, the anointing you received from him [Christ] remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

As we begin a new day, let’s agree to purposefully allow the Holy Spirit to continually teach us the things we need to know, in order to please God and serve Him. If we do that, we will, indeed, become His choice ambassadors to our troubled and needy world.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Help from the Holy Spirit

 

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness …

—from Romans 8:26

Times arise in every person’s life when the circumstances seem so overwhelming that we simply cannot pray. We don’t know what to ask God to do. And, we seem so stricken by what has happened that words fail us.

In those times, it is a great comfort to know that the Holy Spirit will gladly pray in our behalf. The Spirit knows what we need. He knows what to ask the Father for in our behalf. And, He can give us a sense of comfort from the knowledge that He is caring for us. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:26:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

As we begin a new day, let’s not hesitate to ask the Holy Spirit to pray in our behalf whenever we just can’t find the right words to say. He will gladly do this for us. And, He will bring supreme comfort to our minds and hearts. We can move forward knowing that the best possible prayers have risen to the Father in our behalf.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Blessed and Merry Christmas

 

If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples …

—John 8:31-32

Reading, studying, meditating, and holding fast to the written Word of God gives those who believe the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to live their lives in harmony with God’s perfect will. That’s why the teachings of Jesus and the writings of the Holy Spirit-inspired authors of Scripture have such importance in our lives. Notice these words of Jesus, as recorded in John 8:31-32:

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The truth that God wants us to hold tightly in our minds and hearts comes to us through His written Word, the Bible. It not only contains truth, it is absolute truth. The Bible presents us with the very essence of God, His holiness, His justice, His mercy, His grace, and His love—all that He wants us to know about Himself, His precious Son, and His blessed Holy Spirit.

As we begin another new day—even on this very special day when we celebrate the birth of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ—let’s not lay aside the reading and studying of God’s written Word. Rather, let’s cherish the time that we spend each day reading and discovering more about the God who loves us with His infinite and eternal love.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}