Daily Wisdom Plan

¹Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.

²For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

³Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

⁴Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

⁵Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

⁶He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

⁸Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper — it only leads to harm.

⁹For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.

¹⁰Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone.

¹¹The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.

¹²The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance.

¹³But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right.

¹⁵But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.

¹⁷For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly.

¹⁸Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.

¹⁹They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.

²⁰But the wicked will die. The LORD’s enemies are like flowers in a field — they will disappear like smoke.

²¹The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.

²²Those the LORD blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die.

²³The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

²⁴Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

²⁵Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.

²⁶The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.

²⁷Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever.

²⁸For the LORD loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die.

²⁹The godly will possess the land and will live there forever.

³⁰The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.

³¹They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path.

³²The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.

³³But the LORD will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

³⁴Put your hope in the LORD. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.

³⁵I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.

³⁶But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them!

³⁷Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.

³⁸But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future.

³⁹The LORD rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.

⁴⁰The LORD helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him.

¹O LORD, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage!

²Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me.

³Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins.

⁴My guilt overwhelms me — it is a burden too heavy to bear.

⁵My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins.

⁶I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief.

⁷A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken.

⁸I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart.

⁹You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh.

¹⁰My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind.

¹¹My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance.

¹²Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me. Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me. All day long they plan their treachery.

¹³But I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.

¹⁴I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply.

¹⁵For I am waiting for you, O LORD. You must answer for me, O Lord my God.

¹⁶I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies gloat over me or rejoice at my downfall.”

¹⁷I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain.

¹⁸But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done.

¹⁹I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason.

²⁰They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuing good.

²¹Do not abandon me, O LORD. Do not stand at a distance, my God.

²²Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior.

¹I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.”

²But as I stood there in silence — not even speaking of good things — the turmoil within me grew worse.

³The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words:

⁴“LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered — how fleeting my life is.

⁵You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude

⁶We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.

⁷And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

⁸Rescue me from my rebellion. Do not let fools mock me.

⁹I am silent before you; I won’t say a word, for my punishment is from you.

¹⁰But please stop striking me! I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.

¹¹When you discipline us for our sins, you consume like a moth what is precious to us. Each of us is but a breath. Interlude

¹²Hear my prayer, O LORD! Listen to my cries for help! Don’t ignore my tears. For I am your guest — a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me.

¹³Leave me alone so I can smile again before I am gone and exist no more.