Agur writes, A lion, which is mighty among beasts and does not turn away from any (Proverbs 30:30, NKJV). Earlier in Proverbs, Solomon compares God's people to lions: The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). 

To give pearls to swine is to press the claims of the gospel upon those who despise it until they persecute you for annoying them with it. When such men are known they are to be avoided. Jesus acted on this principle in refusing to answer the Pharisees, and the apostles did the same thing in turning to the Gentiles when their Jewish hearers would begin to contradict and blaspheme." (J. W. McGarvey, The Fourfold Gospel, pp. 263, 264).

So, if you have not been looking at your neighbor card every day and praying for those souls on it, resolve to do that. Remember what the apostle said: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). With God, all things are possible.

"It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). This statement was made by Jesus while He was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. Following His baptism by John "to fulfill all righteousness," Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where He was tempted by the devil for 40 days. During that period, He had nothing to eat. The text says, "He afterward hungered" (Luke 4:2). What an understatement!

 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:15-16). 

 The evidence of one's faith in God is obedience to His will. James 2:17 states, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (cf. Jas. 2:20, 24). Faith enables one to obey in the absence of understanding the why and how of the thing commanded. Faith is a trust that assures one that he will receive a promise, though the means of fulfillment is not obvious because he has confidence in the one who revealed it. The evidence of faith is seen in the actions of the faithful as seen in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.

 The first description that we find in the Bible of Joseph, the man who served as a father for Jesus in the legal sense, is that he was a just man (Matthew 1:19). Mary, his betrothed, is described as "highly favored" by God (Luke 1:28). These two, chosen to be the earthly parents of the Lord, could be said to be like David, a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). 

 Preacher’s wives have their own identity beyond the role. Involved in this is an individual role with her own spiritual journey, and not merely an extension of her husband’s ministry. They, by no means, are flawless, not the church’s servant, and should not be held to a different standard than other Christian women. There is no specific Biblical “job description” for a preacher’s wife: her role should be tailored to her gifts.

 Trials usually involve some kind of physical or emotional suffering. The reason this passage is challenging is obvious: who takes joy in suffering? If you were to close the Bible right here, you might wonder if the book of James should be in the Bible.  But as one keeps reading the inspired text, it is obvious that James is not saying that the pain is joyful.

 There have always been those who sought to set themselves up in the place of God. One of the greatest enemies of Truth has been the wisdom of men, for wisdom of man does not see God (1 Cor. 1:18-25).

 Times like these serve as a reminder for God's people to be preparing for eternity. The thing about winter storms is that we know when they are supposed to occur. We cannot say the same about when the Lord will come or when our death may happen. Therefore, the child of God ought to be preparing himself every day.

 Great empires have risen up and have become the gods of their age. Kings and princes have taken upon themselves high titles and have been worshipped by the multitudes. Nevertheless, ask these empires now whether there is any beside Jehovah?

 Some odors are so repugnant, that we can still remember the experience forty years later. Our noses can help us avoid certain situations, and they can even cause us to look in the mirror, so to speak, and see if smell is coming from us.

 Human history records how men would often set up a block of wood or stone to be his maker. "Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things" (Rom. 1:22-23). He then prostrated his body before the creature of his hands calling it god, while it had neither eyes to see, or hands to feel, nor ears to hear.

 Jesus calls us to be like our heavenly Father. He was gentle toward man when he justifiably could have destroyed the world. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

 So honey was used as a medium of exchange. Honey has been called the perfect food. It has been likened to milk in this respect. Take the two together and you have quite a potent combination. It has been said that honey was the only thing known that actually goes into the heart itself and heals the arteries and muscles. All told, there’s no long-term human study available on honey and heart health.

 Webster's dictionary defines "time" as the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues. One can boldly and wrongly say that time is on his side, thinking he will live many years, and then suffer a fatal heart attack that same day. So when we think of time, we should think of it as a gift from God.

 There was a period in eternity before the sun ever gave its light. There was a time before the stars floated in the sky. There was a time when all that you and I can now see was yet unborn, slumbering in the mind of God.

 Thoughts are very powerful. The wise man wrote, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7a, NKJV). This power can be used for good or bad. In the children's book, The Little Engine That Could, the little train used positive thinking ("I think I can, I think I can"), to overcome a mountain. But negative thinking has caused many doctors' offices and cemeteries to be full. 

 Teaching the Gospel is not always easy. Probably the most difficult problem the Christian faces in trying to teach the Gospel is teaching a person who has a closed mind. How often do we meet a person with an attitude that shouts "Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up!" In other words, "It does not matter whether or not what you say is true, I am going to believe and do what I want."