In these verses Solomon is warning us of the danger of entering into agreements without considering all the potential consequences. At that time “striking hands” was a public way of sealing a transaction, much in the same way that people today “shake hands” to confirm a deal. Solomon teaches us that what used to be called a “gentleman’s agreement” is morally binding on both parties.

Do you ever wish that God would talk out loud to you? You’d be sitting in a room all by yourself, and suddenly God would speak and give you the answer to some burning issue in your life.

Samuel had finished his duties of helping old Eli the priest, and was tucked up warm in bed asleep when he was awakened by someone calling his name. Naturally, he thought it was Eli. Who else could it be?

John bursts onto the scene at a precise moment of history, in an exact locale: during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, along the banks of the Jordan River. Luke does everything short of giving us a fixed date and geographic coordinates.

Scripture never deals in vague, historical musings, but in hard, detailed realities.

The devil has two favourite haunts, two places he likes to pay us a visit: gardens and deserts.

Gardens are places of beauty and ease. There is abundant food, shade, birdsong. A garden is a taste of paradise. We are in a garden when our lives are pitch-perfect: great job, great marriage, close to God.

Nighttime can be difficult time for many people. At night we are more susceptible to anxieties and worries. Some suffer insomnia because of the unbearable weight of burdens. Others wake up in the middle of the night finding themselves in a vicious fight with fearful thoughts. The night can confront us with threats that scare us or situations that overwhelm us. We must fight with these anxious thoughts on our own or trust the Lord to come to our rescue.