by Bruce Billington

Weekly Devotional 4th of September, 2026

Devotional 4th September 2026 Session 42

In this session, we will continue examining Proverbs Chapter 13. This chapter presents a recurring contrast between the upright and the wicked. 

Proverbs 13:13-15 – “The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, but the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded. 14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn aside from the snares of death. 15 Good understanding produces favour, but the way of the treacherous is hard.”

Verse 13 - A person who holds the Word of God in deep respect will be rewarded for their godly fear. There is great reward in keeping God’s commandments. Because God is good, He naturally loves His children and delights in their obedience. He richly blesses those who submit to Him and His Word.

Those who despise God’s commands must accept any penalty for violating them, even if it is death.

Verse 14 – this flows on from the verse above, linking the teaching of the wise with those who hold God’s Word in the highest esteem. The fountain represents abundant life in fellowship with God through the inspired teaching of His book, while the traps represent deadly agents, such as bad speech, bad deeds, and wicked people, that capture and kill the uncommitted, the gullible, and the dull fool. 

The teaching of the wise, with its straightforward style and moral excellence, draws people to drink from its life-giving truth. As a result, they become aware of the hidden traps and are strengthened to resist them. There is only one fountain of life, but there are many snares of death.

In addition to sparing people from judgement and rewarding obedience, heeding the teaching of God’s Word rescues people from Satan’s traps. The supreme enemy of God and humanity has only one motive for all his actions towards people – he wants to destroy us. Our path through life is hazardous because of the snares Satan has set for our destruction. Like any good hunter, Satan masterfully disguises his traps. He baits them with pleasure, gain, and every other thing that appeals to our fallen human nature. Because Satan is exceptionally shrewd and relentless in his attacks, the Bible warns us of his methods.

The teachings of God’s Word train us to recognise Satan’s snares and turn us away from the places where his traps are set. In this sense, they are a life-giving spring, a fountain that both refreshes and preserves.

Verse 15 – The word favour is used to describe being pleasing and attractive to others. It means we secure the favour of God and society. Those who go against God’s commandments are unfaithful, making their own path in life difficult. They do not walk in His blessing, and their life becomes a never-ending stream of trouble and hardship that ultimately ends in eternal destruction. 

People who live by God’s Word walk smoother paths because they travel with God’s blessings, and their faithfulness to God leads them to build good relationships with others. This should be the pathway we should all pursue.