Over the next few weeks, we're going to focus our Good Word Fridays on the book of Proverbs. If you want words to live by, then Proverbs is a great place to go looking. 

So, we're starting with a simple verse from the first chapter. Have you noticed that the phrase "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge/wisdom" is repeated again and again in Proverbs? Must be important to keep showing up like that.

What do these words mean?

Today's Good Word is one of the most famous and quoted verses in the Bible. At GMBA Camp, one of the days was devoted to discovering what true strength is.

"I shouldn't be OK, but I'm OK."

Have you ever heard someone who is going through a trial say this? Maybe they're facing a scary health issue, a job loss, financial crisis, or family troubles. The circumstances aren't good, yet the person isn't totally dejected and downtrodden. 

The person is probably experiencing the peace of God that passes understanding. 

For those of you who are traveling to sunny California this weekend for GMBA Campout, chances are pretty good that you're rejoicing in the Lord right now — in anticipation of spending one whole glorious week thinking about spiritual things, praising God, learning more about scripture, and singing your heart out. 

Today's Good Word is always a good word to hear around the Fourth of July when concepts like independence and liberty are top of mind. 

It's very worthwhile to remember the hows and whys of American independence. It's even more worthwhile to remember the hows and whys of our own spiritual freedom from sin and eternal misery.

Today's Good Word asks a very, very good question. "Who has bewitched you?"

Interestingly, some synonyms of "bewitch" don't actually sound that bad: enchant, entrance, captivate, charm, beguile, fascinate, enthrall. These words don't sound scary or troubling.

Sometimes it's the "pretty" things that trick us into believing that the truth is ugly. Today's scripture warns against anything that leads us away from obeying the truth. 

Today's Good Word is a pearl of wisdom from Proverbs. It reminds us that the truth and a lie don't have a similar lifespan.

The truth stands firm, holds up to scrutiny, and always works when put into practice. 

In honor of Father's Day this weekend, we're sharing 1 Corinthians 4:15, in which the Apostle Paul draws a distinction between instructors and fathers.

An instructor is someone who teaches something. A father is an instructor, but he is also so much more. 

We hope that today's Good Word encourages you to look forward to a time of peace. This will be a time when we won't worry about anything hurting or destroying us, a time when every person on earth will know the Lord. 

Today's Good Word suggests an interesting question — how do we "buy" truth? Take a second to think about how you might respond.

The word "buy" means to "obtain in exchange for payment." If the objective is to acquire truth, then what must we give (or pay) for it? Here are some ideas: 

If you want a motto for your everyday interactions with other people, here it is. Let's think about how we can all apply today's Good Word in our day-to-day lives.

"For the wages of sin is death; but ..."

What comes next, Bible scholars?

"...the gift of God is eternal life..."

There's more! What comes next?

"...through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 6:23 goes right along with today's Good Word from the previous chapter of Paul's letter. 

"Therefore being justified by ..."

• All of our good deeds
• How long we've been serving God
• The number of people we've led to Christ
• How much money we tithed

No. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Translation: Christ's sacrifice on our behalf satisfies God's justice, and we are no longer the sinful enemies of God but His repentant, devoted children.

Thank God for the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ!

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.

Have you ever seen someone who wasn't raised with faith come to the Lord? And then their family members follow? These people break the cycle, so to speak, and the entire trajectory of their family tree is forever changed — for the better!

Are you looking for a little more peace in your life? We all probably are! Today's Good Word tells us how we can find more — by loving God's law. Not exactly something you'd read in a magazine or on your favorite blog, huh? 

Today's Good Word is one of hope for the future. When you think about our world today, it may be difficult to believe that someday everyone will know the glory of the Lord.