When France and Argentina met in the 2022 World Cup final, it was an incredible contest that many dubbed the “greatest World Cup match in history”. As the final seconds ticked by in extra time, the score was tied 3-3, sending the teams to penalties. After Argentina scored the winning penalty, the nation erupted in celebration. More than a million Argentineans overwhelmed Buenos Aires. Drone footage spread across social media showing this raucous, happy scene. One BBC report described how the city quaked with “an explosion of joy”.
Joy is always a wonderful gift. Proverbs, though, describes how a city—a people—can experience joy that goes even deeper and lasts far longer. “When the righteous prosper,” Proverbs says, “the city rejoices” (Proverbs 11:10). When those who truly live by God’s designs for humanity begin to influence a community, then this signals good news because it means God’s justice is taking hold. Greed diminishes. The poor find support. The oppressed are protected. Whenever God’s right way of living flourishes, then there’s joy and “blessing” in the city (v. 11).
If we’re genuinely living out God’s ways, then the result will be good news for everyone. The way we live will make the community around us better and more whole. God invites us to be part of His work to heal the world. He invites us to bring joy to the city.
By Winn Collier
REFLECT & PRAY
Where do you see the need for joy in your city? How can you bring God’s joy there?
Dear God, please help me to join You in bringing joy to others.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The book of Proverbs belongs to the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. It can be divided into two sections. In chapters 1-9, Solomon offers wisdom to his son on a variety of topics, ranging from money to choosing good companions to sexual purity. Chapters 10-31, however, are a seemingly random collection of wise sayings. A number are presented in statements of contrast called antithetical parallelism, where the righteous are contrasted with the wicked. Many are written by Solomon (10:1–22:16). Chapters 25-27 are Solomon’s proverbs collected by the men of King Hezekiah. Others come from a group of anonymous wise men (22:17–24:34), Agur (ch. 30), and King Lemuel (ch. 31).
The proverbs contain a treasure chest of wisdom on perennial subjects such as managing relationships, work, integrity, and parenting. Some are also quoted in the New Testament; for example, Romans 12:20, James 4:6, and 1 Peter 5:5.
Bill Crowder
Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.
