Chapter 27
There’s a reason why car insurance is so expensive until you hit 25. It’s not just some arbitrary age — it’s backed by history and hard statistics. The highest unnatural death rates happen between ages 15 and 24. The second highest is between 25 and 44. Yet, if you’re like most people (myself included back then), you probably thought you were made of rubber — like nothing bad could touch you. We all assumed “tomorrow” would always come.
But the truth is, God doesn’t promise any of us a tomorrow. Life has a way of surprising us — sometimes in ways we never expect.
Proverbs 27 jumps right into this reality. It warns against bragging about tomorrow — about all the things we’re sure we’ll do “someday.” It calls us to humility and readiness, reminding us to focus on what needs to be done today instead of putting life on hold.
And it’s not just about plans. This chapter also highlights the value of faithful friendship — the kind of friendship that doesn’t just stroke your ego but tells you the truth, even when it stings. Proverbs 27 says wounds from a friend can be trusted. That’s not always easy to hear, but it’s necessary for growth.
Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread and trust God with tomorrow. He showed us how to live with faithfulness in the present, not worrying about the future but fully embracing the work and relationships right in front of us.
So if you’re the one who keeps putting off your relationship with Jesus, if you feel that tug from God right now, don’t wait. Stop procrastinating. Don’t be the sluggard we read about so often. Anytime your heart pulls you toward God — that is God telling you to step up now. Remember, He sees tomorrow — you don’t.
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.
3 Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8 Like a bird that flees its nest is anyone who flees from home.
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.
10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you–better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.
12 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.
14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.
15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm; 16 restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
18 The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever protects their master will be honored.
19 As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. 20 Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes.
21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them.
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; 24 for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. 25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, 26 the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field. 27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family and to nourish your female servants.