“When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.” (Proverbs 11:10)

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 off in extra time, the score was tied 3-3, sending the soccer teams to penalty kicks. After Argentina made the winning goal, the nation erupted in celebration. More than a million Agentineans overwhelmed downtown Buenos ires. 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.” 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.

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.

Daily Questions

1. Where do you see the need for joy in your city?
2. How can you bring God’s joy there?

Daily Thoughts

Dear God, please help us to join You in bringing joy to others.

Proverbs 11:1-11

The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires. Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing. The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

Bonus Information

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 contacted with the wicked. Many are written by Solomon. Chapters 25-27 are Solomon’s Proverbs collected by the men of King Hezekiah. Others come from a group of anonymouse wise men, Agur and King Lemuel.

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.