The Proverbs have long been one of my favorite parts of the Bible.  The stuff just rings so true.  Vivid word pictures communicating timeless wisdom.  Bite-sized, easy-to-digest -- but still rich and chewy enough to allow for hours (and lifetimes) of meditation, consideration, and application.  The Proverbs are thousands and thousands of years old, yet remarkably accessible and up-to-date.  I love it.  My life is unspeakably enriched by it.  Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic... I often feel like I could camp out in the Proverbs for a very, very long time.

It’s also kind of cool and convenient that there are 31 chapters of Proverbs in the Bible -- which fits nicely with our Julian calendars featuring no more than 31 days per month.  Many of the other conventions of our calendars also fit nicely with references to specific Proverbs.

Consider 365 days of the year with Proverbs chapter 3, verses 6 and 5...

In all your ways acknowledge (the Lord), and he will make your paths straight.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Consider the 31 days of the month with not just the 31 chapters of Proverbs but also with the specific reference for Proverbs 3:1 (and 2)...

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

Or notice how the concept of 1 Proverb per day, 7 days per week, for all 52 weeks of the year cross- checks nicely with Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 5:2...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.  My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.

Kind of cool, huh?

So what if I committed an entire year to taking a Proverb per day -- 365 days in a row -- considering it, meditating upon it, and seeking to apply it to a 21st Century context?  I certainly wouldn’t be the first to consider such an undertaking.  But I think it could be a really interesting project—reading through the Proverbs (at least) 12 times in the course of the year and deliberately choosing a point of meditation for each day.  Beneficial for my own life and perhaps for others, too.