Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3:1-35

My son, do not forget my teaching,

 but let your heart keep my commandments,

 for length of days and years of life

and peace they will add to you.

• Step away from it for 48 hours and you’ll notice how easily you will forget.  This world and the one who rules it – the enemy – is constantly working to pull you away from the truth.  
• The only way to ensure you do not forget is to repeated return to the teachings.  Take a moment each day to “hit the reset button”, cleaning off the filth and muck that this world will coat you with.
• Don’t just think that the commandments are “good info”.  KNOW that they are what’s best for us.  Absorb them, not just into your intellect, but into your inner being.  Make them a starting point, not an optional.
• The promise here:  Just follow my instructions, children, and you will have peace and joy in your heart.  Not to mention the whole eternal life in God’s presence (a.k.a. Length of days and years of LIFE – the true life).

 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;

 bind them around your neck;

 write them on the tablet of your heart.

 So you will find favor and good success

in the sight of God and man.

• As mentioned, write love and faithfulness on your heart.  Make them your Modus Operandi.  Leave the old person behind.  It won’t “forsake you”.
• God will be pleased (which is the real goal), but what man can find fault in you if you are this way?  In fact, they will trust you, honor you and respect you.  Who wouldn’t?
• Note:  “Good success” can mean many things.  Don’t immediately think financial success, although that may come, too.  There are far greater successes than financial in this life.

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

• I deal with this one EVERY day.  
• How often do you try to get out of a situation on your own without asking God for his help?
• How often is your opinion in direct contradiction to what scripture says is correct?
• Just like a child thinking we know better than our parents, when we know they are more experienced, have more wisdom, and have our best interests at heart … we can’t reasonably say “I know better”.  That’s just silly.
• Rest in God’s word and promises.  Stop being a control freak and let “Jesus take the wheel”.

 In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

• Direct enough.  Acknowledge Him.  Even in tough times, be still and know that God is sovereign (in control).  And that’s a good thing.  We trust the pilot to fly the plane.  Would we jump in and take over?  Of course not.
• The promise is, “Just trust me.  Acknowledge that I know better.  And your paths will straighten in life."

 Be not wise in your own eyes;

 fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

 It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.

• Respect the fact that God is infinitely wise and we have a governor on how wise we are capable of being.  
• You’re not as smart as you think you are.  Even Steven Hawking is only so smart – he can’t go any further.  He is human.  God is God.
• And once we realize this, you will feel a lot of weight lifted from you.  Less stress, less worry.  More joy, even in tough times.  This is when we need this truth the most.

 Honor the Lord with your wealth

and with the firstfruits of all your produce;

 then your barns will be filled with plenty,

and your vats will be bursting with wine.

• This is one of my favorites.  It’s about using the gifts given to you by God for HIS work, not for your comfort or desires.
• Honor him with your money, your talents, your opportunities.  They were given to you by Him.  They are actually His, not yours.
• And give him your BEST, not your left overs.  Many will give of their discretionary income, for instance.  But Jesus talks about a woman in the temple who gives her last two shekels and how that differs from the rich Pharisee who gives way more, but from his “extra”.  There is no sacrifice in the latter, only in the former.  
• Is your favorite part of the day the morning?  Give some of it to God.   Did you have a bumper crop of apples in your apple orchard?  Give the best 10% to God (through giving it to the least of his children).
• Do this in trust that God will always take care of you.  Don’t let worry get in the way.  Worry means you don’t trust God as much as you should.  Rest in His promises.

 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline

or be weary of his reproof,

 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,

as a father the son in whom he delights.

• Accept the discipline without grumbling.  It is out of love and will help to improve you as God shapes you and makes you more Christlike.
• In fact, accept the discipline with joy!  A father that loves his child will take time to discipline.  A father that does not take the time, obviously does NOT love his child.  It’s a complement.  Take it that way.

 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,

and the one who gets understanding,

 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver

and her profit better than gold.

 She is more precious than jewels,

and nothing you desire can compare with her.

 Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.

 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;

those who hold her fast are called blessed.

• Ever meet an idiot with money?  Pitiful isn’t it?  
• Ever meet a poor man with incredible wisdom?  Incredible.
• Wisdom is a blessing and is far more valuable than … anything material really.
• The result of wisdom is “riches and honor”.  Riches in the form of insight, respect, love …
• And those who appreciate and honor that wisdom they’ve received, without being pulled away by wordily desires, are blessed, are peaceful.

 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;

by understanding he established the heavens;

 by his knowledge the deeps broke open,

and the clouds drop down the dew.

• God’s wisdom, understanding and knowledge created the earth, the depths of the seas, the vastness of space and all in it.  That is just a glimpse into his power.  Our human minds can’t grasp it. 

 My son, do not lose sight of these—

keep sound wisdom and discretion,

 and they will be life for your soul

and adornment for your neck.

 Then you will walk on your way securely,

 and your foot will not stumble.

 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

• Wisdom is life and nourishment for the soul.  Wisdom will show in your face, in your actions, in your peaceful demeanor.
• With God’s wisdom, you can rest without fear of stumbling, without fear, without worry.  Peace.

 Do not be afraid of sudden terror

or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,

 for the Lord will be your confidence

and will keep your foot from being caught.

• Rest in the knowledge that, even when bad things happen, it is all part of God’s greater plan that we may not understand.  Take comfort in this and you will have peace, even in the storms of life.
• God will never give you more than you are capable of dealing with.

 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to do it.

 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,

tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.

• Love this one.  Always, without hesitation, give of yourself.
• Examples:  When you see something about someone else that is good or beautiful, tell them immediately.  You have no idea what impact that will have.  When you have, and see an opportunity to help someone who does not have, give without hesitation.  Help when the opportunity arises.  Stand up for someone when they need someone to stand up, regardless of what that might result in for you.  Trust in God.

 Do not plan evil against your neighbor,

who dwells trustingly beside you.

• Pretty straightforward.  Don’t do anything evil, mean spirited, selfish.  Just don’t.  
• No need for explanation on this one, I think.

 Do not contend with a man for no reason,

when he has done you no harm.

• Simply, don’t do anything bad to another, ESPECIALLY if they’ve done you no harm.
• That said, don’t do anything bad to others even if they have done harm to you.  Defend, certainly, but do not offend.  Turn the other cheek and let God deal with them.

 Do not envy a man of violence

and do not choose any of his ways,

 for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,

but the upright are in his confidence.

• Many in our society do just that – envy a man who gets what he wants through violence.  No matter what he gets for his actions, ignore it.  That’s not the way.  He will pay – eventually.  God promises that in that He is a good and fair judge.
• Don’t be devious for any reason.  I’ve struggled with this in the past.  Lying to cut corners or to get what I want.  It never paid off in the end.  

 The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

 Toward the scorners he is scornful,

 but to the humble he gives favor.

 The wise will inherit honor,

but fools get disgrace

• No one is righteous, not one.  This is the beauty of following Christ.  HE has made us righteous through our belief in him and living out a life that is increasingly more like His life.  None of us are perfect.  Even Paul said that he was the greatest of sinners.  What he meant was, he sees that he can never achieve perfect righteousness.  And if he can’t, it’s unlikely anyone can.  Other religions base things on works alone, but they are looking over the horizon.  They still do bad things periodically.  What will happen when they get to judgement day with all of their mistakes on their backs?  They are screwed (excuse the French)!  We, on the other hand, acknowledge that we can’t do it alone.  We can never be clean with Christ and His sacrifice for us.  So …
• We are righteous through Christ, and our dwellings are blessed.  Our belief in Christ must be real, though.  We can’t say it, then do whatever we want.  That shows that we really don’t believe it.  God’s smarter than that.
• Be humble in all things.  Nothing you have and nothing you are capable of are yours – they were GIVEN to you.  Rest in that and give all credit to Him.  By the way, I am like totally awesome at this humility thing. ;)
• As we’ve discussed throughout Proverbs 3, the wise are given honor (think Ben Carson) and fools will get disgrace eventually (think Barack Obama).