More Good Guidance

Proverbs: Chapter 3 (NKJV)

My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for the length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones.

Honor the LORD with your possessions and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.

My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD nor detest His correction; for whom the LORD loves He corrects just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her.

The LORD by wisdom, founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by His knowledge the depths were broken up and clouds drop down the dew.

My son, let them not depart from your eyes--keep sound wisdom and discretion to they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror nor trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go and come back, and tomorrow I will give it," when you have it with you. Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he dwells by you for safety's sake. Do not strive with a man without a cause if he has done you no harm.

Do not envy the oppressor and choose none of his ways; for the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD; but His secret counsel is with the upright. The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicket, but He blesses the home of the just. Surely He scorns the scornful but gives grace to the humble. The wise man shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools.

What do you want out of life? A good job. A decent salary? A good family, husband, or wife? Good friends? All of us want those things and there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of it. But have you ever wandered why so many with so much are so messed up? Take, or example, a CEO of a large company who has a beautiful wife, a large, lovely home, three beautiful children and all the toys a big boy can want. One day he is driving home from work and decides he will take his own life. Tragic! There are literally hundreds of stories like this, and there are many others where people just lose it and go postal. The fact of the matter is, we are created to worship and desire Something this world cannot satisfy. Simply put, we are created to worship and desire God, a holy God.

 

This passage tells us that all that God has to offer is far more valuable than anything we could ever want in this life. When troubles come, and they will, we should not be terrified because of our belief in God. And when those troubles come, we sometimes, okay most all of the time, cannot wrap our earthly mind around the facts and the whys. We must trust God even if we don't understand what is happening around us.

 

My favorite part of this Proverb is that we are told we can rest easy. It says our "sleep will be sweet." For someone whose mind almost never stops, even during sleep, this is such a comfort. I can lie my head on my pillow at night and know with full confidence that God has my life in His hands.

 

Remember the childhood prayer: "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." Honestly, that prayer used to scare me to death...you mean I'm gonna die in my sleep? LOL It just means that if I wake up in the morning, then I'm good with it. If I die before the morning (in my sleep), then that's okay too because I will wake  up to the face of Jesus.

 

I love the fact that my life is under control even though it seems that it is not. I love the fact that I can trust my God with my life and all the tiny parts that make up my life. His Word is put together in a story and I can read that story over and over. I can easily find the answer to life's biggest questions, and I can have peace knowing that God loves me. 

 

Two more quick things I don't want to leave out: 1) don't pick fights with someone. Chill out and trust God to handle the situation. 2) Give to your neighbor if you have it and he/she needs it, and think about the fact that maybe that neighbor is choosing to be around you because they see in you a trust in God.