Proverbs 3:13-18 - Life giving wisdom

¹³ Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,

¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

Have you found wisdom yet? Are you still searching in all the wrong places? Blessed is the person who finds wisdom… the question is; “Where will you find wisdom?”

The Lord Jesus Christ once asked his disciples if they were going to continue to follow him inspite of his hard teachings. To this Peter replied “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life…” (John 6: 60 to 68) There is only one person in this world you can go to, who can grant you life giving wisdom. The world can offer you all kinds of wisdom on “How to live your life, how to make loads of money, how to make your home look pretty, how to stay healthy and fit…” but what will it profit you, if you lose your soul? At the end of it all, you will die just like anyone else in the world.

Stop looking in all the wrong places. Go! Find that one person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who holds with him the words of eternal life.

(Ref: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%206:%2060-69&version=NIV)

Proverbs 3: 11,12- Tough Love

11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke,

12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Does God punish us when we do something wrong? That’s a difficult question… I am not a bible scholar to answer that one. It is, however, clear from these verses that the Lord does disciplines his children.

If you are a child of God and knowingly continue to sin then be ready for some discipline. The Lord could use anything to discipline his children; it could be a sermon you listen to which pricks your heart, a bible verse, a Christian friend, or the circumstances you find yourself in as a result of sin. Rebuke and discipline is never pleasant or easy. The hurt of it could sting for days.

One must remember however, that not all bad circumstances are a result of God’s discipline. If you are going through troubles of some sort then closely examine your life to see if there is sin in your life. If there isn’t, then it could be that the Lord is using those circumstances to build your faith and make you stronger in him. No matter what the circumstances though, the most important thing is, to never doubt the love of God and never question his ways.

To read more about God's dicipline in the Bible, please read Hebrews 12: 7 to 12. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%2012&version=NIV)

Proverbs 3: 9, 10 - A matter of giving to God

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

This is very direct, honor the Lord with your wealth. What is the point of storing up treasures on earth? One thing I have seen an experienced in life is that God never lets his children suffer any lack. If you are a Christian and still worry about wealth and money problems or if you withhold from giving to the Lord because you think you won’t have enough for yourself then it’s time to stop worrying and start giving. It’s a wonderful thing to experience God’s provision first hand when you depend on him. Commit to the Lord not just your money but also your time.

Proverbs 3: 5 to 8 - A question of trust

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bone

I’ve been listening to these verses since the time I was a little girl. I must admit that it was easier to trust in the Lord, back when I was a little kid compared to now. Actually, trusting in the Lord is the easy part. When it comes to the part about not leaning on your own understanding... well that’s the part I find the toughest. It’s so easy for me to rush into things and do things in my own understanding and wisdom. This whole task of reading proverbs every day is just to remind me not to lean on my own understanding.

It’s so easy to get carried away with emotion or worldly wisdom or just plain thoughtlessness. I’ve always been wise in my own eyes. It’s only when I realised my own shortcomings and foolishness that I came to appreciate God’s wisdom and Love.

Sometimes I face situations which I cannot understand, I can’t seem to comprehend why things turn out the way it does or why nothing seems to work out as planned. That is the time when giving control to God is the toughest task to do. At these times I’ve learnt that I just have to give up fighting for control over my life and let the Lord take over. It’s still not easy, but maybe one day I’ll get there.

Proverbs 3: 1to 4- Do not Forget

Proverbs 3: 1to 4

1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (NIV)

Forgetting is both a blessing and a curse to us. On one hand, it helps you let go of all the bad that stuff that has happened in your life, it makes it easier for you to forgive people who hurt you, let go of grudges, overcome embarrassing moments and helps you enjoy simple pleasures of life without thinking of the past. Then on the other hand, if anyone would curse forgetfulness, it’s me! I sometimes crown myself the queen of forgetfulness. Leaving things behind like my purse or bags, forgetting my friend’s birthdays, important tasks, paying my bills on time, the list is endless. I constantly have to set reminders on my phone and inspite of that, I still forget things. I have to remind myself to set reminders and then forget to do it.

It’s so easy for me to forget what I read in my morning devotion. I start off the day resolving to keep in heart all the things that I've read, but then too often, when I look back at the events of the day I feel like I am like the person in James, “like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1: 23, 24)

Some times the Lord takes us through circumstances that make us not just remember his word for a few hours or minutes rather we find that his word comes through so clearly that the words get etched in our hearts and minds, such that we can never forget it. At other times though it is best to stay alert and keep God's word close by lest we get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and lose sight of what is really important. It takes a conscious amount of time and effort to remember it's not something that is going to come automatically.

Oh that I may bind the word of God around my neck and heart.

Proverbs 2:16 Silky, Seductive words

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,

13 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,

14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

16 It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words,

17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. [a]

18 For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

20 Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Men whose words are perverse, Women with seductive words. Men whose paths are crooked, houses with lead to death and paths that lead to the spirits of the dead.

Once again, a warning to stay away from men who plot wicked schemes. There is no shortage of men and women out there waiting to pull us into schemes and scams. All I have to do is read the newspaper each day to see the wicked and evil things people come up with everyday. I may never know when someone somewhere will try and get me. It’s clear that the Lord does not want us to be simpletons who are gullible enough to believe anything that people tell us. That is why, Knowledge too, is so important along with wisdom. The next time someone tries to talk you into doing something, it’s always good to first check whether, what you are getting into is right or wrong. I truly can’t say God didn’t warn me after I get duped.

Verse 16 is the first of many warnings against adultery in Proverbs. Here it warns us against seductive words; Words which sound so sweet and tempting. Very few people in the world are immune to flattery. I know I am not. If we live in a world where marriage vows no longer have any value, a world where promises are made only to be broken, why then should we trust the sweet words of a person who is not your partner; only to find heartbreak and a broken home? Our instincts may prove us wrong many times when it comes to trusting people. I can’t comment further on this topic since I am not married, however, no temptation is easy to overcome and it’s better to be on guard and forewarned by taking this to heart.

Proverbs 2- Steps to wisdom simplified

Proverbs 2: 1 to 11
1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. 9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. 10 for wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

The first 4 verses in proverbs 2 give us a few things we need to do to get wisdom.
1) Accept my words and store up my commands: “Store up my commands” that sounds pretty much like what you would do if you were writing a computer program. God wants us to store his commands for ‘us’ his programs to function effectively. We need to click OK and accept his words 2) Tune your ear and apply your heart
3) Call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding: What better thing to do when faced with a difficult situation. The Lord promises to hear our cry and answer it when we call on him.
4) Look for it: Nothing comes easy. Think of it as a treasure hunt. We already have the map, but we still have to look for it.

Verses 7, 8 and 9, give us a few characteristics that a person ought to be; Upright, blameless, just and faithful if we have these “Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path” . This is something that I have found extremely hard to follow. If the Lord were not forgiving, gracious and understanding, it would be impossible to become any of these things with my own effort.