Proverbs 3:1-12
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.
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. [a]
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 bones.
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.
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 [b] the son he delights in.I found this passage greatly refreshing, having done it last week. In a sense, it gives a simple yet not easy to follow guideline to life. The passage reminded me how easy it was to acknowledge things to be good to do, yet, at the same time, the direct application of it eludes me, because it is so theoretically obviously right, yet, practically speaking, almost impossible. Perhaps more meditation on the issue is needed.
How often we fall prey to our desire to be independent of everything, even God. I wonder how many of us actually acknowledge it. v5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding" Such an easy thing to say, yet hard to put in practice. We live in a world where self-reliance is deemed a gold standard status of "making it on your own" we rely on logic, a careful weighing of pros and cons and personal experience to justify our actions and make decisions. But how often does this include careful praying and asking God His will? Even if we were to say our sense in reasoning is God-given, but yet i think human desire and worldly urges taint our decisions into something self centered and not glorifying God.
v6 "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" what does it truly mean to acknowledge God in all your ways? I'm guessing it's another perspective on how we should rely on God, to acknowledge what we have as His, not ours. Be it our time, our relationships, our possessions. This will inherently affect the way we view time/how we do things. But yes, what exactly do we do? How do we acknowledge God in all our ways? I doubt it means reading/praying 24/7...a suggestion on my part would be...to meditate on His word throughout the day? m.
I think...even just looking at these two verses..one might despair at how...impossible it is for us to maintain such standards. This, in itself, i think is understandable. But remember, we are no longer held be the Law, but by the grace of God. Not saying we don't try, but we know we are sinful beings, and acknowledging our depravity is, i think at least, the first step to building a r/s with God which will, inadvertently, slowly change our worldly perspectives to one that perhaps catches glimpses of God's.
Labels: dependence on God
edges.
You are forever in my life
You see me through the season
Cover me with Your hands
And Lead me in Your righteousness
And I look to You
And I wait on You
I'll sing to You, Lord a hymn of love
For Your faithfulness to me
I'm carried in everlasting arms
You'll never let me go
Through It all
it's been a nasty week of ups and downs. im thankful that i've been spared from a worse outcome...and perhaps, i've learnt how to restrain myself...not to take matters into my own hands. And like my dad was sharing with me about common experiences in banking, this has been a learning experience. A last week. Of all the moments during this placement, I really hate and love this TERRIBLE episode. Now to work on what's left. Well.
