The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Proverbs 9-12
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 5: Kings and Prophets: God shapes a kingdom people
Background Information: Proverbs 9-12
Reading Proverbs can overwhelm the mind. Bullets of wisdom fly at you in rapid-fire fashion. You begin contemplating the implications of one insight, only to be immediately hit by another one in the next verse. What are we to do with this book? We must read it over and over. It is not meant to be read once and then put aside. Instead, it is designed so that its wisdom shapes our minds over time. It would be ideal to mark verses that are especially relevant to your life. Then go back to them over and over, or better yet, memorize them so that you take them with you as you move through life.
The motto of the wise is given several times in the book:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Proverbs 9:10
To fear God is to yield to him as Lord. To yield your life fully to God is the first step on the path to understanding. From that first step on the path, we will find that the journey forward will most often be the result of discipline from the Lord. If we properly fear our good Father, then we will choose to embrace his loving discipline (Proverbs 3:11-12, 12:1). The writer of Hebrews borrows from Proverbs as he tells us that as we run our race with endurance, keeping our eyes on Jesus, it is crucial that we embrace the Lord’s discipline.
“My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him,
for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives. Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?”
Hebrews 12:5-7
God’s discipline comes in many forms. It may be through experiencing the results of our own foolish choices. It could be the conviction of the Holy Spirit when we know we have sinned. It could be suffering. But the discipline of a good father is not always about punishment, it is also about growth. Fathers push their sons to grow in their capacity by helping them embrace and endure difficulties. Wisdom is not going to come merely by reading about it, instead we must apply the truth to the difficult parts of our lives. But to apply the truth, we must know the truth. Now we are back where we started. Learn these Proverbs well, and put them deep into your heart.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray that the garage sale goes well for the youth and they are able to make a significant amount of money! Pray for the Summer youth mission teams as they raise money and prepare to go this summer.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.