Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from 31 Days Through Proverbs by Proverbs 31 Ministries.
*
It seemed like a good idea at the time...
How many times have you stood on the other side of a decision and muttered those words with a shrug of disbelief or a sigh of regret?
We’ve all made choices that, in retrospect, we’d choose to change. That’s why Proverbs 3 reminds us that navigating life using only our own ideas isn’t the best idea. God’s ideas, specifically the directives found in His Word, are a more trustworthy guide.
When was the last time you made a decision that left you wishing for a do-over? How did the outcome of that decision leave you feeling?
Read and Respond—Proverbs 3
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 peace and 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 submit to 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 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 the son he delights in.
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain 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 take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.
19 By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding He set the heavens in place;
20 by His knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you.
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—when they have done you no harm.
31 Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.
32 For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into His confidence.
33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.
34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.
What does Proverbs 3:2 promise as a result of aligning our decisions with God’s Word?
Much of Proverbs 3 is written as a series of recommendations paired with results. These imperative statements follow a simple pattern: If you do (or don’t do) this, the result will be that.
Scan through the chapter, and list some of the pairings you see. (For example, verses 1 and 2 are paired below.)
As you glance through the pairings, it’s essential to remember that many of the results refer to spiritual or moral benefits rather than physical ones. The word peace in verse 2 refers to wholeness, internal and external contentment, peace with God, and peace with humankind. The Hebrew word for life could also be translated “fullness of life.” These words paint a picture of meaningful abundance.
Interestingly, Jesus echoed this idea when He announced in John 10:10b,
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. — ESV
Have you ever thought about the way God’s Word adds value to your life? Take a moment to think about this:
God created us with a craving for a meaningful life, and then He gave us a way to satisfy that hunger. What a good God we have!
As we move through the chapter, we see a shift in Proverbs 3:5–12 from the concept of obedience to trust. The phrases all your heart (v. 5) and all your ways (v. 6) call us to place our complete confidence in God’s ways over our own.
What makes it difficult for you to trust God with all your heart and in all your ways?
Let’s admit that one of the things that makes it so hard to trust God is that He just doesn’t do things like we would (Isaiah 55:8–9). He seems to move slower, take the long way around, and even define “good” quite differently than we do. But Proverbs 3 isn’t advocating blind trust in God.
Think of what you know about God’s character—from His Word and your personal experience—and finish the bolded sentence below. (If you need some help, check out these verses: Numbers 23:19; Psalm 18:30; Psalm 116:5; Psalm 145:9; Isaiah 40:28; Ephesians 2:4–5; and 1 John 1:5.)
I can trust God because He is…
God’s ways aren’t haphazard. They don’t hinge on His mood or change with time. They are rooted in His fathomless knowledge and eternal goodness. Best of all, the same God who dictates the rhythms of this spinning globe is willing to direct your daily path... if you’ll trust Him.
Take a moment and thank God for that. Then step outside and let the wonder of the world around you buoy your confidence in the God who created it.
Excerpted with permission from 31 Days Through Proverbs by Proverbs 31 Ministries, copyright Proverbs 31 Ministries, Inc.
* * *
Your Turn
Think through a situation where you can look back and say It seemed like a good idea at the time... and it went really sideways. To avoid regret, going forward, in that same kind of circumstance can you place your complete confidence in God’s ways instead of your own? Remember — all your heart (v. 5) and all your ways (v. 6)! ~ Devotionals Daily