Proverbs – Day 3
Scripture: Proverbs 3
My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
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 submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.
By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the Lord will be at your side
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.
Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.
Do not envy the violent
or choose any of their ways.
For the Lord detests the perverse
but takes the upright into his confidence.
The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He mocks proud mockers
but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.
Devotional:
In conservative Jewish communities, certain traditions have been unchanged for thousands of years: placing leather boxes called tefillin on the forehead and arms during morning prayers and installing carved wooden decorations called mezuzahs to the inside of doors. Both the tefillin and mezuzah contain scrolls of Scripture, the core of which is a prayer called the “Sh’ma,” meaning “Hear!” The Sh’ma is recited upon rising in the morning and just before bed and declares the foundation of the faith.
These symbols and rituals are an external sign and internal reminder of God’s love and faithfulness and the unfailing truth of His Word. They come from a literal interpretation of the commandments in Deuteronomy 6: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (v. 4-9)
The author of Proverbs offers advice consistent with the commands in Deuteronomy. Even if we do not follow the ancient Jewish traditions of literally binding God’s Word to our arms or doors, we need to daily recognize and externally share the love and faithfulness God has given us like a beautiful necklace. Serving others, having consistent character, denying our selfish tendencies, and telling the story of God’s love in our life are all ways we can bind love and faithfulness around our neck. We are also to internalize these gifts, transforming our hearts by overwriting the chapters of sin and disobedience with the grace and mercy we have received through Christ’s death. In doing so, we will serve and honor others and, as a result, we will gain a good reputation.
Key Verses:
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” ~ Proverbs 3:3-4
Question:
- In what ways do you display God’s love as a piece of expensive jewelry?
