3:5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
He's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
a father's delight is behind all this.
I am really growing to love the Proverbs. Why haven't I been reading these all my life? I guess it's because they seem so A-D-D -- all kinds of great stuff, but it's all so random.
But this section from Proverbs 3 today is just plain good common sense. I resolved a long time ago that if Jesus were a myth and the resurrection a lie, Christianity still would be the best way to live.
Fortunately, Jesus is not a myth and the resurrection is our salvation!
I suppose the thing that keeps me from "listening for God's voice in all I do" is simply the daily-ness of everyday life. I do it for awhile, then I forget, then it's a habit to forget, then I don't do it, and then I wonder why I stopped. But why, when the benefits are so great?
It's like eating healthy -- you know that you'll feel great if you do that and exercise. But the path of least resistance says sit and blog for hours at the computer. Or occupy your brain with mindless things like television and computer games -- none of which will change a life or be Christ to someone else.
Now I am not speaking here to you, the busy mom who can barely get a shower during the day. You need to sit and let your brain go to mush. Maybe the most spiritual thing you can do today is take a nap or even better, a bubble bath!
But for those of us who could be doing a million things that would make a difference and instead choose the path of chocolate, soda, and a crossword puzzle, it might be better to pay a little attention. Make a little effort.
I love two places in this passage -- first, where He says "He's the one who will keep you on track." Thank goodness I don't have to do it all myself.
The second place is this: "A father's delight is behind all this."
I, Chief of Sinners, Chocolate and Soda Consumer and Doer of Crossword Puzzles Instead of Something Productive, am so incredibly thankful for my Father's delight.
I had a friend once who said that maybe the sun keeps rising every morning because God just can't get enough of it. Maybe, like a child, He says "Do it again!" God is full of delight in His creation, and we are the stars of that creation.
I desperately want that same delight that comes from allowing Him to keep me on track. And how can I lose, when He makes it so easy?
Lord, please give me a big trust in You today, just like you give me my next breath and my next heartbeat. You are so -- so -- so -- DELIGHTFUL. Amen!
xoxoxox
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