My Son

Proverbs 3:1-4

My son (1:8, 2:1, 3:1). This fatherly figure wants desperately to pass along the wisdom to his son. He calls on him to listen, to keep attending to the wisdom contained in his words. They offer his son a better way. Perhaps the father made many mistakes and he wished for his son to not follow in his ways. Mistakes can be very painful.

So what is the first specific wisdom he passes along to his son? He tells him to keep love and faithfulness close at hand. What would that look like? It will prolong life, and bring peace and prosperity (v2), and favor and a good name (v4), so it is important to know.

The author first uses the picture of a person hanging his wisdom around their neck. It would always be visible. It would always be handy. Others would see it present in your life, and every movement would be noticed. Chance are, it would even get in the way if you were engaged in daily activities, just like a woman’s necklace and an infant child.

But wearing around your neck is an external action. It could get lost, or even taken off on purpose. Someone might steal it. But the author says we should write this wisdom on the tablet of your heart.

I don’t know about you, but my heart doesn’t have a tablet. I can’t afford an iPad for my heart. Wrong kind of tablet! We are talking about a stone or clay tablet. It takes time and effort to write something on this kind of tablet. It is not something that can be accomplished quickly. It also can’t be erased easily. It is a semi-permanent form of document preservation. Slow, inefficient, but lasting.

That is the way we are to store God’s wisdom in us. It takes time and effort to write it in us. Chiseling or scraping again and again. And no one is able to see this wisdom directly. It is on the inside. They will only be able to tell it is there by your actions. Unlike the necklace, it can’t be lost or stolen.

We want things quickly, but gaining and keeping wisdom takes time and effort, but has its rewards. Verse four highlights two: favor and a good name. Things go smoothly when you have a good name, and when people trust you, doors open. Definitely worth the effort.

The Ten-Plus-Eight’s

Psalm 18, 48, 78, 108, 138

Notice the piling up of terms of strength (Ps 18:2) used by the psalmist as he is in distress. It is good to know that no matter what kind of power you need in your time of distress, the LORD is the source of that strength. The writer was in death’s grip and the LORD brought him out (vv4-5). The enemy was right at his door, and the LORD moved heaven and earth in the rescue. Not only was rescue happening, but the LORD leads him to victory in battle (v37). The LORD wants us to be more than conquerors. We are supposed to be victors, not because of our own efforts, but because of the LORD’s presence in our lives (vv47-48).  

It is one thing to read about God’s working in the past, but it is another when you see that working yourself (Ps 48:8). Firsthand knowledge is so powerful. That doesn’t mean that we can’t believe unless we see, but that we as human beings sometimes want and need to see. And we have an obligation to tell the next generation of our experiences (vv12-13). We need to pass along what we know. We need to purposefully notice God’s grace and His working in our world and in our lives. We need to be active, not passive, in paying attention to His presence.

Psalm 78 highlights the cycle of sin, both of Israel’s sin and of our sin. Things have not changed much in the human heart over the millennia. This pattern is laid out clearly starting in verse 34. God would judge them (v34), they would turn back to Him (v34), serve Him for a time (v35), but then they would drift away (vv36-37), and God would give them time to repent (vv38-39), and judgment would come again. I would challenge you to look at the cycle in your life and take time to write it down, even if only in bullet format. Reflecting on your life can give you insight into specific triggers that trip you up and send you off course. Next time you might step over that bump and stay on course.

Is your heart steadfast in worship even when circumstances seem to be against you? In Psalm 108 we read of the determination to worship even when things aren’t going well. He starts with an act of his will; he will worship (vv1-5). He repeatedly says he will do certain things (vv1-3). He gives the reasons the LORD is worthy of worship (vv4-5). And then he shifts to asking for His help by recounting His words spoken in the past (vv7-9). He has only one option; humans can’t help (v12). God has given us the ability to do so many things, that sometimes we think we can do it on our own. That is a mistake.

Sometimes I feel like I am living right on the edge of life, having exhausted all my resources. In those moments, verses like Psalm 138:8 give voice to my heart. I am desperate enough to state that I feel abandoned by the LORD. I know that His love endures forever, but I feel like my case is the exception. I feel like I am alone. I plead that He not abandon me. Have you ever felt like the exception to the rule, that God’s love, forgiveness, grace, kindness, or patience will run out before you get what you need? You are not the exception. Draw in close, hold on tight, listen for the small whisper.