Proverbs 3:1-12 Trust In the Lord
The basics for a sound life are laid out first. And that first thing is to trust in the Lord with ALL your heart. Lean into and learn from Him.
The father is speaking to the son again and, again, I wonder who the two are. Is this David’s instructions to Solomon or Solomon’s to his sons? One relationship I can be sure of in this discourse is the Father speaking to us. It is His instructions that we are to bind around our neck and write on the tablets of our hearts. His steadfast love and faithfulness will see us through ANYTHING life brings our way. And this is the cornerstone of our relationships with others.
There is SO MUCH that will come at us in this life. Without a firm foundation in the Lord we are tossed about like a feather in a whirlwind; stripped of all its plumage in the process. Will you let life toss you around or soar on the currents? It all begins with the ‘flying lessons’ from the Holy Spirit.
Learning from the Lord, His truths and how to interact with others according to those truths, set us up for success or failure. We have to learn also to trust in those truths to bring us through anything life brings us. His basic truth of, HE is our Creator and that He loves us beyond measure, sets the cornerstone of our lives.
I have been struggling with how to share the deepest thing I see here without resorting to a bunch of metaphors. Proverbs has PLENTY of metaphors for us already. I want to speak something true and straight forward. Here goes. Learning about the Lord is important but having a relationship with Him is what brings us into His promises. When we build our lives on that relationship, including ALL the principles He laid down, then we will be protected in His will.
This does NOT mean that EVERYTHING will be perfect in our lives. We WILL encounter trials and storms. We will have lessons we have to learn along the way. But our trust in Him will be what carries us through ALL the hard places. ‘Bad things’ do happen to ‘good people’ in this world.
God’s two principle pillars, as Jesus stated them, both focus on love. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37b), and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39b). And they grow out of God’s love for us. Our love for Him and for others is a direct reflection of learning of and experiencing His love for us.
We are being called to use our love in our daily lives. Honor God for the good gifts He has given us by giving back to Him. Turn away from evil. Recognize that any wisdom we have comes from Him; don’t take personal credit for it. Walk through the tough times, holding tightly to His hand, recognizing that there is growth in it for you. Show His love in ALL you do. Trust in Him with all your heart. He KNOWS where each path leads and He has chosen the perfect one’s for you to walk.
Father God, sometimes I get all wrapped up in trying to make everything come out just right. I plan, practice, and organize until I’m sure I can complete the task perfectly. But I often get tired and feel like I’m carrying everything on my own. I’M NOT! I need to recognize Your hand in the process. YOU are the one holding me up, giving me ideas, and supplying the materials for the things I’m doing. Thank You for never making me do it on my own!
Thank You for answering the prayers for my brother in law. He too is in Your hands.
