June 3, 2008

Today's Reading - Proverbs 3
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Following Scripture Verses

1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2. For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4. So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12. For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
19. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22. So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
26. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
27. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
28. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29. Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31. Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
32. For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
33. The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
34. Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Today's Pathway:
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"My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:" - Proverbs 3: 11

Our God is holy. He is separate from sin, can not commit sin, and can not tolerate sin. Thus, when sins are committed, He must deal with them. In addition, the Lord loves us and desires for us to live holy lives so that He can bless us. Because of these facts, there will be times in the believer's life when he will experience the corrective hand of God.

When I sin, and subsequently receive discipline from God, I can choose either to get better or get bitter. I can choose to understand that He loves me and is trying to conform me to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), or I can get angry at the Lord for His chastening and rebel against Him further. In today's verse Solomon first admonishes his son not to despise God's discipline. The word "despise" not only means to abhor or loath, but it also means to reject or refuse. In other words, when a man realizes that he is receiving judgment from God, he should not ignore it. He should not refuse to change, but should immediately submit to what God wants. In addition, Solomon warns his son not to grow weary or disgusted with this chastening. God is administering it because He loves us, and no son should ever grow tired of seeing that his father loves him. Besides, it should be the goal of the believer to be like Christ, and we should rejoice that our Heavenly Father is willing to chasten us in such a way that we will become what we need to be.

Hebrews 12:11 states,

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

Pastor Mark J Montgomery