November 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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"Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken." - Proverbs 3: 25-26

The theme of this portion of Proverbs is that wisdom will bring great benefits to the man who possesses it. In these two verses Solomon adds that a man of wisdom will not need to be afraid of fear itself nor of desolation.

It is interesting to note that the Lord does not promise that the wise man will never have any situations in his life that might cause him to fear, nor that he will never see desolation, because he concludes verse 25 by stating "when it cometh". In other words, fearful things will suddenly come up in your life, and the desolation of the wicked will occur as well. The phrase "desolation of the wicked" can have one of two meanings. It can either refer to devastation caused by the wicked, or it can refer to the destruction of the wicked themselves. Either one of the events could cause fear. Certainly the average man would fear if he encountered wicked men bent upon his destruction, and it is quite possible that seeing the destruction of an evil man could cause someone to be afraid. Regardless of which one is meant, Solomon says that the man of wisdom has nothing to be afraid of.

The reason that the wise man need not be overthrown by these occurrences is that he can have confidence in the Lord. When men fail and circumstances seem bleak, the Lord has promised to watch over His children. In Psalm 55:22 David writes that God "shall never suffer the righteous to be moved". This is what Solomon means when he says that the Lord will not allow the wise man's foot to be taken. He will keep His obedient child on the right path and bring him through whatever crisis he may face.

Difficult situations will spring up at us during our lifetime. Don't fear them, but rather trust God to guide you through them.

Pastor Mark J Montgomery