DATE POSTED: Thursday, 2023-04-27
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Proverbs 3:1-6
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ^1-2 My son, never forget the things I’ve taught you. If you want a long and satisfying life, closely follow my instructions. ³ Never tire of loyalty and kindness. Hold these virtues tightly. Write them deep within your heart. ^4-5 If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. ⁶ In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

OBSERVATION: Do you suppose that we would have a better world today if every father took his child aside before leaving his home and shared such wisdom with them as Solomon did with his son, as detailed in our Scripture today? I bet we would have a much better world! Therefore, let us meditate on a few of the things that Solomon shared, as they are very similar to what God teaches throughout His Book for us to follow.

APPLICATION: I have found that it was not until certain circumstances started occurring in my adult life that I heard the teachings and advice given to me by my dad during my days of training and working by his side. Perhaps that’s how God intended it! However, these lessons by Solomon, to his son, were so important in the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit, that God permitted it to be included in His Word. Let’s delve into the lessons as we ask God to embed His Word into our minds, for our good, and for His glory:

• Never Forget – As time goes on, don’t we tend to brush aside old habits and lessons, thinking that we should live more in line with the times? But Solomon saw fit to make this one of his very first instructions in this lesson today. Just as these instructions of Solomon are reinforced by God himself, we too are also called to never forget the instructions taught to us by important people God placed in our life – our parents.
• Hold fast to the Virtues taught – The dictionary shows the meaning of ‘Virtues’ as: ‘behavior showing high moral standards‘. God wanted us to know that these virtues given by Solomon will go a long way for us today also. From a very young age, our parents try to embed awesome virtues into their children. Often, we might think they are pre-historic and only suited for the very early stages of creation when they were born! But let’s hold tight to what God is telling us in His Word. These are things we must take seriously.
• Closely follow his instruction – I sometime wonder whether God will hold us accountable for knowing His Word, yet adding our own little twist on what we assume He must have meant. We do the same with man’s laws. The speed limit may clearly show 45 mph, yet we become upset with the Highway Patrolman who tickets us for doing 48 mph, because we stayed under the assumed limit suggested by our friends! I had a relative who changed recipe ingredients to suit her liking, but she complained when the finished product didn’t taste like the first one she tasted! No doubt Solomon knew that his son would try to make his own adjustments, but if he expected to achieve the end result of knowing that God would bless him with a long and satisfying life, then he had to following his dad’s instructions closely, and so should we learn to do the same with God’s instructions.
• Loyalty & Kindness – I love one translation that reads that his son was to never tire of living a life of integrity. To live a life of kindness, is to meet the needs of people who cross your path, instead of making every effort to avoid them. The world will turn their heads to avoid a person with needs, but since God met our greatest need by sending His one and only Son so that we could live eternally with Him, then as His imitator we must be willing to do the same.
• Trust God completely – Our minds, our thoughts and our actions are often marred by the world in which we live. It is critical that we avoid our own distorted minds, will and thoughts, and trust God completely. He created us, He sent His Son so that we might live eternally with Him, so He has our best interest at heart and will direct our path in a way that would enhance His kingdom through His children.

Perhaps God is trying to let you know what you must do to have eternal life, and also how to live a long and satisfying life. His Word is of super importance, as it contains His instructions for life. Listen carefully and commit yourself to follow His instructions, and you will surely be blessed with a long and satisfying life.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Our Father gave us His full instruction for life, just as Solomon did for his son. Praise God we, who have accepted Him as Lord, can live a long and satisfying life knowing that our eternal home will be even greater than any joy we might have here on earth!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I’m sure You are well aware of the struggles we face every day and the challenges that meet us in every walk of life. Praise God we serve such an awesome Lord! In spite of our sin, You sent Your Son to die on a cross at Calvary, so that we could choose to accept Him for the forgiveness of our sin and enjoy the surety of our eternity. Please open our eyes and our understanding to Your instructions and give us boldness to follow with integrity the instruction and example of Your Son. Please give us purpose in living this life and the determination to follow Your instructions faithfully. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!