Proverbs 3-4

3:1-2 - Keeping God's commands extends life and brings peace and prosperity.

3:3 - Let love and faithfulness never leave you; - This passage goes on to say tie them around your neck like a garland or necklace. Out of all the things we should never let get away from us it is love and faithfulness. In the worst of times and the best of times we should always be known as those who love and remain faithful.

3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. - This verse so speaks to me right now. We are going through a time in the life of our church where I just want God to make things clear and so I work really hard to see and to understand, but I am reminded that I do not need to see and understand, but to walk in faith. I need to allow God to take care of what I cannot see and just take every step and every turn that He leads me to. It is enough that He sees what is in front of me. I can walk blindly in that kind of light.

3:9-10 - Honor God with your firstfruits and you will have all you need. The idea of firstfruits is that the Jews would give God from the first fruits of the season and not later on or what was left over. This meant they had to trust that God would provide second fruits and thirds fruits, etc. It was an act of faith, but more than that it was an act of honor and worship. By giving God the firstfruits they were saying that God was more significant than they were. They were telling God He came even before their own physical needs. This same idea of firstfruits carries over in the New Testament. We are called to give God from the first part of our income and not just the leftovers. Tied with the idea of the tithe from the Old Testament and even Jesus' teachings about the tithe, this means we give God the first ten percent as an act of worship and faith. So what does it say when we don't do this?

3:11-12 - Embrace discipline because it means God loves you.

3:15 - The Bible says nothing you desire can compare with the results of wisdom.

3:17 - Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

3:19-21 - God created all that we know and see (and even what we don't know and can't see) by His own wisdom and understanding.

3:24 - Wisdom brings sweet sleep.

3:27 - Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. I love this verse. It reminds me that I need to honor and praise those who I have the power and opportunity to honor and praise. It is wrong to let something good that someone deserves go by the wayside because it is inconvenient, painful or costly. When we have the power to reward we should every time.

3:31 - Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. I used to struggle with this a lot because of all the martial arts stuff I did. I would daydream about different confrontations and scenarios. And now I see many young men who struggle with this. They play video games that are so violent, it has to be affecting their souls. I wish we could humble ourselves enough and trust our God enough to let go of physical violence as our answer to either safety or exhilaration.

4:6 - Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.

4:13 - Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.

4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. - This is true. No matter how right you are or how justified you feel or whatever, if you do not guard your heart it will sour or turn against God or people. You have to constantly protect your tender faith. You have to take great precautions to not let it bear to heavy a burden. Faith is the buffer that protects our tender hearts and keeps them from being crushed.

4:25 - Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.