Message: The laws of God exist whether we acknowledge them or not. If we follow them, we will reap the blessings of them. If we consider ourselves to be wise and try to follow our own instincts we will inevitably be influenced by our own selfish desires and this leads to destruction. When we allow the wisdom of God to lead us there is peace and contentment even through hard times.
Command: Obey God and walk in the natural laws of wisdom that were established by God.
Promise: Our obedience to the laws of wisdom bring rewards, but it also beings peace and contentment.
Warning: Pride causes us to be “wise in our own eyes.” When we are prideful we don’t consult the word of God because we are confident in our own ideas and experiences.
Application: Because the nature of man is full of pride and selfishness, we tend to operate out of our own ideas and experiences, and we reject anything that doesn’t line up with that. Our perceptions are completely unreliable because they are formed out of our pain and emotions. This is why it’s so critically important to consult the word of God and reject any ideas that oppose it. The way Proverbs describes wisdom and the laws of God are just like the natural laws of earth that we have come to understand and respect. Whether or not we academically understand or believe in the laws of gravity, we live it (or challenge it) every day in life. By experience we have come to understand that what goes up will always come back down even if we reject the idea of gravity. Our rejection of this truth doesn’t change the fact that if we fall, we will fall down and not up as long as we are on the earth where gravity exists. We can either respect the natural and spiritual laws or we will injure ourselves defying these laws in our ignorant ways. Proverbs 3 reminds me to lay aside my own ideas and consult the wisdom of God. In this brings peace even in the middle of chaos. This reminds me that even if I’m not aware of the natural laws of wisdom, I am subject to them just like I am with gravity. I can either come into agreement with it or hurt myself fighting against it. We have been given the word of God so we don’t have to learn it all the hard way. Today I’m reminded that I need to submit every thought and idea to Jesus and ask him to lead me into his wisdom. If I do I will reap the benefits.
