"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity." (Proverbs 3:1-2) We aren't promised that wisdom will make us extravagantly rich and cause us to live to be a hundred, but the odds of achieving these blessings are greater with wisdom than without it. Wisdom will tell us how to take proper care of our bodies so we don't abuse them. Wisdom will help us to manage our money responsibly so we don't lose it in foolish ventures.
"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man." (Proverbs 3:3-4) Solomon asks, "Do you want people to like you? We talked before about not violating your principles to win the favor of the wrong kind of people, but if you are a loving and faithful person you will be liked by the right kind of people. You will have the approval of God and of those who love Him."
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6) Our own understanding sometimes gets us in trouble. Our carnal minds tell us to do the wrong thing. In our limited human wisdom we are like very small children, incapable of judging what is best for us. But if we listen to our Father and follow Him, He will always lead us in the way we should go.
"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." (Proverbs 3:7-8) Solomon spent most of his life seeking wisdom. If we could give him an IQ test he would score higher than Albert Einstein. But his heart was far from the Lord and all his learning never satisfied him. He thought he could fill the emptiness in his heart by filling his mind, but it didn't work. There's nothing wrong with obtaining an education, since there's no value in being purposefully ignorant or lazy, but we can't expect it to satisfy the place in our hearts that only God can fill. That's the mistake Solomon made and now he wants to help his son, and us, to avoid making the same mistake. He says, "Don't be prideful and think you're a big deal just because you're smart! The only wisdom that counts for anything in this life or in the next life is whether you know the Lord. Fear Him and keep yourself out of sin. Then you can enjoy life the way it was intended to be enjoyed....in the constant fellowship and favor of the Creator."
James, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, has this to say about the difference between being wise in our own eyes and being wise in the knowledge of the Lord: "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." (James 3:13-17)
James is saying something to us that goes right along with what Solomon is saying to his son. He says, "Do you want to live with peace in your heart? Would you like to go through your days without anxiety about the future and about the destination of your soul? Do you want to live a life that's satisfying and fruitful? Do you want other godly people to like you and be friends with you? Then submit to the wisdom of the Lord. Learn of Him and follow Him. Then you will be the kind of person that other followers of God enjoy being around. You will keep yourself clear of many hurtful practices that might destroy your health and your mental well-being. You won't have to live with emptiness of heart but will be able to face each day with the confidence that you belong to the Lord and that He is with you all the time."
Who doesn't want to have good health and enjoy a long life? I think we all hope to achieve these things. And while the word of God doesn't promise us a specific amount of years on this earth, and while it doesn't assure us we will never have illnesses or disabilities, our odds of steering clear of things that will shorten our lives are greater if we follow God's instructions. For example, the Lord commands us not to murder anyone or steal from anyone or commit adultery. We could lose our lives in the commission of such sins. A court might find us guilty of murder and deserving of the death penalty. A homeowner might shoot us during a robbery. A jealous spouse might kill us for adultery or we might contract a deadly disease as a result of our sexual sins. There are other sins mentioned in the Bible that can shorten our lives, such as gluttony and excessive alcohol consumption. Taking foolish risks, something Solomon warned us about earlier in Proverbs, may shorten our lives. Being prideful about ourselves and thinking we know it all and believing we will come to no harm might lead us to engage in one stupid stunt after another until we finally go too far. But the Lord's wisdom will never steer us wrong. We can avoid a great deal of trouble and regret by following Him. And even if our faith in Him should lead us to a martyr's death, to die for the cause of Christ is better than to die for the cause of sin or foolishness.
There are things in my past that I regret, but I've never regretted committing my heart and life to Christ. I've never been sorry I decided to follow Him. I've never heard anyone say they regretted they decided to follow Christ. Let's be the kind of men and women who can commit to that which gives wisdom to the mind, health to the bones, and life to the soul. Let's say the same words that are included in the lyrics to the little song below, "I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back."
- I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back. - Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back. - The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back. - Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back. - Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back. - by S. Sundar Singh
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