What to do…What not to do
I made it to the fitness center for another workout this morning. I believe with my one “two-a-day” workout, that I have been to the fitness center five times this week. Today, my exercise bike ride went exceptionally well. I think the bike wasn’t calibrated quite right, but it was a good encouragement at any rate.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding…” Proverbs 3:5
Proverbs contains wisdom for life and for those who desire to know the blessing of the Lord. An important aspect of receiving those blessings is understanding what we need to do and what not to do. Our conduct is directly related to the outcome of many aspects of our life. That is true in the natural world and the spiritual world.
We see it summarized in Proverbs 3:5. In life you will find it a challenge and a conflict to “trust the Lord” and to “trust your understanding.” Faith and trust is not based on understanding. It is obedience when we don’t understand and the way of the Lord doesn’t make sense.
In Proverbs 3 we find a series of “what-to-do” and some “what-not-to-do” statement. We see these admonitions of what we are to do: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart….think about Him in all your ways…fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Honor the Lord with your possessions…” (Proverbs 3:5-9 HCSB)
This series covers critical aspects of life. It deals with the focus our heart and our minds. Paul said when our hearts and minds are focused on the Lord we know the peace of the Lord, “…the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“ (Phil. 4:6 NIV) These admonitions are good for the stability of our emotions and the soundness of our mind.
Then we see the importance of our conduct to our knowledge of the Lord. To fear the Lord, is to turn from evil. Why don’t we do somethings that our carnal mind and attitudes desire? Because of our “fear of the Lord.” The we see, honoring the Lord with our possessions reminds us of who our provider and source of blessing is.
We can also learn from the admonitions of what not to do. We can observed the following: “…do not rely on your own understanding…..don’t consider yourself to be wise…Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son and do not loathe His discipline…” (Proverbs 3:5,7,11 HCSB)
I am reminded the Lord said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.“ (Isa. 55:8 NIV) There are many things that I don’t understand. What I think I understand, at times has been proven to be wrong or misdirected. With age comes wisdom, or at least experience. You discover with the passing years the lessons learned from your own mistakes and failures. The bottom line is our human understanding and wisdom is limited. We need to recognize the insight the comes from the Lord.
A friend I have met at the fitness center was a high school dropout working as a janitor. As he was scrubbing a tile floor when it was like the Lord spoke to him and said, “if you honor me, if you serve me, I will bless you and bless others through you.” Really?! What happened was in the course of time, he started his own not just janitorial business, but a specialized cleaning business. He specialized in hospital and operating room maintenance. He developed cleaning techniques that proved to be so successful, that he has franchised his business. As a result the Lord has blessed him financially and in the influence of his life and has made him a blessing as he has provided jobs for many others.
The Lord’s instruction and His discipline is for our good. It seems part of human nature is to resist being “told what do to.” But the wise person is always willing to learn and the one who faces proper discipline sees it as an opportunity for growth.
Proverbs 3:12 says, “…for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, just as a father, the son he delights in.” Discipline motivated by love results in good. A failure to discipline, reveals a lack of love and leads to a life in ruin. The writer of Hebrews underscores this, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you…” (Heb. 12:5 NIV) Proverbs 27:6 “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.“
Finally, we find with these “to do” and not “to do” admonitions are some anticipated outcomes. “…He will guide you on the right paths…This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones….then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
You can count on it. What the Lord directs us into and what He keeps us from, is for our own good. It results in a life of blessing and a life of confidence. The Father really knows best.