Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.
As we continue to unpack the book of Proverbs, I want to remind you that this book was written as a book of divine wisdom for the Hebrew nation. Solomon is credited as the gatherer, if not writer, of many principles shared in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is not a book of promises or guarantees. It is a book of principles to live by based on probability. In other words, if a person fears the Lord and makes wise decisions, things will likely go well. If a person acts unwisely and has no reverence for God, their life is likely to be more difficult.
You may be familiar with the saying, "It is better to have borrowed experience rather than bought experience”. As a father of three adult children, I always wanted my kids to learn from my mistakes and my pain (to borrow from my bought wisdom) rather than to learn the same hard lessons through experiencing their own mistakes and pain (buying the same wisdom again). That is what Solomon is trying to give us in the book of Proverbs. What a gift from God! How to live our daily lives with divine wisdom from previous generations of God’s people.
Today, we look at principles to live by, which are found in Proverbs 6:1- 5. In these verses, there is a warning against taking on the debts of others or guaranteeing the future debt of someone else. It is certainly a word of wisdom about financial management, but I believe it is also a word of warning beyond our finances. It can be a word of warning regarding our commitments and promises.
Are we quick to give our commitments to things that bankrupt us of our time and energy as well as our finances? Are we so impulsive with our “yes” that we end up entangled in things we are uncomfortable with and/or have no real passion for?
Are we able to fulfill our commitments? Numbers 30:2 says this: “When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.” In other words, it is about our integrity!
How about our relationship with Jesus? Does He get our best yes, or our “leftovers”?
Prayer for today:
God, give me wisdom regarding my commitments. Help me know what to say yes to and what to say no to. Help me be responsible and discerning with my words.
Help me evaluate wisely my current commitments. If they are taking me away from giving you my best, bring conviction to my heart and give guidance in stepping back from them in such a way that it does not hurt my integrity and witness with others.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
- Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
- SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
- OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
- APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
- PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.