In the world in which we live, we often tend to think of the Christian life as basically giving up on some advantage now in order to please God – which may not pay off during this life, but afterwards.
This is one area in which Proverbs is unique – it focuses on the rewards of following God NOW, in THIS world. Let’s get into it.
Verses 1 and 2 outline everything simply - living in accordance with God’s commands will “help you live a long, long time, a long life loved full and well.
Do you catch that? It’s saying that for a long, full, well-lived life, one will need to follow God!
Wow, this is a turn around. In other words, the person who lives for themselves only is the one who misses out on the abundant life – not you!
More is to come. Verses 5 and 6 are well known – they’ve been made into a lot of songs – and in the Message their message is even clearer and more wonderful! “Trust God from the bottom of your heart,” it says, “Don’ t try to figure everything out on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
I love this translation. But more than that, I love the original words. I love the idea that trusting God when your instincts say otherwise is GOOD for you!
Solomon then develops the theme further – talking about the promises that God gives to those who trust Him. To whit:
• Barns will overflow.
• Wine vats will fill.
• You will be healthy.
Solomon finishes the chapter by describing how wisdom is a “Tree of life”.
Tonight’s message is simple – We get used to thinking of the Christian life as paying off later; yet we have seen here that it may very well pay off now.
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