Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Proverbs 3-5
Devotional Thought:
Proverbs 3:5-7 are some of the most familiar verses in the Bible. Christians who are seeking the will of God and making big decisions often quote these exact verses. They have found comfort in their promise. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” Letting the Lord have complete control of your life is health to your body and finances. (vs. 8-10) We certainly do not give in order to get, but God makes it clear that if you will honor Him by giving to him of your first fruits, your barns will be filled with plenty. I believe the minimum requirement for the Christian is to give God a tithe. However, the New Testament principle is not to ask how much do I “have” to give, but rather how much do I have to keep? Verse 8 is talking about tithing off of the gross and not the net. God wants you and I to realize that every penny belongs to Him and has been a gift for us to manage for Him. It is interesting to me that the very first area God asks us if we trust Him with all our heart is with our finances. And then he says, do not be weary of His correction. He is a perfect Father and He does correct his children.
The second half of chapter three is a reminder of the reward for trusting the Lord for daily living. Trusting in the Lord with all our heart leads to a healthy life (vs. 16), a peaceful life (vs. 17), a happy life (vs. 18), and a confident life (vs. 23-26). Trusting the Lord motivates me to be generous (vs. 27), neighborly (vs. 28-30), and wise (vs. 31-35). Chapter four is a promise to every believer that if we give God our heart, He will renew our mind, and direct our behavior. Oh that we would grasp this truth. We do not need to try to fly solo in this life, and we must learn that we really do not know what is best for our lives.
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to realize that I am weak, incompetent, insufficient, and incomplete without you. I need you to be part of every aspect of my life. I cannot make a good decision without you and your wisdom.
• Lord, please help me to trust you with all of my heart. I do not want to give you part or a portion, but I want to surrender every part to you.
• Lord, help me to pursue wisdom, not for the personal benefit for me, but because I love you and appreciate so much what you have done for me. You are so gracious to give personal benefit if I will just trust and obey.