Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3

New King James Version (NKJV)

Proverbs 3

Guidance for the Young

1 My son, do not forget my law,

But let your heart keep my commands;

2 For length of days and long life

And peace they will add to you.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;

Bind them around your neck,

Write them on the tablet of your heart,

4 And so find favor and high esteem

In the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

8 It will be health to your flesh,

And strength to your bones.

9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,

And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,

And your vats will overflow with new wine.

11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,

Nor detest His correction;

12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects,

Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,

And the man who gains understanding;

14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,

And her gain than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies,

And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand,

In her left hand riches and honor.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

And all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,

And happy are all who retain her.

19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;

By understanding He established the heavens;

20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up,

And clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—

Keep sound wisdom and discretion;

22 So they will be life to your soul

And grace to your neck.

23 Then you will walk safely in your way,

And your foot will not stumble.

24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;

Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,

Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;

26 For the LORD will be your confidence,

And will keep your foot from being caught.

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

28 Do not say to your neighbor,

“ Go, and come back,

And tomorrow I will give it,”

When you have it with you.

29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,

For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.

30 Do not strive with a man without cause,

If he has done you no harm.

31 Do not envy the oppressor,

And choose none of his ways;

32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD,

But His secret counsel is with the upright.

33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,

But He blesses the home of the just.

34 Surely He scorns the scornful,

But gives grace to the humble.

35 The wise shall inherit glory,

But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

My Thoughts:

1. So let’s start with (v. 3) we read “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,”
   1. “Mercy and truth” are always pleasing to God and even men.
   2.   “bind them around your neck” we should wear them with pride even on our fingers (7:3).
   3. “Write them on the tablet of your heart” the tablet are made of stone and a sign of permanency, so these truths should be written on our heart permanently.
2. In (v. 9) we read “Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;”
   1. The way I see it is when we give of our firstfruits we are saying to God thank you for the many blessing that he has given us, and when we buy the things we desire then give to God we are saying “Here God you can have what is left over.” The law of the firstfruits is found in (Ex. 22:29; 23:19; 34:20; Lev. 23:10; Num. 18:12; Deut. 18:4; 26:1–3).
   2. The “firstfruits” also carried with it the idea of the best.
3. And we will finish today with (v.24) “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet”
   1. This is beautifully illustrated by what David says in (Ps. 4:8), “I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” No fear is to be apprehended where Jehovah is Protector (Ps. 3:5; 91:1–5)

Thought of the Day

“To avoid going wrong, follow God’s leading.”

The fog was as thick as pea soup. Visibility was limited to a few feet, and the lake was as smooth as glass. The only sound to break the silence was the laughing of a loon across the lake.

I rowed for an hour around the shore, trying to catch fish in different areas, but the fish weren’t biting! So I decided to go back to my cabin for a cup of coffee. I was at the mouth of a small inlet, which I knew was directly across the lake from the cottage. So I set out across the lake on a straight course (I thought) toward the dock.

The minutes went by—and after an hour I was surprised when I arrived back at the mouth of the little stream from which I started. I had been going in a circle in the fog. I was so sure I knew where I was going, but after an hour I had gotten nowhere! If I had only taken my compass—instead of relying on my own sense of direction.

Proverbs 3:5 comes to mind: “Lean not on your own understanding.” Without the Lord as your guide through the fog of life, and His Word as your compass, you will wander aimlessly.

 o be sure to make Proverbs 3:6 your lifelong motto: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”—Mart De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

 My Lord is ever with me

Along life’s busy way;

I’ll trust in Him completely

For guidance day by day. —Anon.

Personal Reflection and Discussion

1. What do you think (v. 28) are saying?
2. What other things do you see in the text?

Prayer Activities

1. Call your Partner and discuss this devotional.
2. Continue to have a prayer list and continue to praying for them.
3. Pray with them and ask for the following;
   1. For God to help us give our best to Him.
   2. For God to give us the sleep that we read in verse 24.
   3. For the individuals on your pray list.
4. Let’s use (Ps. 121:5–8) for today’s prayer verse.