Proverbs 3:1-2

DEVOTIONAL METHOD

   

Proverbs 3:1-2

   My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

VISUALIZE:

   I can imagine in this verse a father lying in a bed, a bedridden loving father, who is telling his child about the things he must not forget.

EMPHASIS:

   My- a possessive pronoun, meaning God is really talking to His children, those who believed and accepted Him.

  

   Son- this is not only pertaining to male, but instead, it is used in this verse as a general term

   Do not forget- They say in Filipino, “Ang gamot sa limot ay paalala”. These are the ways that I do to not forget His teaching and commandments: I always read the Bible, as in every time I get a chance to read it; I memorize it; I write it down on a sticky note and post it on my wall so that every time I open my eyes, I will be reminded again.

Teaching and Commandments- As I read this, I remembered the Greatest Commandment:  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”

In your heart- God is concerned about our hearts. A question came into my mind: “When God listens to my heart, does He hear His Word?”. When God’s Law is in our hearts, He can do something through us, in us, and for us. What’s in our hearts will determine what’s in our lips. If the truth of God is in our hearts, then the Word of God will be on our lips. Taking care of the heart is the most important thing we can do. “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”-Proverbs 4:23

Long life and prosperity- True prosperity and true "long life" can be found only in heaven.

PARAPHRASE:

   Anyone who doesn't follow the guidelines of wisdom presented in this proverb is doomed to poverty and to death at an early age.

PERSONALIZE:

   “I must not forget His teaching. Instead, I must keep His commands in my heart, for He will prolong my life many years and will bring me prosperity.”

SIN TO CONFESS:

  

   I must confess that most of the time, I worry about things such as, “How long will I be staying here on earth?”, “What are the things I should ask God so that I can be prosperous?”, “Will I really be spending my eternity in Heaven?”. Notice that I am very anxious and doubtful about God’s promise to me. In other words, I am not living a doubt-free life. Although I’m reading my Bible, I must also confess that the lessons I get from the Word of God are not actually being practiced in my own life. Also, I still don’t acquire the habit of asking God’s help about anything He commands.

PROMISE TO CLAIM:

   These verses clearly state the promise that God will prolong my life many years and He will make me prosperous. And for God, true prosperity can only be found in heaven, together with Him.

ATTITUDE TO CHANGE:

   I should hide His Word in my heart so that I might not sin against Him. When I’m going to make a decision, I should think about this first: If He was in my place, what would Jesus do? I must also change my attitude of worrying.

COMMAND TO OBEY:

   The command for all the believers is found in verse 1. I should not forget His teaching by always reading His Word and applying it in my life. I should keep His commands in my heart, not just in my mind.

PRAYER TO PRAY:

   “Heavenly Father, help me remember that Your will is good, pleasing, and perfect. Thank You so much that You reward those who obey You, keep Your commands, and do what’s right. I pray that Your will may be done in my life. Help me humbly follow You. Help me to reflect Your love through my testimony. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
 

ERROR TO AVOID: For me, it is a big mistake if you don’t practice what you preach.

TRUTH TO BELIEVE:

   I believe that the guidelines in these proverbs are the God-appointed pathway to prosperity and long life, but God has higher perspectives and purposes that will sometimes require His children to forego such earthly success. It is only because of God's mercy that wicked people sometimes live long and prosperous lives on earth, yet they will not escape His judgment in eternity.

SOMETHING TO PRAISE GOD FOR:

   I praise God for His faithfulness to complete me. I will forever be grateful for His mercy and Grace. I know I don’t deserve to be in heaven, but because of His grace, He helps me to put my faith and hope in Him to save me.

APPLICATION:

   One of the key words in the Bible is “REMEMBER”. We are to remember God’s works His mercy, His faithfulness, and His commandments. Sometimes we forget all God has done for us.

  

   I will find some time to write down the gracious deeds the Lord has done for me since I have been walking with Him. I will tuck my “story” into my Bible on how I followed His commandments, and look at it from time to time. This might also be a great time to start a spiritual journal since I haven’t done this before- a Day-to-Day record of my life with God.