PROVERBS Take-Aways

FAMILY

LESSONS: So many lessons! Israel was at the height of its spiritual and cultural and political power. Holiness weighs in these sayings as way more important than management of their lives. 

Because...Behold.  The Omniscient and Omnipresent Jehovah watches over this day as though He is looking down from a watchtower---so the verb intimates. Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place keeping watch on the evil and the good.

RENEWING GRACE: Prov 16:1-3 I am not sufficient in my own strength, my own plans, my own voice to think that I can do life on my own.  It is the renewing grace of God that gives me hope to move in His Sufficiency. And we have met examples of that here in SOSIAY. Briane, your burdens are so heavy. But you are fully committed and roll those burdens right onto Him. And, many others shared their stories of suffering. God have mercy. God breathed these words long ago for Israel, for us. 

SUFFERING: I am older than most of you. I read these proverbs and think how I missed way too much in the busyness of raising four kids. My experience was like the verse in Mark 8:24 where a blind man sees for the first time---but he sees "trees walking" and so did I for so many years. Alive but frozen in some ways. But, now I see. I really see things. And, I am so very grateful to Joel for hosting SOSIAY and for Briane's contributions to help us see even more clearly. 

Proverbs 24:10. If you're fainting/ sinking/ dejected/ despondent/ impatient and unable to bear your sufferings, you will be known by adversity. Bear up under your sufferings. Let the Word work in Israel. 

THE SAYINGS: I want to reflect on what it means to try not to figure out everything on my own but to run to God (3:5), to not lose my grip on Love and Loyalty (3:4), to be the hand of God to someone this day (3:29), to guard my heart (4:23), to write His Word on the back of my hand and awake and get ready for Him each morning (7:4), to not explode in anger but shrug off insults and stop letting people know they annoy me (12:16), to know that I can laugh and ache at the same time without hypocrisy (14:13), to remember that God doesn't miss a thing (15:3), to overlook an offense and bond a friendship (17:9), to see a Powerful Advocate at work every day (23:11), to not work myself into the spotlight (25:6), to not call attention to myself (27:2), to know what it means that my face mirrors my heart (27:19), to never whitewash my sin (28:13), and to live clothed with strength & dignity and face tomorrow with a smile (31:25).
These verses strengthen my resolve to want to search for wisdom and live a holy life. What did it do for the readers back then?