The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:9-10 (day five) “Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce;” There is a familiar pattern found in these opening chapters of Proverbs. Godly Wisdom must form and grow from the inside out- the exhortations and instructions for wisdom to begin in the heart. Love, fear, and trust for the Lord start there. Then, they move outward- evidenced by our attitudes and actions. In the rhythm of these verses is a natural and logical progression From the heart and mind to action and decision. From faith to finances (a presumed easy and effortless application of wisdom). Notice with what and when we are to honor the LORD- first fruits. We are to give first- before any other business is done. We are to give our best. Even this action is a mental and visible reminder of God’s sovereignty and generosity- another way to worship God for His goodness, kindness, and power.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:9-10 (day four)

In the Kingdom of God, there is abundance. Jesus says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). This refers to our eternal life in the presence of God, but also to our life here and now. Regardless of what’s in our checking account, this is the reality that children of God live in. And we are called to honor God with this abundant life he has given us in every capacity – our time, our skills and talents, our relationships, and as Solomon reminds us here, our finances.

This abundance calls us to live with open hands. When the world would tell us to hold all we have tight to the chest, Kingdom wisdom tells us to offer it up freely. When the world would have us put our faith in our wealth, Kingdom wisdom returns our gaze to the one who bestowed it. Solomon speaks to this in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”

The more we live by Kingdom wisdom, the more our focus shifts from the number in our bank account to the God who fulfills his promise of abundant life. The more we honor God with what he’s given us, the more aware we become of the abundance around us. 

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:9-10 (day three)

“Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.”

God created the universe with no shortages whatsoever. Air, water, vegetation, and mineral resources abound. Scarcity is engineered by people as they vie for superiority, power, position, and favor. The winners of this competition control the levers of influence and domination. Most all human beings not occupying this pinnacle of supremacy find themselves on lower rungs – the second, third, fourth tiers, etc., all the way down to abject poverty and powerlessness. There is one way to stand in defiance of this order of dearth and lack: give away what you have before it gets into the system. Generosity before the Lord is the death knell of the regime of shortage.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:9-10 (day two)                                                         Honor the Lord from your wealth                                                                                       And from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

When we talk about giving, tithing, or offering we often use words like obedience. We are commanded to give, and so we should. The Lord looks at the heart of the giver, and he likes a cheerful one. But how often do we use words like honor? When we give to the Lord from the first of what we have it honors him. Language like that makes it sound like we are participating in a royal ceremony, and why not? We are honoring the King of Kings. As you give, try thinking that your gift honors the Lord. How does that change your perspective. Whether or not your barns fill up, your heart surely will.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:5-7 (day seven)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding. vs 5

Much has been made of the statistic showing that young people who grew up in the church are leaving at an alarming rate. There are a myriad of possibilities as to why these numbers are set so high (some will say 70-80%). Some of it falls back into youth group and church dynamics, but ultimately, students will prioritize the things that they see are important to the people whom they are most influenced by. That finger should point to the parents. So the question becomes what did those parents prioritize? What did they put their trust in?

More often than not, their actions demonstrated a trust in their own understanding over a trust in the Lord. They were worried about paying for college, so they trusted in the coach of the traveling ball team who told them their child had D-1 potential. They were worried about their child not fitting in, so they got them the cell phone, even though they knew their child wasn’t ready for the world it would unlock. They were worried about how they might look as parents, so they didn’t open up to their church community about the struggles they were having at home. Over time, Sundays disappeared, the Word of God was little used, and the child was shown that Jesus was an afterthought. Parents, what are you putting your trust in? What are your actions showing your children that you prioritize?

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:5-7 (day six)

Trust in the Lord…

There’s only one God, and His power shines through everything. His authority fills every corner, every inch of existence. Nothing done in secret by people goes unnoticed by Him. Every action, every intention is laid bare before Him, including future events.– Eusebius of Ceasarea, 4th century.

We have every reason to trust the Lord; his power shines through everything, he knows all, and he is always working on our behalf. In contrast, we know very little and have no power of our own. God is an inexhaustible mine of invaluable wisdom. We are a decrepit, empty chasm.

It only makes sense to seek God’s wisdom rather than rely on ourselves. Without it, we can do nothing.

 

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:5-7 (day five) In our Re:verse text this week, we see two contradictory options: Trust in the Lord versus our own understanding; and fearing the Lord versus wisdom in our own eyes. Solomon sets these up in direct opposition. So the question for me is, How do I know when I am fearing and trusting as apposed to leaning on my own wisdom and understanding?  One of the places I check, is my worship- both personal and corporate. When I take matters into my own hands I typically tend to settle in the perceived comfort of having life and its choices all figured out. The sense of wonder and awe for God and His wisdom becomes less in my heart and mind. Worship becomes more mechanical than personal. Worship is less intense in that my desire to praise and thank God isn’t as strong or urgent.  I must then repent and seek forgiveness from the Lord. I can then marvel and praise Him for His unending grace and patience towards me. I am reminded and thankful of the times He has protected and guided me. I again desire His wisdom and insight more than my own. I am moving again towards fearing and trusting- then real worship begins.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 3:5-7 (day four)

We often ask the Lord for wisdom in life’s big moments – before a big decision, during a crisis, or before a difficult conversation. But Proverbs tells us that God’s wisdom is just as much for the small, daily, common moments. After all, these are the moments that add up to the significant times in life.

When Solomon says, “In all your ways acknowledge him,” he’s asking us to look for God’s presence, listen for God’s voice, and seek out God’s wisdom in everything we do and everywhere we go. He foreshadows what we see later in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing.” When we pray without ceasing, we invite the Lord into our everyday, ordinary moments, acknowledging that even in these moments, his ways are higher than ours, and he has wisdom to offer us. He is the fountain of wisdom that we’re invited to drink from all day long.

God is inviting you to be in constant conversation with him – it’s that conversation that will make your paths straight.