Tag: pro3

Planning and success!

Are you a planner? This morning’s reading has several verses about planning. Interestingly, planning has two sides: what we are trying to accomplish and God’s purpose. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21, ESV)

So, if God’s purpose will stand, should we be making plans? Yes! Planning is a positive thing. Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity (Proverbs 21:5). Plans succeed through good counsel (Proverbs 20:18). In the New Testament, sitting down to plan and count the cost is a positive thing (Luke 14:28–29). Don’t go to war without first preparing (Proverbs 21:31)! Planning is necessary for success. At the same time, for all the planning, man cannot outwit the purpose of God (Proverbs 21:30).

From these two sides of the same coin—that planning is important and God’s purpose will not be thwarted—we see that success is realized when we acknowledge God and ask Him for direction from the start (Proverbs 3:5–6). In other words, God shows us the path, and we plan the steps. Planning our steps on the right path makes a big difference! 

Lastly, Proverbs mentions something about planning that we all likely have faced. The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? (Proverbs 20:24, NLT) Not every plan goes according to plan! We also can’t think of everything! In other words, be flexible! Some things are too small to sweat—it’s not worth that stress level. Sometimes, big things happen that we didn’t see coming—so adjust and move on. Yes, while we do our best and plan, we still must trust God! Acknowledge, plan, and trust; these make for good success!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Proverbs 19-21.

Common Sense!

The Book of Proverbs—what a rich book full of wisdom and common sense! One verse stood out to me in today’s reading; it speaks of common sense, as translated in the NLT.

He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. (Proverbs 2:7, NLT)

Notice that God grants the honest a treasure of common sense. This begs the question, what is common sense? The word that is translated as common sense means efficient wisdom. Common sense comes from the wisdom God gives and is efficient. The wisdom of God is practical!

Notice that common sense is referred to as a treasure. And it belongs to one kind of person: the honest. Common sense is not given to the dishonest, the cheat, the liar, or the one who scoffs at God’s wisdom. Notice, too, that the honest treasure common sense.

Unfortunately, we live in a world that does not value God’s wisdom. This world lies in the power of the wicked one. The more wicked the world is, the less common sense there is. Diminishing common sense is a symptom of increasing dishonesty. So, amid a war on common sense, what should one do? Notice what Solomon told his son.

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, (Proverbs 3:21, NLT)

How does one not lose a treasure? It begins by understanding its value. How do we hang on to the treasure of common sense? We do so by not losing our understanding of the value of God’s wisdom, which is protected by reverencing God. Yes, the fear of God is the beginning of true common sense, and it helps us guard it! (Proverbs 2:3–8)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Proverbs 1-3.

A good name!

Genealogies! As we open 1 Chronicles this morning, we are greeted with names, nations, and notoriety! Ahead of us are nine chapters of names and nations, taking us back to the beginning with Adam. Unless you enjoy tracing family trees, this may seem boring. As I read through all these names this morning, the idea of notoriety stood out to me.

The reading mentions three men, Nimrod, Er, and Achan. These men are notorious for their wickedness. Nimrod was a man of rebellion before the Lord. Er was so wicked that God killed him. And then there is Achan, the man who stole the spoils that belonged to God and brought disaster upon Israel. Can you imagine having your name in the eternal record with one of these reputations? This reminded me of the following verses.

Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1, NLT)
A good name is better than precious ointment… (Ecclesiastes 7:1, KJV)

The Bible says to choose a good reputation. As we see with Achan, his reputation was based on a choice. Achan decided to steal the spoil set apart for the Lord, which brought trouble upon Israel and his family.

Choosing a good reputation is not as simple as going online, adding it to your cart, and waiting for it to show up at your door in a few days. A good reputation is earned, and anything earned requires time. Proverbs 3:1-4 spells out how to earn a good reputation. In the ESV, the word success in verse four is translated as reputation in the NLT.

Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. (Proverbs 3:4, NLT)

In other words, as we live according to God’s commandments, we will earn the favor and success of a good reputation over time. Now, let’s ask this question. How long does it take to earn a bad reputation? That can happen in a moment, even staining a lifetime’s good reputation.

In other words, what we are looking at here is legacy. Legacy affects our family tree and our genealogy for better or worse. Let us be careful as we live, choosing the legacy of a good name and favor, one decision at a time. It is better than great riches!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 1 Chronicles 1-2:55.