Proverbs 3

Submit

The New International Version Chapter 3

3 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 peace and prosperity.

We all want peace and prosperity. In the church we may eventually Pastor, with the family we may eventually lead, in you circle of friends, we want peace and prosperity. In verse one, God tells us that it is by not forgetting this writer’s teachings and commands that we will be given peace and prosperity. The writer then gives us some of his authoritative teachings and commands that produce peace and prosperity. Verse three states

The New International Version Chapter 3

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Then you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

God tells us through the writer that we are to wear love and faithfulness like someone would an ornamental necklace. In the same way we want to look good and so want to wear Jewelry or nice clothing, we should want to keep our hearts in a loving and faithful state. In the same way be make our faces and bodies look good to impress ourselves and those around us, we ought to dress up ourselves in love and with faithfulness because as the next verse states, it provides peace and prosperity with God and with man.

If someone hates you for being loving and faithful, you can sleep well at night. As a preacher named John Piper once said in a sermon, “ its not a bad thing to be despised by fools”. But if we are loving and are faithful, we get a good name and favor by people who we actually want to be praised by: godly men and the Almighty God himself. And if we have found favor by God, he will bless us now and forever. Two verse later the writer writes, “

The New International Version Chapter 3

6 in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight. g

If we submit ourselves to God in all ways, God will make our paths straight. It is our job to submit to God whether big or small, whether it be the way you spend your free time, to the way you spend you money, to the way you treat you body, we are called to submit to God. After we do this, it is God’s pleasure to direct your life in a way that you would be most pleased about. If we are faithful and loving, we have found favor in the eyes of a God who will then use ever subatomic particle in this universe for your good. Romans 8:28 states

The New International Version Chapter 8

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose

Everything in our future will work for our good if we completely submit ourselves to God, he will set our paths straight and we will receive eternal life. Mathew 19:27-30 says this

Peter said

English Standard Version Chapter 19

we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.