Do Not Lose Sight of These

“My son, do not lose sight of these—

    keep sound wisdom and discretion,

and they will be life for your soul

    and adornment for your neck.

Then you will walk on your way securely,

    and your foot will not stumble.

If you lie down, you will not be afraid;

    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

Do not be afraid of sudden terror

    or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,

for the Lord will be your confidence

    and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:21-26 ESV)

If something is “sound,” it is whole, healthy, unblemished, pure, beneficial, good, reasonable and sensible. It is not foolish, carefree, reckless, senseless, self-indulgent, and irresponsible. Therefore, “sound wisdom” is the kind that comes from above, not the kind that comes from below which is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic (see James 3:13-18). And “sound discretion” has to do with making wise, pure, and spiritually healthy preferences and decisions. So it engages us praying for wisdom from above to make right choices.

We are unwise when we make quick and emotional and careless decisions based upon our feelings, even if what we decide to do is not necessarily something regarded as sinful. For sometimes the choices we make, although not biblically sinful in nature, may lead us to something sinful, or they may lead us to something worldly and not of God and not according to his will and purpose for our lives. For they could just be distractions and things that are just not prudent (sensible) in light of God’s calling and purpose for us.

So, it is important that we who are followers of Jesus Christ should keep sound wisdom and discretion, and that we should not lose sight of them so that we remain always in the will of God for our lives, doing what he has called us to do, and so that we do not drift back into selfish and worldly ways and therefore neglect God’s calling upon our lives. And this means that we should stop and pray before we make any life-changing decisions to make certain that we are going in the right direction.

For the thing of it is that God sees everything and he knows what lies ahead in our future, whereas we don’t. So he can see the dangers lying ahead which we cannot always foresee. And so it is important for us to pray before making decisions that may alter our lives from what they were. For, it may look good, and it may look safe on the surface, but it may be a trap for us hidden beneath the surface just waiting for us to take that next step. So it is always a good practice to not make quick and emotional decisions.

For, no matter what comes our way, or what life throws at us which God allows in our lives, if our consciences are clear that we are on the right path, according to the Scriptures, and we have peace from the Lord, then we can move forward with confidence despite all that may be going on all around us. We can walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil because we know that our God is with us and he will give us all that we need to keep moving ahead and to endure whatever lies ahead, too.

Even if evil people are plotting evil against us, in order to destroy us, if our consciences are clear that we are on the right path, and that we are following the Lord with our lives, according to the word of the Lord, then we can move forward with confidence and not in fear of what evil people might do to us or say to us or about us to others. For our lives are in the hands of the Lord, and he is not going to give us anything that he will not also give us the strength and the wisdom that we need to keep moving forward.

And this is not promising us that life is going to be easy for us. In fact, Jesus promised us that if we follow him with our lives that we are going to be hated, rejected, mistreated, abused, persecuted, and cast aside like trash by those who are our enemies, i.e. by those who hate and reject us and who have absolutely no use for us at all. But through it all the Lord will be our confidence if we keep our trust in him and if we do not let our difficult circumstances shake us and dishearten us.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Hear My Cry

By G. M. Eldridge

When my soul is worn and weary

And my eyes are filled with grief,

When my hands in desperation

Reach to heaven for relief,

Would I find the words there waiting

If I had the strength to start?

Could a mortal tongue interpret

All the sorrow of a heart?

Spirit, search me in my weakness,

And discern this growing gray.

Intercede in understanding,

Hear the things I cannot say.

Hear my cry, heav’nly Father,

You have known my ev’ry pain.

You have seen all my sorrow,

Hear my cry once again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOJiTN56xTg

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