Passage Read: Proverbs 10-13
Meditation Verse: 10:29
Thought
Doing things God's way is like a mighty fortress to those who do so, but to those who delight in doing wrong, God's ways bring disaster. Those who trust God's wisdom so as to obey it will find it is the safest way to live. God will guard him and bless him and use adversity to store up treasure for him. But those who prefer their own wisdom will find obedience to God to be a dangerous path that will bring them much loss and punishment. There are many who want to be blessed by God but can't bring themselves to trust and obey His Word so as to walk in His ways. They think singing His songs and listening to His messages should be repaid with good things in life, and anything that threatens their ability to obtain what they count as good, they will refuse, even if God commands it. They fear what it will cost them. They fear what they will miss out on. They fear what they will have to give up or never obtain. Obeying God brings ruin in their eyes, so they chose their own wisdom. They would rather lie or conceal truth or ignore God's instruction in order to have the delights and treasures of this age. According to this verse, they are counted workers of iniquity. They are no better than those who completely ignore God's Word to rob and steal and murder to get their way. To be obedient and walk in the Lord's ways requires giving up all hope of good things in this life and putting all hope in the rewards of the next. Then obedience to God's ways becomes an ever stronger and more secure tower to trust in, that even his life can be threatened and lost in obedience to the Lord. Indeed, he gives up himself and his life daily in order to honor the Lord in obedience.
Application
God's ways are so often backwards and upside-down compared to the world's. The world lives and labors for its rewards, but God calls His people to give up their lives and trust God in obedience to gain His rewards. The world fights and schemes to gain earthly treasures; the believer surrenders self and rests in God's wisdom to do His will, trusting in even greater rewards. So the believer sees the ways of the Lord as the surest path to honor and glory. The world sees God's ways as the surest path to loss and destruction. I don't want to love anything in this life, including my life, so much as to shrink from obedience and trust in God's wisdom and ways. When obedience to God brings fear of loss, I need to choose obedience and trust, rather than whatever it is I think I'll lose out on. Only then can I really walk in God's ways and be pleasing in His sight.