Trusting God Brings Favor And Peace
It is our natural tendency to want to help our children and loved ones avoid life’s mistakes and pitfalls. We want to help them be successful, healthy and productive. How do we best enjoy that kind of life and advise our loved ones to do likewise? When God spoke to Solomon in the beginning of his reign over Israel (2 Chronicles 1:7-12), He told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted God to give him. Solomon asked God to give him wisdom and understanding. Proverbs 3:1-8 are from Solomon’s wise counsel to live by trusting God, so that we and our loved ones may prosper and be filled with God’s peace and favor. I pray that you will trust God’s leading in every aspect of your life and that He would show you His favor and give you His peace. Amen
My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:1-4)
Here in Proverbs 3:1-8, Solomon provides Godly counsel to us to not only remember God’s commands, but to commit our heart to obedience to Him. The benefits of demonstrating our love of God through our obedience and trust in Him, are the peace and favor (grace) He gives us. We are to never stop loving God and being faithful to Him. In return, we will not only have God’s favor (grace) but also the favor of our fellow man.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Solomon tells us to trust (surrender completely to) God with all our heart. We can’t be halfhearted in our trust and our belief in God. We either stand on the rock or we sink in the quicksand of our own understanding. When we acknowledge and seek him in all aspects of our everyday lives, we will walk in the God ordained paths that He is directing us into. Put another way, when you are walking through the minefield of this world, following God’s lead keeps you from blowing up your life. And His direction leads you to accomplish His purpose for your life.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:7-8)
Solomon counsels us that we should not substitute our wisdom for God’s wisdom. Fear of the Lord really means that we have reverence for God. Finally, there are benefits that accrue to our health as a result of following God’s wisdom and receiving His peace. We have less worry and anxiety when we trust and follow God. And as a result, we don’t needlessly endure hardships that negatively impact our mental, physical and spiritual health.
We often, because of experience, can offer advice to our loved ones to help them navigate life in ways that are favorable to them and to those they care for. But any advice that we offer to them that is not rooted in God and does not teach them to reverence and trust God is ultimately lacking. And the same goes for how we go about living our lives. Unfortunately, as much wisdom as Solomon had, he began to veer from the counsel that He gave to us in Proverbs. He began to lean more and more on his own understanding, and became wise in his own eyes. Both his family and the nation of Israel suffered as a result. Solomon’s wisdom points us in the direction of God’s favor and His peace…. And we only find it by following God and trusting in Him with all our heart to lead us to it.
Blessings,
Rev. Glenn
23 “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: 24 ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. 25 May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. 26 May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’ 27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.” ~ Numbers 6:23–27 (NLT)
