SERIES: Ancient Wisdom in a Modern World: Proverbs
TEXT: Proverbs 3:19-26
MESSAGE: “Living Godspeed”
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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” — Proverbs 1:7
Q: How can we align ourselves to God’s way of life? By recognizing…(1. His Design 2. His Pace 3. His Presence)
1. His Design (v. 19-20)
“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; 20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.”
“According to this orientation of Proverbs, all the wisdom that follows is presented as part of a larger scripture that participates in a common understanding of the “fear of the Lord” (cf. Ex. 20:20; Dt. 31:12f.)” — G. T. Sheppard
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” — Genesis 2:2-3
“…sabbath was instituted at creation (Gen 2:2). God ceased from His labor on the seventh day of creation and set a pattern for man to follow.” — Charles C. Ryrie
“Sabbath ceasing means to cease not only from work itself, but also from the need to accomplish and be productive, from the worry and tension that accompany our modern criterion of efficiency, from our efforts to be in control of our lives as if we were God, from our possessiveness and our enculturation, and, finally, from the humdrum and meaninglessness that result when life is pursued without the Lord at the center of it all.” —Marva J. Dawn
A patient arrived late, tossed his cellphone on the sofa and pleaded: “Can you help me control my phone? It’s ruining my life.” What is supposed to help us is hurting us. What is supposed to free us ends up enslaving us. That’s the paradox of addiction. Whatever the lure, it seems so good, so positive, so helpful and so harmless. And then we’re hooked. So is society. Caught in a chaotic, frenzied spiral of a new addiction, people are chasing money, power, success and a wilder, faster pace of life. Just like any addiction, people are out of control in their behaviors, feelings and thinking, yet they believe they are normal. This is progress in America. You always move forward and there are no limits to how far you can go or how fast you can get there. Don’t pause, don’t reflect. You win or lose. You’ll fall behind and fail if you stop moving. Fast at any cost is the mantra of a stressed and distressed American society today. — Dr. Stephanie Brown
“The fact is, God could have created us without a need for sleep. But He chose to build this need within us, and there’s spiritual purpose for it. Each night, as I confront my need again for sleep, I’m reminded that I’m a dependent creature. I am not self-sufficient. I am not the Creator. There is only One who ‘will neither slumber nor sleep’ (Psalm 121:4), and I am not One.” — C.J. Mahaney
2. His Pace (v. 21-24)
“My son, do not lose sight of these—keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. 23 Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. 24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”
“Solomon appeals to his son to not let wisdom and discretion depart from his sight because they are life (vv. 21–22). Keep the wisdom of this book through Jesus, and it will keep you secure from the ruin of the wicked when that comes (v. 25). Solomon’s point is that wisdom keeps you safe from sudden trouble. That’s why you should get wisdom above all else. You will walk safely during the days of your life, and you will sleep peacefully at night. This is an appeal from a parent who desperately wants his child to be safe. Don’t we all? He says you won’t stumble if you keep walking on the wise path (again, this is generally true now but always ultimately true).” — Jonathan Akin
“Love has its speed. It is a spiritual speed. It is a different kind of speed from the technological speed to which we are accustomed. It goes on in the depth of our life, whether we notice or not, at three miles an hour. It is the speed we walk and therefore the speed the love of God walks.” ― Kosuke Koyama, Three Mile an Hour God: Biblical Reflections
3. His Presence (v. 25-26)
“Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, 26 for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”
“The climax of the text is the promise that God will be beside the follower of wisdom (v. 26). Proverbs never implies that people can be safe through their own wisdom. “Common sense” and personal competence are soon exhausted if God’s protection is missing.” — D. A. Garrett
“I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. 5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. 7 Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!” — Psalm 3:4-8
“Anxiety is always about the future and imagining a future without God.And that is a lie because God is always with us. Fear is going to a place where God is not and there is no such place.” – Laura Georgiakakos
TAKEAWAYS:
- Differentiate Rest from Laziness
- Learn to Slow Down
- Remember the LORD of the Sabbath
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28