Chapter three of the book of Proverbs is about what it means to be whole-hearted for God.

Indeed, the first ten verses emphasise the commitment required for anyone to be a true believer. And commitment to God, in terms of this passage, includes: upholding God’s laws (1-2); being loving and caring to others (3-4); doing things God’s way and not ours (5-6); putting God first and ourselves last (7-8); and giving back to God first, out of the abundance to which he has given us (9-10). Five things we should do gladly, and which should reflect our commitment to him, not just as individuals, but as a church. And if we do those five things, God has promised that he will reward us abundantly.

The second ten verses tell of the need to balance a childlike trust with the need for mature wisdom. And, specifically, the verses talk about being open to being corrected by God (11-12), so that when we do go astray, we are willing to be directed back onto the straight and narrow path; they’re about seeking wisdom, and the benefits that that entails (13-18); and they’re about being able to think through things in godly terms (19-20). And if we put God’s wisdom into practice, then the rewards will be great. Indeed greater than we could ever imagine. And if we do those things, we will be encouraged in our faith and in the life of the church.

And the third and final part of chapter three, has its emphasis on the need to continually walk with God. And what these remaining verses do is to give samples of what it means to know God ‘in all his ways.’ They are a test of whether we really are genuine in our faith or not. They illustrate the clear-cut choice that we have in life, between following our own desires—and the pull of the world—or being a whole-hearted follower of God.

And all these verses challenge us to the choices that we all have to make.

Posted 15th August 2019
© 2019, Brian A Curtis
www.brianacurtis.com.au