Let love and faithfulness never leave you
Proverbs 3
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
This chapter in Proverbs 3 spoke to me in a most beautiful way...The key is the first line (verse 3). Just want to share a few principles I learnt from this little clippet of Proverbs where many many many words of wisdom can be found...
1...Let love and faithfulness never leave you
It doesn't mean pray that God will fill you with love and faithfulness because it follows on to say "bind them around your neck". It means that it is something that we have to work on. We have to make a conscious decision to remind ourselves to love and to be faithful. It may not neccessarily come naturally to us because we are all selfish beings by nature. But it is definitely something we can foster to be part of our character. Sounds easy to say but so hard to do, right?! So true!! It's easy to love those easy to love...but not so easy to love those who step on our tails and bite back at us; and it's not so easy to love those who hurt us...
What is Love???
BIG QUESTION requires a big answer? Not quite...Love is simply being able to be patient, being kind, not being envious of others, being humble about ourselves and our standing before God and men, NEVER being rude (hate rude people!), being selfless and considerate of others and NOT being selfish, to be able to maintain our cool and contentment no matter the situation (hold the anger! Act peaceably towards everyone), to FORGIVE WRONG and not remember them, to hate everything that is 'evil' and love the truth, being protective, trusting, hopeful and persevere for those that God places in our lives...
Not so easy to love, isn't it?!
But don't give up so fast...read on! 1 Corinthians 13:8...LOVE NEVER FAILS! I believe this is not referring to our love but God's love...and with God's love in us, being our motivation in everything that we do, then nothing will fail because God cannot and will fail!
TO BE CONTINUED...
