It doesn’t happen on its own. The good life you want can’t be achieved without a little work. Most of want the blessings without considering what we have to do to get them. Every effect has to have a cause. Every good harvest starts by planting good seeds.
Since it’s the third of December, I read the third Proverb in the book of wisdom this morning. With 31 chapters loaded with practical advice, there’s something for every day of the month. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, and his wise counsel can change your life.
Wisdom is more precious than rubies and
nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her.
Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor.
Today’s bits of wisdom zeroed in on some intentional behaviors easy to overlook.
- If you want favor in life, show people mercy and kindness.
- If you want God to lead you, acknowledge Him in every situation you face.
- If you want to be healthy, fear and worship the Lord.
So sign me up, right? Is this all I have to do to be assured of the good things in life? Is this how I can be blessed, prospered, fruitful and healthy?
It’s a given that I want my children to be blessed. Don’t most of us moms pray for our kids’ success and favor with God and man? Yet, those blessings don’t come without cost. There are attitudes, decisions, actions and responses they must exhibit first. Kind of like a reward for good behavior, for obedience.
So today I spoke the verses of Proverbs 3 out loud over my family. Instead of asking for the resulting blessing, I asked God to help them keep the conditions.
- Lord, help them keep your commands.
- Help them show love and mercy in every situation they face.
- Help them to lean on God and not just on themselves.
- Help them to remember to acknowledge God in every situation.
- Help them to reverently fear and worship God in their hearts.
- Help them to honor God with their income, their giving and spending.
- Help them to not withhold good from people when in the power of their hands to do so.
I didn’t come up with those ideas. I got them right out of scripture. There’s more power in praying God’s Words than our own.
If we all walk in the wisdom Solomon gives in this book, we are promised favor with God and man; direction on the right paths we should take; health for our bodies; long life; plenty of provision; riches and honor; paths of peace; the secret counsel of the Lord and blessings on our homes…just to name a few.
There IS a better way to pray. Try praying through the Proverbs for your children. Zero in on the conditions first. When those are met, the blessings will follow. It’s a promise!