Proverbs 15                                                                                            

Good morning son,

As I sit here this morning I feel completely overwhelmed. I have more to do than I have time to do it in, or strength to accomplish. In the back of my mind I kinda think that I could get way more accomplished than not but inside I do not want to put forth the effort. So how will I push myself forward today to do the work required?

Proverbs 15:10

“Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.”

There is an old negro spiritual which goes as such:

“I've made my vow to the Lord and I never will turn back,
Oh, I will go,
I will go,
To see what the end will be . . .”

In seminary they noted that many of the spirituals were actually songs of deliverance; songs which told fellow slaves yearning for freedom a coded message. So in the presence of the master of oppression they could sing the songs and communicate the hope and the message of freedom. So what do you think this song was saying?

See the slave understood that once on the railroad to freedom there was no turning back. Although they had not truly tasted of freedom, although they only had a glimmer of an understanding of what it would feel like – they knew it was better than what they had come from and worth running, and pressing onward toward. They captured within the song the essence of the covenant relationship with a God who promised freedom – “my vow to the Lord.” If they had read this verse in Proverbs they would have clearly grasped the immense powerful motivational kernel of truth within it, a truth that would have only further empowered them to press forward towards freedom, to never turn back.

“Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path . . .” Biblical scholars will speak of the path of the Lord, the will He has for your life; a will which brings forth life and that more abundantly; a will which emboldens you in the midst of adversity to stand for the right. They would speak of a path which is set before you through His word, and whose direction is enlightened by the Holy Spirit which teaches you all things. They would speak of a path where God's covering resides; a path where angels tread and demons fear to be found. They would speak of a path where sickness and fear of death have no power over the traveler; a path where the traveler is transformed with every step. They would speak of a path where the traveler experiences their needs and desires being met by the one who commissioned them to travel. They would speak of a path which has at its core a reunification with a loving God where there is no barrier of sin or error. They would speak of a path . . . no . . . the path we have been called to walk, you and I.

But outside of that path . . . you do not reach your destination . . . the ultimate reward of freedom is lost . . . and the enemy is found seeking to devour you. See once you came into a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ you entered into a covenant which sets you on a path that should you decide to step away from you will find a tremendous amount of torment and pain. The enemy who wishes to destroy you will do his best to do so. This in turn acts as a disciplinary force, drawing you back to the God who loves and cares for you.

Does it feel good. No. But if it did you would not get back on the path. So should we disdain and hate the discipline?

“. . . he who hates correction will die.”

Obviously the answer is no. Absent acceptance of the discipline or correction we would stay in the state of being lost and never fully attain the peace, love or joy – the inheritance from God our father which is ours as his children.

It is a loving thing for my God to say, no. To remove His covering and let me feel the sting of the consequence of my sin, of my removing myself from His path. It reminds me of His loving care, of the place where I am safe and whole. It draws me back to Him and therefore true love, compassion, mercy and tender care. It draws me back to the path of abundant life.

So, with this verse in Proverbs I will be encouraged to stay on the path. I will do as the Apostle Paul wrote (and yes – you will have to look it up)
“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I like the Old King James version – “I press forward towards the mark of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus!”

Will you? It is not about the past.

Look at our pericope again(pericope -one of those high sounding seminary words which just means the the passage we are studying – but makes you sound SO cool and “edumacated” amongst your peers . . . LOL). The stern discipline is not past tense but present. It is “waiting” for us to step off the path. Thus no past wrongs, or “step aways” are disciplining us as we travel walking ON the path. They, the past,  have no hold on us from moving forward. Also, I would be amiss not to note that past successes also do not hold us from a greater future. Successes? Yes, Successes!

Haven't you ever had the thought “it couldn't get any better than this.” Well . . . in Christ that is a lie straight from the pit of hell! The path of Christ is constantly moving us forward over mountains and through valleys, from glory to glory. It only gets better! The Apostle Paul notes that he will not let memory of ANY past event or experience to be brought forward by himself; that he takes an active role in forgetting the past good and bad, in as much as it would prevent him from reaching the prize in Christ Jesus . . . from moving forward.

So I will take the warning from Proverbs and the advise of Paul today to do more than I would have thought possible. To experience His love and empowerment. To be obedient to His voice. To be all that He has made me to be!

You can too. Get a piece of paper that you will carry with you all day. On the front side of the paper at the top of the page write out Proverbs 15:10. Below that take the pen and write down what you think God has told you to do today. Now turn the paper to the other side. Write out
Philippians 3:13-14. Now if you are thinking anything which would prevent you from doing what He has told you to do today, write it down below this verse. Read the verse out loud and turn the page back to the front and get to doing what God has told you to do.

Any time today that a reason that you can not do “whatever” pops up in your head, pull that paper out and write in on the back side. Say Philippians 3:13-14 again out loud. Now, turn the paper over. Say Proverbs 15:10 out loud and look at your list. Get back to work.

You will be amazed at how God will empower you today to do what you thought was impossible, but that with Him . . . well . . . a victorious, accomplished day . . . well that . . . is just His intended norm for you and me.

Love yah,

dad