Men who sought to know God in the days of the Old Testament were seeking God’s direction on their lives just as we do today. Each one who was a seeker, linked wisdom directly with knowing the mind of God about how to act, live, and relate in this world. They truly wanted to have the character of God, to the best of their ability to understand it. But, looking to the Commandments and the Laws, which God gave Moses, they sometimes found themselves at odds with God, just as we do.
Being emotional beings we sometimes react out of our feelings. So when we find ourselves in a place of disobedience we feel like hiding, or running, or making excuses for our behavior, like any child would do. As parents we lay down the law, and give consequences to our children, and are frightened and disappointed when they shy away from us, or lie about having committed the offense. We are no different before the Lord. Doing what is against God’s wishes for us makes us feel like hiding our face from Him sometimes. As parents, all we really want is to provide guidance that will keep our children from harm. To help them see how to get through life a little easier, and build in them good character.
Proverbs 6:23 reminds us that God’s desire is the same. Solomon who was well known for delving into all things wise saw wisdom as the jewel to seek in life. But we often find him dissatisfied, and seeking for more. We see him wrestling with how to live and then in one significant verse he seems to get it. This is one of those verses. It’s the “Ahhh” verse, when the writer finds relief, when he realizes that Laws and Commandments are God’s way of shedding light on our daily walk, not a hot iron of pain driving us away.
What makes the difference? It is how we see what God is doing for us.
It isn’t cliché to say that when we are older we look back and understand why our parents disciplined us, whether we agree with how they do it or not. As we mature, we are enlightened; we can “see” the benefits.
Today’s passage in context reads:
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest it shall lead thee, when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee. And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life. Proverbs 6: 20-23
1. Accept the lamp and the responsibility of owning it. In order to have light, you need a lamp. The light of instruction, whether from parents or God is a gift. Not a burden - a GIFT. There’s responsibility that goes with owning the lamp. In their day - buy the oil and trim the wick; in ours - pay the light bill, and keep new bulbs handy. Batteries for the flashlight,,etc. Responsibility with scripture? – Bind it to your heart, and wear it like the jewel it is.
2. See it for what it is and turn it on. Ever drive your car with a failing alternator? It is the law to have good lights on your car, but you don’t maintain the lights on your car because of the law. The value in having lights on the car is to see the road! They “lead you” and make clear the lines on the road, the hazards along the way, and they enlighten the signs of instruction and direction. Would you run away from your car because it has lights? Why run from the light of God’s word. See it as a tool for safety. Knowing your are safe will help you sleep better.
3. Rest, knowing you based the walk for that day on His precepts. Kids like night-lights in their rooms, feeling they keep the “monsters” at bay. Ever wonder at the amount of light it takes to see how to get to the bathroom in the dark. Not much. But boy is it nice not to have to search for that light. You and your kids can rest at night, knowing that tiny light is making you secure in the darkness. It doesn’t take a big light to scare away the evil one. Just a tiny verse with power.
4. Let the light talk to you. I can still hear some of my mother’s sayings ringing in my ears. Hers was a fire and brimstone kind of admonition. “Heap coals of fire on their head,” she would say. She sort of forgot the “Love your enemy” part. She seemed to believe, if you prayed real hard, then God would do something nasty to your enemy. LOL But if you learn the verse properly, it will speak to you. The still small voice of the spirit will bring the very verse you need to mind. Or it will be glaring at you from a church sign, at the bottom of a bulletin, on your facebook page, or on the bumper sticker on the car you almost hit. God will get your attention, and focus you on his instruction, if you ask him.
5. Don’t hate the stop sign. When the big red sign on your path says “STOP”, it means it. And for good reason. “Reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” Without them, there is definite danger. One night, returning from a Flower and Gifts Show I did for a lady, who lived in an area unfamiliar to me, I was focusing on my instructions intensely to get back home without getting lost. It was late. And the cars coming toward me blinded me with their lights. I recalled that a recent news person had said one should focus on the outside line of the road when cars passed with bright lights, looking just above it to notice signs and obstacles until your eyes refocused. I was doing exactly that, when after a car passed me, I realized I was headed straight for a dirt bank, and with no warning was crossing through the intersection at a dead end! On a country back road, I was running 55 mph. Although, I reacted immediately, I hit the bank going at least 25 mph. My lights showed me the bank and the intersection, but not in time to stop. That is what the Stop sign was supposed to be for. Since I was looking straight at the side of the road, because of the oncoming car, how did I miss the stop sign? All I could think of was that I could have killed someone. It was by God’s grace, that a volunteer fireman, who worked at the firehouse directly across from my shop, was the next car passing. He stopped to help me, and since I was a little addled, by the vase in the back of the car which came flying forward and hit me in the back of the head, it took a minute to tell him what was on my mind. “How could I not see a stop sign when I was looking exactly in that direction?” I asked him. I explained what happened, and he looked back at a huge, 3 foot sign, high on the post, so it could be seen from a long way back. After some investigation, they determined that the huge sign was higher than car lights could shine on. It was only effective for big trucks after dark. My lights never hit that sign at all, so I never saw it. My benign accident got the sign changed and maybe saved someone else’s life. Lighted signs, even ones that say stop, are the stuff of life. Reproofs of instruction - condemning judgment, criticism, censure – the things that warn us to stop and take a second look, can be that which ensure life! God didn’t put the signs up on his level, but down on ours.
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