This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for September 4) is written by Cheryl Frey, a freelance proofreader and editor from Rochester, New York.
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Pursuing Righteousness (Proverbs 3)
By Cheryl Frey
Have you been watching the price of gold and silver lately? A year ago gold was selling at about $1,200 an ounce, and as of this writing, it”s slightly over $1,600; that”s an increase of approximately 33 percent. Silver”s rise has been even more impressive. It”s gone from under $20 an ounce to almost $40 in a year, a 100 percent increase. So what does this have to do with a Sunday school lesson? Today”s text offers us something even more valuable than gold and silver, no matter how high their values rise. What is that incomparably valuable asset? Wisdom.
In Proverbs 3:13-18 the inspired writer Solomon presents wisdom as a lady who holds long life in her right hand and riches and honor in her left. The one who follows her advice will have pleasant ways, peaceful paths, and abundant blessings from God. Each one of these amazing promises can be yours.
But what”s the catch? There must be a catch. We”ve all lived long enough to know that anything that seems too good to be true probably isn”t true. Just exactly what do we need to do to take advantage of this wonderful offer?
We find out by reading the first 12 verses of Proverbs 3. All we have to do is to live a righteous life and develop a character that resembles God”s character. Suddenly, this amazing offer doesn”t seem so easy. How in the world can we do that?
Bible background. Pronunciation guide. Real-life commentary. Discussion questions. Find it all in Standard Lesson Commentary.
Solomon doesn”t leave us wondering. He gives us six steps that will lead us down the path of wisdom toward the goal of a righteous life.
1. Keep God”s Word in your heart. What is the foundation for everything in our spiritual lives? Knowing what God says about how we are to live. This knowledge must go far beyond the ability to quote the 23rd Psalm, say the Lord”s Prayer, and recite five of the Ten Commandments. Reading a few verses in the Bible every day is not too much to ask of even the busiest Christian. To truly be wise and know God”s will, we must each find a Bible-study approach that works for us and follow it faithfully. If we do, we may well prolong our lives and find “peace and prosperity” (v. 2).
2. Make love and faithfulness part of your daily wardrobe. It”s not too surprising that “Lady Wisdom” would encourage the wearing of beautiful jewelry. We are to bind love and faithfulness around our necks. But these are to be much more than pretty ornaments””nice thoughts and good intentions. They are to be actions we take that show others our concern for them and our devotion to God. The result will be “a good name in the sight of God and man” (v. 4).
3. Trust God, not yourself, with everything you”ve got. While not belittling our ability to think and reason for ourselves, Solomon reminds us God is a much better judge of what”s best for us than we will ever be. No matter our level of intelligence or problem-solving abilities, we all can benefit from submitting our plans and decisions to God before ever proceeding with them. As a result, our path through life will be much smoother.
4. Fear God enough to stay away from evil. Many modern theologians teach that since God is love, we have no reason to fear him. But the Bible tells us God”s love is balanced by his justice. In Psalm 9:16 we learn that “The Lord is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.” The closer we get to Satan”s temptations, the more likely we are to fall into his trap. But staying far away will bring “health to your body” (v. 8).
5. Give God the first and best of what you receive. How do we “honor the Lord with [our] wealth” (v. 9)? By making sure the first check we write after receiving our paycheck is to support the work of his kingdom. That action shows that we trust him to take care of us with the rest. Since it”s impossible to out give God, we will receive bountiful blessings beyond anything we have given.
6. Receive God”s discipline as a sign of his love. When we are experiencing hard times it is tempting to believe Satan”s lie that “If God really loved you, he would never let you suffer like this.” But we know it”s precisely because God does love us that he allows us to experience problems that will develop our character and draw us closer to him. For both children and adults, the only way to become morally good is to learn the difference between right and wrong by suffering the consequences for our wrongdoing. The Father is faithful to provide the loving discipline his children require.
Although any offer from man may well be “too good to be true,” God is faithful to do for us everything he has promised. If we pay attention to God”s wisdom and live accordingly, he will bless us “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).
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*Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, unless otherwise indicated.
| HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS |
| August 29: Malachi 4:1-6 |
| August 30: Numbers 15:37-41 |
| August 31: Psalm 115:3-11 |
| September 1: 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 |
| September 2: Proverbs 3:27-35 |
| September 3: Proverbs 3:13-26 |
| September 4: Proverbs 3:1-12 |
ABOUT THE LESSON WRITER: Cheryl Frey is a freelance proofreader and editor from Rochester, New York.
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