Proverbs 6:20-26
Once again we are admonished to heed instruction, and once again the focus of that instruction is to avoid the deadly pitfall of adultery. But I’m not going to talk about adultery today. (We’ll be stuck on that for the next few days!) Instead, I want to look at just the last half of verse 23: the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never particularly cared for reproof or discipline. They are, well, unpleasant, so I would not say that the first thing that I associate with them is life. Yet what does Proverbs tell us here? The reproofs of discipline are the way of life. Although my flesh is inclined to resist the notion, I am forced to admit that truth, because without reproofs of discipline, my natural inclinations toward evil would not be corrected (see Ecclesiastes 8:11), resulting in death. But in His love God desires life for us, and so He reproves and disciplines. If all of that sounds a bit familiar, we heard it before in Pr. 3:11-12 (quoted in Heb. 12:5-6): the LORD reproves him whom He loves. (See also Deut. 8:5, Job 5:17, and I Cor. 11:32.)
So… Note to self: Be grateful for the reproofs of discipline, for as tokens of God’s love they are the way of life.
Well said, John! Good words to heed.
My eyes turned on verse 22: When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. But it’s not the commandment from verse 20 that works for me – the “they” in verse 22 for me is Christian music, specifically the songs that we most often sing in our services or some of those old hymns from my Catholic roots. I often find songs going through my head, happily, and occasionally I take the time to ponder the words. I’m thankful for those musicians and singers who have given me this gift!!