“My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.” – Proverbs 3:21-26

Have you ever done something you feared would catch up with you eventually? Maybe you told a “little white lie” to get you out of an assignment at school. Perhaps you told a friend you couldn’t help because you had homework when in actuality you just didn’t want to step away from the TV. Or maybe you told a parent you were hanging with a friend they know, when in actuality you were spending time with the boy they forbid you from seeing.

Whatever your lie might have been, I’m positive keeping up with it caused some uneasiness. You may still be suffering from a lie you’ve told, even as you read this devotional because the reality is, no child of God can sin and get away with it. Earlier in our highlighted passage Solomon says “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights (v.11-12). Sometimes the guilt in and of itself is our punishment for something we knew we shouldn’t be doing but oh what a joy it is to be able to “sleep soundly” when we know we’ve only engaged in behavior that God would be proud of.

There’s something to be said about walking uprightly and in this passage of scripture, we see some of the benefits of it. When we “walk in the way of the Lord,” we don’t stumble, we go to bed full of peace, we don’t have to fear sudden disaster or falling into a trap. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a good life to be living. Especially if all you’ve known before is constant worry about your dark deeds being brought to the light and your image being ruined.

If we want to have the kind of life described in Proverbs 3, we’re given the solution. We are to strive not to lose sight of common sense and discernment. We should seek out wisdom and not lean on our own understanding (v.5). Verse 6 says if we seek God’s will in all we do, He will show us which path to take and we can wake up each morning with the knowledge that no matter what comes our way, everything will be okay. This kind of security comes by constantly praying to God and finding out what His word says about anything we’re encountering.

In what area could you use some of God’s wisdom today?

Action:

Think back to a time when you felt secure – describe your surroundings and who you were with, then compare that scenario to the security we know we are given in Jesus.