Proverbs 22

READ CHAPTER 22 OF PROVERBS ON YOUR OWN,

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 VERSE TO MEMORIZE THIS WEEK: 

 

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes.

 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the hearts.

 To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Proverbs 21:1-3 (NKJV)
 

This summer finds me in new territory. For years I’ve been greeted after work by a houseful of boys, ready to run out for passes, wrestle, play chess, etc. Now I come home to my wife and maybe one or two young men, who are usually on their way somewhere fun or important. We are so thankful for the life we have together. My wife and I often talk about the brokenness and joy we feel. Maybe the quiet house allows for more reflection.

Proverbs 22, like the other chapters, covers many different principles for wise living. When I read it I thought of my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. “Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.”  This quote by George Orwell is so true. Verse 28 says, “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.” This tells me that God wants us to remember and to learn from those who have gone before us. We as parents are instructed in verse 6 to, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Our generation seems to focus on our children’s needs and wants more than any before us. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, we need to look back sometimes and ask what the old people knew, that we’ve forgotten. Teaching our children, above all, to be successful by our society’s standard will ensure a life of emptiness for them. Teaching them to trust in Jesus and put others before themselves will ensure a life of joy and purpose, regardless of their financial situation.

 “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” This first verse reminds me that God gives us a choice. It doesn’t matter what your name is, and most of us don’t get to choose our names. We may, however, choose to make it a good name. When I first read this verse, The Lord brought someone to mind and I’ve been thinking about him for days, Grandaddy Doc. I wish I could go back thirty years and introduce him to everyone. He was my Daddy’s grandfather on his father’s side. He was born in 1900 and passed away in 1986, when I was 16. He lived his whole life on the blackland prairie about 40 miles east of Waco, TX. It has been said that people won’t remember what you did or said, but they’ll remember how you made them feel. The older I get and the more time that passes, the more I realize how wise Grandaddy Doc was, because he made everyone feel important. He was a peace maker, once taking a gun from the hands of a drunken man who was bent on revenge for some slight. Another time, in the twenties, two local men had a quarrel over a horse race. Grandaddy was plowing behind a mule when he saw one of the men passing by on the dirt road. He walked to the fence, and seeing that the man was armed, tried to persuade him to go back home. The man wouldn’t listen, went on to town and made local history by engaging his rival in a shootout which resulted in both their deaths. I was reminded of this old story by verse 3, “The prudent sees the evil and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished.” I am so glad to have known several great-grandparents on both sides of the family and I’m glad the Holy Spirit led me down memory lane. It took faith for that generation to make it through the Great Depression and two world wars. We must also have faith to make it in these troubling times. It requires faith to apply these Proverbs to our daily lives.

Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  SHANNON KEITH KILPATRICK is the husband of 11 years to Tiffany, and Dad (and step-dad) to 5 boys.  He and his family attend church at Freedom Fellowship in Silsbee, Texas, where S.K. has served in  many different capacities such as Sunday School teacher for young adults, Freedom Rangers (boys program) leader, nursery worker, usher, and choir member; just to name a few.  He has also preached, and is a very gifted teacher and story teller!