The verse I’ve been reading is typical and seems unconnected to the other verses around it. However, if I had been the writer who penned each of these sayings, I can imagine myself putting down one and having it somehow remind me of the next one. That could have happened with this sequence:
Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul. Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law. A servant will not be corrected by mere words; for though he understands, he will not respond. (Proverbs 29:17–19)The writer knew that children need to be disciplined. He also knew that obedience to discipline makes people happy. He wrote that without a revelation from God, there would be no discipline, but those who obeyed God’s revelation (at that time, the Law) would be happy. He also knew that mere words do not correct or discipline behavior; for it to be effective, the disciplined person must obey those words.
How many people have ever said, “Well, I know I should do this, but. . . .” and they are not obedient to what they know? I have. I’m trying to reverse that. If I cannot obey what God has taught me, how can I expect His blessing?
This seems so simple, but it is not. I’d like to issue an invitation to those who haven’t tried it yet find fault with Christians who cannot seem to get their act together. Try it. To live is Christ only sounds easy. Both knowing and doing His will offer great joy, but also surprising and unsurpassable challenges.
For that reason, God is gracious. His patience with me and my failures is also surprising and unsurpassable. For that, I am humbled and deeply grateful.
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