Today’s passage: Proverbs 22
Helpful thoughts:
- A good name can be earned through personal kindness and love toward others and it can also be inherited.
- Our families pass down a name (e.g. Even older siblings to their youngers at school).
- Our church has a name in the community. We are all contributing to it and we will give it to the next generation.
- Our children learn from what we say, how we say it, by what we do and by how what we say correlates with what we do.
- And when they are old, they will not depart from it.
- Remember, this is a proverb. A wisdom saying. This verse can be misused to ask why kids didn’t turn out the way a parent wants…but when we expect kids to grow up and turn out “perfect”, we need to be humble, honest with ourselves, and realize that its only by the grace of God any of us are growing in righteousness.
- The “ancient landmarks” of verse 28 refer to boundary lines in ancient Israel. The verse is discouraging trying to altar family property allocations.
- There is a competition going on for your mind. Hearing from the world results in learning their ways and snares being set for our own capture. Hearing from the Lord (Inclining our ears and applying our hearts to understand imply effort on our part) results in learning his ways and walking in righteousness and freedom.
Questions to consider:
- How does 1 John 4:18-19 answer the proverb in verse 13 of this chapter? Do the lazy really fear lions in the street though? Is the problem fear or a lack of love for others? What does the lazy person want most? What are the greatest motivations to work hard?
- Does a child have to learn foolishness or did we all come by it naturally (Verse 15 & Psalm 51:5)? What should be the parents’ motivation and goal for discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11, Ephesians 6:4)? Do parents punish or discipline? What would the difference be? What is God’s goal for our discipline?
- What proverb stuck out the most to you? How could you put it into practice today?
Prayer:
Father, if my children grow up to be just like me they will need a savior. Thank you for Jesus Christ! And thank you for the work you have done in our lives that would allow our children to see you working in and through us. May we remember to point them to you when they see good in us, knowing that if they are to see good and growth in their lives, it will be just as much of your doing and your grace. May we remember to point them to you when they see the bad in us, reminding them that our hope and security rests in Jesus’ righteousness alone. And may they see us inclining our ears and applying our hearts to understand and obey your word. Thank you for your word. Thank you for your wisdom. Thank you for our salvation.