Proverbs 4:13-15 

¹³Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. ¹⁴Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. ¹⁵Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.

Wear Mask

Praise God for we are slowly adjusting to normal life amidst the pandemic. Wearing mask indoors is still advisable; everyone may prefer to wear or not wear mask. Few days ago, we went to buy groceries. I was not wearing mask. Then, there was foul odor somewhere which made me realized that wearing mask is very useful indoors.

In 1 Corinthians 10:23, ²³“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.

Anything we choose could be advantageous or disadvantageous to us. Our envy instinct causes us to decide on something, and we insist our right to do anything that we may consider beneficial.  Achievement or accomplishments of others may possibly influence our decision. King Solomon had testified in Ecclesiastes 4:4, ⁴And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another.

Do you consciously ponder upon if you are envious of others or not? Envy is a reality that may not take very seriously. When consumers see advertisements of product promoted by their favorite celebrity, they may purchase that product, and their acquaintances may want also to have one. Celebrities endorse products that they use in their daily life, and they are paid for it. Their followers may not think much or ponder upon, if it is wise for them to buy the product that their favorite celebrity has endorsed.

How should we choose things that are beneficial to us and not just dependence on the influence of others? We hold on to and apply godly instructions in our life. How?

1.  Apply

¹³Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.

This godly instruction, “Hold on to instruction,” can be interpreted properly as “seriously grow firm, strong and be strengthened.”  When it says, “do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life,” it suggests the idea that if you let go of godly instruction, you will certainly face disastrous ending. Have you watched news report of disastrous flood?

Imagine yourself saving individuals from raging floodwater. You instructed them, “Hold firmly on to the lifeboat.” People who are scared to die follow your instruction. It is very foolish on their part if flood victims responded, “Whatever! I do anything I want!”

In the time of Noah, he and his family hold on to the instruction of God, and they were saved from the great flood while those who ignored God’s instruction died in the flood. Do you trust that godly instruction is your life? Don’t let it go; guard it well.

Unconsciously, we often rely upon our ability to do things. We know what we can do; and if we sense we can’t do accomplish a task at hand, we stop and don’t continue.

You may have heard people say, “Opportunity knocks on your door just once, so grab when it comes!” Can you believe that the Lord has designed for you a greater life experience, and he wants you to experience it? Do you believe that the Lord situates you where he wants you to experience a great opportunity favorable to you?

You may wonder, “What if I don’t respond positively? What if I don’t grab a given opportunity from God? Will I miss such great opportunity that he has designed for me?”

The Lord will never let you miss the great opportunity he prepared specifically for you. Surely, the Lord knows the level of our faith in him. He knows it if we have doubt on our capability. He knows it very well when we need timely encouragement. 

Gideon

When the Lord told Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites, he saw him as mighty warrior. But, Gideon thought, “I am not the right person to save Israel; my clan is the weakest, and I am the least in my family. Being so, how can I save Israel? So, he asked for sign to confirm that he heard the Lord clearly. The Lord gave him the sign. When Gideon hesitated to attack the Midianites, the Lord encouraged him.

It narrated in Judges 7:9-15, ⁹During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. ¹⁰If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah ¹¹and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. ¹²The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

¹³Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.” ¹⁴His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” ¹⁵When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” 

Eventually, Gideon obeyed and proved that the Lord’s plan for him has brought victory to Israel. Do you believe that the Lord who encouraged Gideon when he was scared of their enemies will also encourage you when you have doubts about your ability to obey his instruction? Pray that you may hear the Lord clearly. Like Gideon, if you need confirmation to hear the Lord clearly, pray that he would make more specifically his instruction to you. Pray and ask the Lord which step you need to do practically.

Pray for increase of faith to trust that whatever you may decide is within his will. Pray for godly wisdom and hold firmly on to his instructions and avoid ungodly paths.

2.  Avoid

¹⁴Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. ¹⁵Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.

When the Lord commanded us to not set foot on path and ways of the ungodly, indirectly, he is saying that we should follow his godly instruction more seriously. Why? The ways of the wicked is not the kind of life the Lord preferred for us. Therefore, it will only attract difficulties and struggles when we disobey the Lord.

When Christ exemplified obedience to God the Father even unto his death, that reality is not very attractive to an ordinary mindset. Why? Nobody in their normal mind would follow instruction that leads to death. Death is not a very attractive picture.

Halloween

Instinctively, many people are scared of death, yet they participate in Halloween.  They wear costumes that represent death. Halloween costumes are supposed to be scary. But participants of Halloween embrace what scares them. They love scary things.

Wearing costumes that represent death tries to downplay and disregard death as serious matter. Apostle Paul desired in Philippians 3:10-11, ¹⁰I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Halloween participants wear costume that represents death. But when we grow mature spiritually, we want to be like Christ in his death. To sense desire of participation in the sufferings of Christ, you’ve reached the level of spiritual maturity of Apostle Paul.

If there’s still hesitation in our heart and mind and cannot sincerely say that we want to be like Christ in his death, the Lord understands our situation.

God wants us to grow spiritually mature when he instructed us to hold on to his instructions and to avoid wickedness. But every believer has different spiritual growth. Godly wisdom is needed to choose the path favorable for us to grow mature spiritually, so that whatever preference we may choose would be helpful for our spiritual growth.

God does not expect us to grow mature spiritually overnight, but at least, we may take one step of obedience to hold firmly on to his godly instruction.

What instruction of God have you heard lately? What godly instruction have you heard most often? When God speaks, he lovingly repeats until we clearly understand and personally apply his instruction in our life. It would be wise to seek his help always.

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