Proverbs 6:22-23 

²²When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. ²³For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life

Driving

            How old were you when you first drove a vehicle. At about 16 years old, I drove a vehicle alone. Whenever the car owner left the key in his vehicle, I drove the car around the compound when nobody was watching. I never had any formal driving lesson. I learned from observing how drivers drive their car.

            One can learn to drive a vehicle just by observation. But it is very advisable for first times drivers to learn from expert drivers. Advices from expert drivers help avoid violation of traffic rules and regulations. Immigrants who were expert drivers in their country of origin fail the Driver’s Road Test in Canada. Why?

            Driver’s Road Test is not concerned on how expert you drive a vehicle; it is more about familiarity and observation of traffic rules and regulations in Canada.

            Similarly, you can live your life the way you wish to live, but there are rules and regulations in many aspects of life where we need advice from experts.

As children of God, we also need godly guidance from our parents. We can learn from our biological parents about practical aspects of life, but for spiritual growth, we need spiritual guidance from our spiritual parents. Who do you consider as your spiritual father or mother? Who guides you spiritually?

It says in 1 Timothy 1:1-2, ¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, ²To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 

            Timothy was discipled by Apostle Paul, and Paul considered Timothy as his son in the faith. Timothy kept the commands and not forsook the teachings of Paul, his spiritual father. What does that imply to us? What lesson can we learn?

The Lord instructs us to keep the command of our father and not forsake the teaching of our mother. We should keep and not forsake commands and teachings that may help us grow spiritually, whether from biological or spiritual parents. Likewise, before children can walk independently, they need guidance.

1.  Walk

²²When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

            Parents: Did you ask yourselves if you should guide young children to walk?

Did you ask advice if you must watch young children when they are asleep? Did you ask permission to talk to your children when they are awake?

Instinctively, loving parents guide their children to stand and walk. They don’t ask, “Should I watch over while my children are sleeping?” Even when infants cannot say any word, parents would just lovingly talk to them. It is even very advisable that parents start talking to their child while the child is still inside the womb.

Loving parents guide, watch, and speak to their children very naturally.

But it is very sad reality when children demand their parents to ask permission before they can talk to them. Spiritually, believers need godly wisdom to discern which spiritual lesson they should listen to and not ignore.

Mordecai

Out of respect, we address older people as if they are our biological father or mother. It narrated in Esther 2:7, ⁷Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

            The upbringing of Esther under Mordecai who served as her father testifies that Mordecai guided and taught her very responsibly. Among many contestants, Esther was chosen as queen not because of her lovely beauty only but because of her exceptional pleasant personality. What can children learn from Esther?

It recorded in Esther 2:20, ²⁰Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

            Esther followed instructions from Mordecai, and it biblically proved to be beneficial for her, when she became the queen that God had plan for her.

It takes faith to believe that God blesses children who follow instructions from their parents. Instruction from our heavenly Father is recorded in the Bible.

            Parental statements can be inspirational, and children are watching us.

2.  Watch

²³For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life

            You heard the warning, “Watch your step!” There is possibility to stumble. You need to be careful and be mindful where you set or step your foot.

To be able to see clearly and watch our step cautiously, we also need light.

Christ Jesus declares in John 8:12, ¹²I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

            There are moments when we make confusing decision. How does Christ guide, correct, or redirect us to the right path? When pressured to make decision, whatever circumstance we are situated in, the word of God is our lamp as to which step we should take. But how does the word of God guide us practically?

Exodus 2:15

Moses was raised by an Egyptian princess, Pharaoh’s daughter. But, when Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, he killed the Egyptian. It narrated in Exodus 2:15-17,¹⁵When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. ¹⁶Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.

            When Moses saved a Hebrew from the Egyptian, his life was in danger. He rescued the women who were bullied. He didn’t mind about his own safety. He just did what he thought was right thing to do at the moment. Moses lived in Pharaoh’s palace, but his very own biological mother nursed him. His own mother must have told him about the Lord, and things that are acceptable to God.

Hebrews 11:24-27 says, ²⁴By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. ²⁷By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

             God chose Moses to write his commandments. Was it because Moses was well educated along with the children of Pharaoh? Or was it because his way of life was righteous in the eyes of God, even before the Scripture was written?

Moses became the greatest leader of Israel not because of his personal capabilities but because of righteous lifestyle. Before and after the Scripture was written, his way of life testifies that Moses obeyed the Lord faithfully.

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