God made us alive together with Christ…that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7 NKJV.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10.

I confess when I read Proverbs, I get frustrated. Statements of truth that can be so mishandled in our own hearts and minds. So I turn to Creator God – Father…Son…Spirit…and ask Him to help me. I trust Him to guide me as I need to understand truths I can’t arrive at on my own. I know wickedness will be punished and I know God loves us sinners. And our chapter, Proverbs 24…Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble…By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures…If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength! v. 1, 2, 10. That last verse is echoed in Jeremiah 12:5: If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? That’s what God asked Jeremiah. And there, right there, is the frustration I feel when I let the evil of this world overcome me and I stumble and lose strength. And these next verses in Proverbs 24 remind me of the Holocaust, of any Holocaust…If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay everyone according to what they have done? v. 10-12. And then…Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. v. 13, 14. And these final verses…I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. v. 30-34.

I can’t hold back the tide of evil in this world but I can trust the One who will. In all ages of mankind we see evidence of lives lived through the wisdom or lack of wisdom found in Proverbs and all of Scripture. And the most vital and important truth you will ever know? Love God. Trust Him to lead you faithfully. Listen to His voice bringing you near to Him. Experience His love for you and begin a journey with Him in this life and for all of eternity. He will be with us.