April 12 - God Values Faithfulness
April 12
God Values Faithfulness
Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:1-8
1My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; 2For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. 3Let love and faithfulness never leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.
YOU KNOW WHAT a slam book is, right? It's a notebook in which kids jot down messages to each other--usually messages that "slam" or insult someone else. They're passed around a lot in some schools.
A kinder, gentler version of the slam book is a notebook in which friends and classmates are encouraged to answer questions about their favorite things. One page, for example, might be headed "Favorite Sport," and the entries below might include "Baseball--Joel Wannamaker" and "Synchronized swimming--Jan Tzen."
Let's try our own version. Try listing your favorite . . .
Song ___________________________________
Singer or group ___________________________
TV show ________________________________
Season of the year _________________________
Book of the Bible _________________________
Now let's try the opposite approach. List your least favorite ...
Food ___________________________________
School subject ____________________________
TV commercial ___________________________
Day of the week ___________________________
Thing your parents say _____________________
Believe it or not, God has a similar list. He's even written it down. According to His list, one of His favorite things in the world is faithfulness. He thinks faithfulness is totally cool. He loves being faithful, and He loves it when people are faithful--to Him and to each other.
Think about this. Are there some foods and school subjects you absolutely hate--like maybe broccoli, cottage cheese, lima beans? P. E., math, English? Well, there are some things God hates, too. And one of the things He hates is unfaithfulness.
That's why God commands us to be faithful. Because He values faithfulness. For that matter, we should, too.
REFLECT: A "value" is something that a person considers important. Do you value faithfulness in your friends? in your family members? in yourself?
ACT: Create your own "favorites" book to pass among your friends, making each page a different list of the things your friends like most. Which of your "favorites" are also God's?
PRAY: "God, help me to value faithfulness just like You do.'