The Favorite Child: Proverbs 3:3-4

By a show of hands who thinks their brother or sister is the favorite child? Ok now who thinks they were the favorite child? It is interesting that children believe parents show favoritism. I know... I know... as you read this you are probably saying, "They do!" Just keep reading because the reality is we believe our family has favorites because deep down we all long to be favored. Maybe your family does or does not, but all children longed to be favored by their family. The good news even if no one else favors you God does.
Proverbs 3:3-4 says, " Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man." When we love one another and put faithfulness/loyalty as a high priority in our lives God and man will favor us. Since being favored is what we long for hear the wisdom of God through Solomon. You are favored when you show love and faithfulness. In short, you are a favored child of God and the cool thing is, He is big enough to have many favorites.

What Do We Value?

Growing up I had a pretty massive baseball card collection. As the years went by I sort of forgot about this collection. Until one day when my mom called me to inform me they were moving and wondered what she was to do with all my baseball cards. In the midst of that phone call a flood of childhood memories and "hard" work putting this collection together came to my mind. Also the beating heart of a 10 year old boy trapped in a 30 year old body was imagining the worst that could happen to these treasures from childhood. I calmly told my mom that I would pick them up and bring them home where they belonged.

Although this event is slightly exaggerated, well not really, it did get me to thinking about the value of these cards and do I value God and His wisdom in the same way. Proverbs chapter 2:6-8 says, "For the LORD gives, wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints." The short of this passage is this... God's wisdom is valuable. It is not simply knowledge we put in our heads, but it is knowledge that is lived out in our everyday lives. Valuable wisdom from our heavenly Father protects us from Satan's deceptions as well as the distraction and attractions of the world.

The question comes back to... Do I value His Wisdom? and if I do then that means I need to trust His word and His judgment. The true value of something in our lives is tested when under fire. My mom's choice of what to do with my baseball cards allowed me to see that she would throw them away if I wanted her to, but if I truly valued them then I should come pick them up and take care of them. I chose to value them. I also choose to value God's wisdom.