Proverbs 3

 Reading chapters 1 and now 3, the thing that sticks out the most to me is peace. 

Wisdom brings peace. A peaceful life is pleasant. Ask anyone. Who wants to be around a disturbed, stressful soul?? Stressful living is not normal. People try to normalize it - almost seem to put it on a pedestal as a goal to reach (1st world problems, maybe?)- but it's definitely not the biblical way of living. Just because something is common doesn't mean it's normal. 

In her book Apply, Francie Taylor writes, "a chaotic life is the opposite of a pleasant life. When God orders and directs our steps, we end up on the park marked peace instead of on the trail covered in our tears. How can we find God's peaceful path? When we measure our lives against the Scriptures, we will see clearly where we're missing the mark. If we measure our lives against the culture, we'll arrive at the faulty conclusion that we're not so bad compared to someone else." 

Constantly comparing also brings stress because of trying to live to match someone else. Instead, ask, 'how do I measure up to God's word?' 

I find it interesting that wisdom even affects sleep quality. vs. 24: When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Probably the most famous verses in Proverbs are 5 & 6. Let's look at them. 

Trust: complete surrender

in the Lord with all thine heart; this is internal

In all thy ways acknowledge him: this is external

He shall direct thy paths: God will lead us into what's best

  We're responsible for our internal attitudes and our external actions. As we trust God with all our being, actions will be different. And when we worry or rush ahead, we show we don't trust God. 

Other takeaways I see: Have moral integrity in your actions. Be generous. Live in peace. Walk in wisdom in every area of life. 

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. ~ vs. 13