Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 22:3-6.
A shrewd person sees danger and hides himself, but the naive keep right on going and suffer for it. The reward for humility and fearing the Lord is riches and honor and life. Thorns and snares are in the path of the perverse, but the one who guards himself keeps far from them. Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
While proverbs are usually stand alone instructions not necessarily related to the verses around them, this passage connects wise sayings about the path God has planned for us. It reminds us that God has shown us what is right, but we must still choose it. God wants us to be part of what He is doing in creation but He doesn’t force us.
This reading warns that “thorns and snares are in the path of the perverse”. Choosing what we want rather than what God intends always leads to bad results. Jesus teaches “the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14). We must learn to follow Him instead of our own selfish ways.
The sooner we learn this the easier it will be for us. The last verse tells us “train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it”. We have responsibility to learn this for ourselves and help others to find their place in His kingdom.
Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we stray from You. Help us to return in repentance, safe on the path You have made for us. Amen.