Proverbs 13:1-4 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 13:1-4, which read,

v.1 - A wise son accepts his father's discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

We all need discipline from our Father God.  It shows that we are part of His family.  God gives discipline and it displays that He loves us.  He wouldn't be loving us if He did not discipline us.  Being a parent means that you will need to discipline your child not just out of love but because it is included in love.  It will be a rebuke that something is not right and needs correction and you are in the position to make that call just as God does for His children when they vary from the path of His footsteps.

A wise son accepts this discipline from his father.  The scoffer doesn't even listen to the instruction.  The word for discipline fills it out with other words like chasten, instruct, admonish, and correct.  It is much more than telling someone "I told you so" or giving out some type of consequence because of not following the instruction.  Discipline involves a plan and instruction to restore oneself to the truth.  Anything less is not true discipline given out of love.  Our heavenly Father disciplines us see restoration so listen with ears to respond with further action to conform to His words and ways.

v.2, 3 - From the fruit of a man's mouth he enjoys good, but the desire of the treacherous is violence.  The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. 

We are never too far from the mouth and tongue in the book of Proverbs.  It seems like Solomon takes us there in every chapter to emphasize where we can get into a lot of trouble or do a lot of good.  The main question thrown at us over and over is what is coming or what is the fruit of our words which in turn indicates what is going on deeper inside of us.  

We are instructed to use our mouths for good and one way is to guard what comes out of it.  We enjoy good when we have deep down desires to think of God and others and respond with words that lift them up.  We guard our mouths from joining in on the temptation to puff ourselves up and bring God and others down.  We put a filter on what we say because we have taken it to the foot of the cross and allowed God to transform our lives to be like His daily.  It is always deeper that what we just say when something comes out of our mouths.  It reflects if we are allowing God to continue to do a work within us, to discipline us to follow after Him and right any wrongs He brings before us.

v.4 - The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.

We go from the tongue and the mouth to the soul.  The soul which is our very breath of being needs to be diligent and not sluggish.  Our soul needs to be sharp and to the point and not lazy.  It needs to be very serious about this relationship with the Lord as a surgeon going in to do critical, life needed heart surgery on his own mother for her survival.  He is totally focused on what is ahead of him and prepares everything with cleanliness to prevent infection from entering the picture.  He is the pilot that goes over the plane and the pre-flight check list not missing any question to be asked before taxing down the runway while his family enjoys the seats behind him.

The lazy soul puts off his relationship with God and others for another day.  The lazy soul says, "that's good enough" and "I'm doing as much as the other guy."  The lazy soul will crave more but is not willing to give more while the diligent soul will give all he or she has and will receive the benefits of following after a God who is the Giver of all good things.  It is another ironic truth of the Scriptures.  The more you give, the more you receive and the more I keep, the more I lose.  How can I get more by giving away what I have?  Because what you are getting is coming from another source other than yourself and giving you something that you can't get from yourself.  A wise one understands this God given principle and listens to the discipline of his or her loving Father when correction is needed and not have taken up the mantle and mantra of the world instead.

How will you respond to His discipline today?  Will you accept it or not listen?  Will you realize that your words reflect your soul?  Will you see if you are being sluggish in the primary relationship of your life that affects all the others and get back to being diligent about it?  Let's pray.

"Lord, no discipline is pleasant at the time but actually sorrowful but may it be sorrowful not because I got caught doing something wrong but that I have varied from Your steps and missed some time following after You.  May I be trained by it and tune my ears into what You are saying so I can reap what You want me to have and that is more of You coming out of me.  Amen."

Pastor Adam