Day 3 Devotion of Pastor Chris' Paraphrase of Proverbs

Day 3  There is more than one way to skin a cat (but who would ever want to skin a cat!) There is often more than one way to do things, but wisdom is doing the right thing at the right time in the right way.  We often know how to do something (or can figure it out on our own), but the truly wise person seeks and follows God's way because it is always the right way. It takes humility to admit that your way is not the best way, but there is great wisdom in laying aside your own plan in favor of God's will. Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase of Proverbs 3:5-6 Don't depend on your own understanding. Instead, trust the Lord completely at your very core. Always try to follow God's plan and give Him credit for everything and He will lead you down a clear path. Prayer "Lord, help me to be humble and set aside my own plan in favor of Yours. Show me Your will and give me courage and wisdom to trust You and do things Your way. Amen." Read Proverbs Chapter 3
New American Standard Bible	Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase
Proverbs 3 The Rewards of Wisdom 1 My son, do not forget my [a]teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; 2 For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good [b]repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your [c]body And refreshment to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not reject the [d]discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. 13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than [e]jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. 16 [f]Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. 19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. 21 My son, let them not [g]vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. 23 Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the [h]onslaught of the wicked when it comes; 26 For the Lord will be [i]your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. 27 Do not withhold good from [j]those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you. 29 Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. 30 Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. 31 Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. 32 For the devious are an abomination to the Lord; But [k]He is intimate with the upright. 33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. 34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. 35 The wise will inherit honor, But fools [l]display dishonor. Footnotes: 1.            Proverbs 3:1 Or law 2.            Proverbs 3:4 Lit understanding 3.            Proverbs 3:8 Lit navel 4.            Proverbs 3:11 Or instruction 5.            Proverbs 3:15 Lit corals 6.            Proverbs 3:16 Lit Length of days 7.            Proverbs 3:21 Lit depart 8.            Proverbs 3:25 Lit storm 9.            Proverbs 3:26 Or at your side 10.          Proverbs 3:27 Lit its owners 11.          Proverbs 3:32 Lit His private counsel is 12.          Proverbs 3:35 Lit raise high	Proverbs 3 Trust God 1-4 Child, don’t forget what I’ve said, make my rules the core of who you are, because they’ll help you live a long, successful life.  Never give up on love and loyalty; wear them like a badge of honor; tattoo them on your heart.  Then you’ll be respected and admired by God and everyone else. 5-6 Don't depend on your own understanding. Instead, trust the Lord completely at your very core. Always try to follow God's plan and give Him credit for everything and He will lead you down a clear path. 7-10 Don’t ever think you’ve got it all figured out.  Have deep reverence for God and run away from evil.  You will be healthy and strong and full of energy.  Honor God with all you have and always give Him your first and best; then you’ll have more than enough and your life will overflow with goodness. 11-12 Child, don’t resent it when the Lord disciplines you or get tired of His correction, for the Lord corrects people He loves just like good parents correct their children. The Tree of Life 13-18 People who find wisdom and understanding are happy and blessed, because wisdom is better than silver and gold.  Wisdom and understanding are more precious than jewels; nothing you could want in this life can even compare.  On the one hand, they help you have a long life; on the other, they give you riches and honor.  Wisdom will help you truly enjoy life and be at peace.  Wisdom is a tree of life to everyone who eats her fruit; they will be truly blessed. 19-20 The Lord created the earth with this same wisdom we’re talking about and used understanding to make the heavens.  With His knowledge, He made water spring up from below and rain to fall down from the sky. Safe and Secure Living 21-28 Child, don’t miss what I’m telling you: let wisdom and common sense be your guide.  They’ll refresh your soul and make you standout from the crowd.  You’ll be safe and secure and won’t fall along life’s path.  You’ll have nothing to fear and will sleep in peace at night.  You won’t have to worry when others panic or disasters strike the wicked, because Jehovah’s on your side and He’ll keep you from harm. 27-32 Always do good to those who deserve it whenever you can.  Don’t say, “Come back tomorrow” when you can take care of it right now.  Your neighbors trust you.  Don’t take advantage of them.  Don’t argue with people without a good reason, especially if no real harm has been done.  And definitely don’t envy or try to be like the bully who uses force to get what they want.  God can’t stand it when people are crooked, but He takes care of those who live right. 33-35 The Lord’s curse surrounds everything about the wicked, but He surrounds righteous people with blessings.  He scorns those who are scornful, but helps those who are humble.  The wise come into honor, but stubborn fools find only disgrace.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation	Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase of Proverbs (PCP) Copyright © 2018 by Chris Mullis

Day 2 of Pastor Chris' Paraphrase of Proverbs Devotion

Day 2  God offers wisdom to those who want it and ask for it.  But true wisdom is not for the casual seeker.  It is for those who search after it with all their heart, soaking up God's Truth like a sponge, diligently applying what they've learned.   Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase of Proverbs 2:1-8 If you listen to what I say, child, and hold on to these truths in your heart, if you pay attention to my wisdom and really want to understand, if you beg for more insight and really try to get it, if it’s as important to you as silver, like going on a treasure hunt, then you'll get to know God and be awestruck by the Lord. The Lord makes us wise; He gives truth and understanding.  He fills good people with dependable wisdom.  He protects the innocent and maintains the road to justice, keeping his dedicated, godly people safe. If you want to be wise, seek God with all your heart.  As Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." Prayer "Father in Heaven, make us hungry for wisdom that we may be persistent and determined as we seek You and the wisdom You want us to have.  In Jesus name, we ask.  Amen." Read Proverbs Chapter 2
New American Standard Bible	Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase
Proverbs 2 The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security 1 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; 3 For if you cry for discernment, [a]Lift your voice for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. 9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, 12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; 13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; 15 Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways; 16 To deliver you from the strange woman, From the [b]adulteress who flatters with her words; 17 That leaves the companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God; 18 For her house [c]sinks down to death And her tracks lead to the [d]dead; 19 None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life. 20 So you will walk in the way of good men And keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will [e]live in the land And the blameless will remain in it; 22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land And the treacherous will be uprooted from it. Footnotes: 1.            Proverbs 2:3 Lit Give 2.            Proverbs 2:16 Lit strange woman 3.            Proverbs 2:18 Lit bows down 4.            Proverbs 2:18 Lit departed spirits 5.            Proverbs 2:21 Or dwell	Proverbs 2 The Value of Wisdom 1-5 If you listen to what I say, child, and hold on to these truths in your heart, if you pay attention to my wisdom and really want to understand, if you beg for more insight and really try to get it, if it’s as important to you as silver, like going on a treasure hunt, then you'll get to know God and be awestruck by the Lord. 6-8 The Lord makes us wise; He gives truth and understanding.  He fills good people with dependable wisdom.  He protects the innocent and maintains the road to justice, keeping his dedicated, godly people safe. 9-11 All this helps you understand the right way to live, justice and equality, and all that’s good, because wisdom fills your heart and you’ll love knowing the way things really are; you will make good decisions and your understand how to be safe.   12-15 It will steer you clear of people who would hurt you, speaking their lies and corrupting the truth, who refuse to do what’s right and prefer darkness to light; they love to do evil and revel in dark perversions.  They’re always devious crooks in every way. 13-19 You won’t get hurt by some crazy woman with no morals who cheats because nothing is sacred to her; she seems so alluring, but she’ll do you in; she walks a dark, dark path.  Those who go with her never come back. Their doomed. 20-22 So stay on the right path.  Don’t wander off course, because good people will live in a good land and those who stay clean will endure.  But bad people will get kicked out and those who cheat and deceive will be torn away.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation	Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase of Proverbs (PCP) Copyright © 2018 by Chris Mullis