UNCONDITIONAL LOVE WITH SOME CONDITIONAL PROMISES

September 14, 2017

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE WITH SOME CONDITIONAL PROMISES

Proverbs 3:1-12

Amanda Ritchie

Central Truth

God's Word is filled with promises for us. But some of them require action on our part. Every required action calls us into a closer relationship with God and helps us to ultimately be more like Jesus.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart

1 My son, do not forget my 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 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
    bind them around your neck;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success^{1

3:4
Or 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 straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh^{2

3:8
Hebrew navel}
    and refreshment^{3

3:8
Or medicine} to your bones.

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.

11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.

Footnotes

[1] 3:4 Or repute
[2] 3:8 Hebrew navel
[3] 3:8 Or medicine

When my oldest daughter was a newborn, it was routine for me to scour the web at all hours of the night to find the magic solution to get my baby to stop crying and sleep all night (spoiler alert: there is not one). This dependence on myself to figure everything out and have a perfect baby led to a struggle with anxiety. As I am writing this, my youngest daughter is a newborn. The same challenges have presented themselves again, but now I choose to trust God’s promise given to us in Proverbs 3:5-6: He will make straight our paths.

This promise has conditions that must first be met: we are to trust Him entirely, not depending on our own understanding, but acknowledging Him in everything. When seemingly unsolicited crying ensues, I surrender to Him in prayer, admit that I have no idea how to get through this alone, and trust in the path He has laid out for us. This does not mean a solution will instantly be provided or that the crying will stop automatically, but leaning on Him in these times of discomfort brings great peace when it is otherwise hard to find (Isaiah 26:3).

Conditional promises are sprinkled throughout Scripture—always for our best and His glory. John 15:7 tells us that whatever we wish will be done for us, but only if we abide in Christ and His Word abides in us. Jesus instructs us in Matthew 6:14-15 that if we forgive others, our Heavenly Father will forgive us. And in Romans 10:9, we are reminded that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. This is arguably the best promise of all.

God does not put conditions on His promises because He expects us to work to earn His favor and blessing. And our works can never earn our salvation. It is a grace gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). But each condition encourages us to deepen our faith and dependence on Him. These actions help align our will with His and ultimately make us more like Him (Ephesians 5:1).

1. Why doesn’t God just make our paths straight from the beginning? Why must we endure hardships and times of uncertainty?

2. What are the areas in your life where you’re depending on your own understanding? What kind of results are you achieving?

3. What are other conditional promises God makes in His Word? Who around you needs to hear about one of these promises?

4. What promises has God fulfilled in your life? What promises do you still have to look forward to being fulfilled (e.g., 1 John 2:24-25)? What promises do you need to cling to today?