God Is on the Side of the Wise

Once again we see Proverbs as a book of contrasts.  In the verses below from Proverbs 3 we see a contrast between those whom the Lord is “for” and those whom He is “against”:

Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;  32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
But His secret counsel is with the upright.  33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.  34 Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.  35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

Nationwide Insurance Co. used to have a commercial with the jingle, “Nationwide Is On Your Side”.  It was a very catchy tune and it communicated that the insurance company would be your advocate and in today’s vernacular, “Nationwide has your back”.  In these verses we see how God has “the back” of those who trust Him.  In verse 32 we see that God’s counsel is with the upright.  This is contrasted with the perverse person being an abomination.  Next we see that God’s blessing is on the home of the just.  I don’t know about you, but I want God’s blessing on my home and on my life.  I certainly don’t want any curses coming my way!  Also, I want to receive God’s grace, not His scorn.

Finally, I want to inherit glory, not have a legacy of shame.  How many people can we name who have a “legacy of shame” because they did foolish things?  We can all name athletes, politicians and probably some family members who have tarnished and trashed their legacies through foolish actions.  I think we would all rather have glory on the minds of those who think about us, rather than shame.

God doesn’t take sides when it comes to what insurance company you have, but be confident that when we are following God’s wisdom, “God is on our side”.

In wisdom,
Eric