Hello! Hope all is well with you and your family. God and His word can help us through many challenges. Let's look at some encouragement in Proverbs 3: 1-8:

"1 My son, do not forget my teaching, And may your heart observe my commandments, 2 Because they will add many days And years of life and peace to you. 3 Do not let loyal love and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; Write them on the tablet of your heart; 4 Then you will find favor and good insight In the eyes of God and man. 5 Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, And do not rely on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways take notice of him, And he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not become wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad. 8 It will be a healing to your body And refreshment for your bones."

Verses 1-2: Notice we're to observe God's commandments with our heart. What a good reminder that we can take information into our mind, but to truly benefit, we must ponder how we can truly use it to benefit others and ourselves to make it a part of us, to reach our heart. We should see the rewards, good consequences of observing God's commands, perhaps also the sadness and distress caused by one disobeying God, that we may hate what is bad. Here a general reward is mentioned for obeying God, doing so adds "many days and years of life and peace."

Verses 3-4: Next, loyal love and faithfulness are to affect everything we say, and are to be written on our hearts, affecting our very motives in all we do. Faithfulness inspires us to be persons of integrity, practicing God's righteousness, being true to Him under trial and test, recalling that "God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation He will make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it." (1Corinthians 10:13). Proverbs 20:6 says "Many men proclaim their loyal love, but who can find a faithful man?" Let's appreciate both: true loyal love and faithfulness, to God and others. One reward is you "will find favor and good insight in the eyes of God and man."

Verses 5-6: A favorite verse of many. Look for God's direction, through his word and prayer, not simply relying on our past experience or our own understanding of things. We should be ready to adjust our thinking when we see good reason for doing so, especially when the truth from God's word corrects us. Jehovah, by his word, can make our paths straight, helping us remain on the road of eternal life, without turning to the right or left. In 'all of our ways,' or in everything we do, we are to seek God's direction, His way of doing things. How we benefit from God's wise guidance!

Verses 7-8: By humbling ourselves and seeking God's direction, fearing to displease Him, we avoid pridefully relying on ourselves, and seeking our own glory, leading to selfishness or self-centeredness. Seeking God's honor as ones representing Him as true Christians, we unselfishly seek true love having concern for others and their welfare, and reap true happiness in our life.

Psalm 44 (Book 2, psalm 3) recounts God's powerful acts bringing Israel into the Promised land. Verse 3 says "It was not by their own sword that they took possession of the land, and their own arm did not bring them victory. Rather, it was by your right hand and your arm and the light of your face, for you took pleasure in them." God was able to protect all faithful Israelites fighting against those whom God had condemned, and their enemies, seeing them to victory. What a powerful God Jehovah proved himself to be! Now verse 4 applies to true Christians: "You are my King, O God; Command complete victory for Jacob." Galatians 6:16 says "As for all those who walk orderly by this rule of conduct, peace and mercy be upon them, yes, upon the Israel of God." True Christians, observing Christ's commands, following his example in humbly serving Jehovah, seeking His honor, truly having the faith of Abraham, these comprise the "Israel of God." May we become united in the true Christian faith, as 1Corinthians 1:10 says, "Now I urge you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you should all speak in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you may be completely united in the same mind and in the same line of thought." Let's make time to consider the way of true Christianity, from God's inspired word, each day, that true Christians may become united worldwide in serving God through Christ.