Proverbs 15: 10-11

10​ Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined; whoever hates correction will die. 

It is very difficult to follow a path where the end is unclear. You don’t know where you are going and you don’t know what’s going to happen. God has planned out such a unique and incredible pathway for each and every one of us. We can’t know what is in store for us on this journey with Him, but he invites us to follow him anyway. He invites us to trust him with everything we are and to allow him to lead us along the path he has designed for us, and all the whole, we learn to grow closer and and closer to Him.

11 Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the LORD. How much more does he know the human heart! 

God created and perfected every single detail of you. He carefully placed every freckle on your face and every hair on your head. He knows you like a painter knows his own work of art. Even though we will go through trials and seasons that we don’t think we can overcome, he is there for us. He knows where we are and he knows what we are experiencing because he planned it that way. He knows your heart better than any human on this earth ever could. When you allow him to reign over your circumstances, he guides you along the path he created for you.

12​ Mockers hate to be corrected, so they stay away from the wise. 

No one wants to know that what they are doing is wrong. The truth is, it is very easy to hate being corrected. If we go through life avoiding correction for a fear of what we may look like if people know that we make mistakes, we are in store for a lot of disappointment. It is so important to allow ourselves the opportunity to be better. We aren’t perfect and we will never be perfect. We have to learn to accept that and just keep moving forward. We are going to make mistakes and it’s important that in those moments, we grow closer to the wise and those who may be able to get us back on track.

Proverbs 14:14-15

14 Backsliders get what they deserve; good people receive their reward.

This verse all goes back to the simple fact that we, as Christians, are called to love others. If we don’t love others, we are missing the point! It is not about all the good works that we can do or all the praise that we can receive. We are simply called to love people.

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.1​Corinthians​1​3:3​

Good people are rewarded for that way that they live and the way that they love people. Backsliders are the ones that miss the point. Backsliders get too caught up in trying to please everyone and always trying to do good, that they forget to love their neighbor.

15​ Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps.

It is very easy for us to make our own decisions and do whatever we think is right, but along the way, we can get so caught up in what w​e w​ant and we forget to allow God to lead us. The reality is, we can’t know what is best for us because we can’t see the finish line. Only God knows what we truly need and he will guide our steps. It is easy for us to take advice from the wrong people and to make decisions based on what someone said, but only God knows the whole story. We shouldn’t just keep taking steps without even thinking about it. We must pray and ask God lead us onto his path for us. He will be our guide.

Proverbs 13:9-10

9 The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.

It is so easy for us to feel overwhelmed and almost drowning in darkness. I think we tend to forget that when we put our hope in God, he takes away the darkness and makes us the light. That doesn’t mean that all of our problems will suddenly go away and we will never hurt again, but it enables us to make it out unscathed. That light and that joy that we find in God is the light and joy that helps us get through the trials and the tough moments that may happen in our lives. He is sovereign over all of our troubles, and with him, all the darkness fades away.

10​ Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.

It’s difficult to allow others to advise us or to give us words of wisdom. We like to think we have it all figured out and that we don’t need any help from others. There is a universal misunderstanding that asking for help is an indicator that we don’t have it all together. The reality of it is, we don’t have it all together and we will probably never have it all together. AND THAT IS OK! Sometimes we need the opinion of someone on the outside looking in because they will have a fresh perspective that we may never have been able to see on our own. Sometimes we just need the advice of someone who has been through it already and has learned from their mistakes. And sometimes we just need to hear that whatever it is that we are going through is not the end and that we are capable of getting through it. Allow others to advise you and to let you see the world from their perspective. You never know what you might be missing out on if you forget to open your eyes.