One of my spiritual mentors recommended to me years ago to read through the Book of Proverbs each month. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs, so I can read a chapter each day of the month. Most of the Book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon early in his reign, and he wrote it to teach his people how to live. He shared that the first step is to trust and revere the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).
Proverbs sets forth God’s principles for living – not living the way a foolish man thinks, but to live wisely. My mentor told me that as I continue to read this month after month and year after year, it would never get old because it would provide a lifetime of working out the implications of each proverb in our daily lives and in our walk with God. I have learned that only God’s wisdom can bring true prosperity, moral purity and guidance in the difficult decisions of everyday life.
As I read Proverbs 25, the following verse stood out,
“It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.”
I love to eat honey, but I also know that if I eat too much, the enjoyment goes away. It is my goal to be aware of balance in the choices I make, not just in what I eat, but what I do, what I accomplish, who I meet, where I go, etc. As the Proverb also says, it is not good for us to focus on what we deserve and what honors we should receive, but rather who we can encourage, who we can bless and who we can serve.
