A God Shaped Life

DAY 9- Proverbs 11

Beginning with today's passage, Proverbs provides a contrast between righteousness and wickedness. This will continue for the next 14 chapters, so it appears wi'll have a "theme" for the next two weeks.

There were a couple of verses that stood out to me today, but the main one was verse 28. It says, "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." In the Message translation this reads, "A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree." So often I find my focus in life has become the quest for material possessions (or, things). My interests, hobbies, and recreations are definitely centered on 'things' (movies, cars, computers, gadgets...). I think it's OK to have things and enjoy them, as long as things and the desire to accumulate things doesn't pre-occupy us.

Devotion to God and His plan will keep our focus correct and turn us into a flourishing tree. Instead of being caught up in my own pursuits, I like the idea of letting God shape my life (including my interests and recreations). I want Him to transform me into something strong and solid, a provider of shade and a place for the weary to seek comfort and rest, a shelter to others, and a bearer of fruit.