The gracious lady who is holding forth length of days and riches and honor in her hands, is none less than Wisdom.  Verse fourteen says, Happy is the man that findeth wisdom...  In my mind’s eye I thought of that lady, Wisdom, of the things in her hands, and saw two different possible pictures.  One was of the lady ready to bestow these things on the person who finds her.  As that person approaches this beautiful lady, he sees her hands outstretched and laden with gifts.  They are the gifts that most people would desire above anything: length of days, riches and honor.  Her hands are open and the gifts are for the earnest seeker.  Her delight is to grant those gifts and see the person’s life enriched.  The second picture is of a lady that stands similar to the Statue of Liberty.  Just as the torch in the Statue’s right hand and the book of the Bill of Rights in her left, speak of the emblems of her dignity, character and purpose, so those items in the hand of Wisdom tell the same about her.  Not only are the emblems embodied in Liberty’s character, but they are also held forth as a beacon to all that would enter her harbor.  In Wisdom personified are to be found length of days, riches and honor as part of her very make-up.  These items are held out, shining as beacons, to all who would follow the Light of the Lord.  They are the very things that would send someone fleeing from the darkness of the oppression of sin and the world, into the glorious light of God’s kingdom.  They are not temporal, or corruptible, but items of great eternal value.  Some people would view length of days as meaning just a long life on this earth and in our earthly bodies, but I think it has a much deeper meaning than that.  When I was first diagnosed with the illness that I have, the doctor warned us that there was the possibility that I would not live through the first weeks.  I was only 31 years old with three young children and had expected a much longer life span.  But as I prayed about it, I realized that my length of days was in the Lord’s hands.  He had total control, and the appointed time of my departure was His decision.  I could rest in that, knowing that His choice was best for me and for my family.  The blessing of length of days to me became not old age and a long life on earth, but fullness of blessing in the length of days He had personally for me, and the promise of eternal length of days in Heaven forever.  Only the saved, those who have come to possess God’s eternal wisdom, have such a marvelous gift.  Many in the world have the elusive dream of an old age where they have the fountain of youth at their disposal.  They certainly would not envision illness or aging as part of the picture.  Yet in God’s plan and Wisdom’s dignity, even the true picture of aging can be filled with blessing.  No matter how our body changes or what circumstances are brought to bear, if God is the focal point, He is our source of peace and comfort.  A life that is centered upon the Lord Jesus Christ, is a life that is full.  Likewise, the world views riches and honor in a different light than the truth that we can only find in God’s wisdom.  The view of the world is most often totally selfish and materialistic, corruptible and temporary in view of eternity.  But God’s riches, which can be found in following after Wisdom, can never rust or tarnish, and will not only bless us personally but all those around us.  His riches are riches of the heart and soul that no one can steal away.  Even if the world takes all that we own, they can never break in and rob the true riches that mark a faithful child of God.  The honor God gives to us is also a mark of that faithful follower.  On earth, He will grant us respect of others and the valued self respect that can only come when we walk in righteousness.  Then in Heaven, He will reward the good and faithful servant with eternal honor.  All the saved will be honored as joint heirs with Christ, a position that is the highest any human could ever attain.  The honor and notoriety that the world would desire can be tainted with the striving and sin that some would use to gain it, but God’s honor is pure and unblemished, a total blessing.  Truly, happy is the man that takes Wisdom’s gifts.  May we seek the eternal today, and make conscious choices between the lesser values of the world and the greater values that Wisdom holds forth.

The "her" in this verse is the personification of Wisdom found in Proverbs chapter three.  We could read this verse: "Wisdom’s ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."  In Jesus Christ is all wisdom.  When we follow His plan for our life and walk in the Spirit each day, we will be treading in pleasant pathways and be filled with peace.  There is a beautiful Christian song that includes the phrase, "In pleasant places, Jesus leads me."  In my early marriage, when my husband was away from the Lord, I found wonderful comfort in the verses of Isaiah that speak of these pleasant places as God’s promise to the woman who is grieved in spirit in her marriage, and yet is still trusting the Lord (Isaiah 54:6).  In the midst of her trials, God gives her a tremendous comfort in carefully telling of His care: O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.  And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.  And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.  In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. (Isaiah 54:11-14)  In these lovely verses, God paints a picture of the spiritual house that we can live in, despite our earthly situation, if we are allowing the Lord to be the focus of our life.  Notice in the words of promise are found, pleasant places and peace.  God’s ways are always the ways of pleasantness.  No matter what pleasures the world may try to offer, they can never match the true and lasting pleasantness found in Christ.  Since pleasantness carries the idea of being agreeable to us, this part of wisdom’s rewards is very interesting.  While some try to teach that the life of a Christian is one of drudgery and solemnity at all times, where one must follow a rigid set of do’s and don’ts, the Scripture says that the way of the Christian is one that is full of pleasing thoughts, actions and feelings; that it is totally agreeable and enjoyable to those that follow Wisdom’s ways.  When we do follow in those pathways, we will find that our minds are not weighed down with guilt, indecisiveness or fear.  With the absence of all those negative emotions, feelings of pleasure can be well understood.  Also all of Wisdom’s paths are peace.  Not only does initially following Wisdom’s pathway in salvation lead to peace with God, but daily walking on that same path gives deep peace within our soul.  In our modern world, lack of peace is one of the greatest maladies of mankind.  Only God can give the true peace in our hearts that we need so desperately.  There are so many verses dealing with the peace of the believer, let these few encourage you today: Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. (Psalm 119:65)  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)  ...then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. (Isaiah 54:13)  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

If there is ever any doubt that the Wisdom talked about in Proverbs chapter three is a description of the Lord Jesus Christ, then surely this verse speaks for itself, for only in Christ is true life to be found.  The Tree of Life was first spoken of in the Bible as being in the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve seemed to have free access to that tree, but because they chose to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the way was barred to the Tree of Life.  Satan told them that they would have his concept of "wisdom," knowing good from evil.  Eve took of the fruit because as she looked upon the tree she saw it as a tree to be desired to make one wise. (Genesis 3:6)  She gained a knowledge in eating of the tree, but it was one of sin and death.  Obedience to the Lord could have led to joy and life.  Even today the "wisdom" of the world still offers death to our soul.  The knowledge of the world says that there is no God, that man determines his own destiny, that sin is not really sin, and that we have the right to pursue what is right in our own eyes.  All those ways lead to destruction.  The true wisdom of God is so far above that of the world that it can not even be compared.  We know with a certainty that true wisdom comes from the Lord Himself.  In Christ, wisdom is the Tree of Life.  That which was barred from man’s access in the Garden, is now made freely available to everyone who would come to Jesus in salvation.  It seems that Adam and Eve may have only looked upon the tree of true beauty, the Tree of Life, in the Garden.  But we do not have to merely look, we can freely eat.  If you are saved, the day of your salvation was the day you "laid hold upon her."  Godly wisdom is a precious thing.  Not only does it deal with us in salvation, but it is available to us everyday of our Christian life.  It is sad to say that there are many Christians who fail to "retain" wisdom in their daily lives.  After being saved and starting down the pilgrim pathway, they are waylaid and start to follow the ways of the world.  Godly wisdom becomes foreign to them and they foolishly turn their backs on it.  They are certain to lose the happiness and joy that can only come by retaining God’s wisdom in their everyday life.  The Christian can never lose the promise of the Tree of Life, but true happiness can be lost in a moment of foolishness.  Think seriously today.  Are there any areas where you have failed to follow God’s wisdom in your daily life.  Are there any areas where you are following the wisdom of the world instead?  Hand those areas over to the Lord, ask for His sweet victory and realize that the only true happiness to be found in this life is the joy of walking in God’s wisdom, being led by His Spirit.  I can think of case after case where people we knew followed the advise of the world that seemed to make sense in their situation, even if it was contrary to God’s Word and to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  In every case there was eventual sadness and regret.  Even if the world’s "Tree of Knowledge" seems to beckon to you, remember that it is all a deception.  God’s ways are always the ways of life and happiness, even through trials.  Stay on the right road!  Lay hold on the Tree of Life and hold fast!  Enjoy her sweet fruit.  It is life to your soul and joy to your spirit.

Solomon is warning his son not to let wisdom and discretion depart from thine eyes. (Proverbs 3:21)  He knew that if his son constantly followed after those two important attributes, then he would be able to walk safely in the pathway that God had chosen for him, without fear of stumbling.  I have heard many a sweet Christian pray that they will not be a stumbling block to others, and that is a good prayer.  Perhaps we should also pray that we will not be a stumbling block to ourselves by departing from God’s wisdom and discretion in our decisions and judgment.  It is when we do this departing, even if only for a short moment of time, that we find we have stumbled in life’s pathway and we need to cry out to the Lord for His help to pick us up and start us on our way again.  Life is like a long pathway spread before us.  Each of us has to walk on our pathway.  The question is whether we will fall prey to the dangers of the path.  The Holy Spirit is there to be our Guide and constant Companion.  God the Father has promised to uphold us with His right hand and the Lord Jesus has gone on before as our Leader, forging the way.  The greatest dangers come not from the temptations of Satan or the urgings of the world and the flesh, but from failing to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, in letting them depart from...wisdom and discretion.  No matter what side paths may present themselves or what allurements may beckon us off the path, if we have our spiritual sights on the Lord, we will be safe.  Everyday we live in the midst of physical danger.  On the roadways, cars drive by at great speeds and split second decisions are being made in each vehicle that could spell life and death for us.  The dangers are real, but we drive on anyway.  In our homes, there are hundreds of electrical wires, faults in which could lead to a fire, and yet we go soundly to sleep each night.  We are trusting, in the midst of danger, for our safety.  In the spiritual world, it is the same.  All around us are hidden dangers, yet we can have an even greater confidence in the safety that the Lord provides.  Not only has He promised to lead us safely home, but He has offered the provision for daily safety on life’s pathway, if we will follow Him.  It is not the dangers of physical or emotional injury we are talking about here, but those of the spirit.  We are not to fear what men can do to our bodies, but be concerned with the health of our soul.  No matter what trials may befall us, God can say to us, "Sweet child of mine, do not fear, though the way be rocky, I will hold you up in your spirit."  Years ago when I was teaching school there was a young girl who always seemed afraid of participating in games where we ran.  She was normally graceful but when she ran she would became quite concerned and, therefore, was a little ungainly.  One day I talked to her about this and discovered that one time she had fallen quite badly and become hurt in such a game and now she was afraid of stumbling again.  She could not run with confidence any race that was set before her.  It took a lot of encouragement and prayer on both our parts, but she finally overcame her fear and became a graceful young woman.  Many of us have fallen in the real race of life, and the Devil whispers to us that we might stumble again.  For that reason, many Christians become bench warmers in life.  They even will tell others that they don’t want to get involved.  It is usually for fear of stumbling again or being hurt.  We must not listen to the deceitful whispers of the devil, when God has spoken to us in clear, strong terms: [Follow my ways] and thy foot will not stumble.  He will encourage us on our journey and the Holy Spirit will pray for us each step of the way.  In Ephesians 6:15, God offers to us the protection our feet need to walk safely along that pathway.  We can have our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.  One of my sons had a foot that turned in when he was a baby.  Every time that he would try to walk as a toddler, that foot would trip him and he would stumble and fall.  We even have pictures of his "first steps" and they all show him falling.  When he reached a certain weight and age, the doctor had him fitted for orthopedic shoes.  He only needed one pair.  With the strengthening of the proper foot shodding, he found confidence and success in walking.  After that, we needed only be certain that he had strong and proper shoes to walk in and high top shoes for athletic wear.  As toddler Christians, God wants to equip us with His special prescription shoes to strengthen our steps and give us confidence and success on the Christian pathway.  We find that prescription in preparing our hearts spiritually in the Gospel of His peace.  Not only do we need to share it with others, but we need to have it firmly engraved in our hearts and minds, realizing that all God’s promises in the Gospel are Yeah, and Amen to those that follow Him.  I know that you want to walk life’s pathways safely and without stumbling.  There is only one way, and that is to never depart from God’s wisdom and discretion.

Have you ever been overly burdened by a load of care and found that when you tried to go to sleep, you could not.  God’s Word has this sweet verse of personal comfort for each one of us.  Though God never sleeps and never slumbers, He knows our need, not only of physical sleep, but emotional rest that will allow that sleep to be sweet.  What a kind rebuke this thought is for those that say that if there is a God, He could not possibly be concerned with us personally.  Our God knows every need of our life, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  He not only cares, but provides the way for every need to be met.  When we lie down to rest, we need to have confidence in God's watchcare.  Though we can be watchful and maintain self defense mechanisms when we are awake, once we fall asleep most of our own defenses are asleep with us.  Even an animal must feel like he is in a place of protection from possible enemies before he can fall asleep.  Little babies must feel the security of being held with love and care before they can fall asleep peacefully.  God promises us that when we as His children lie down to rest, we can do so without fear.  We need have no fear of the enemy of our souls, the devil, for he has no rights to our soul whether we are awake or asleep.  That battle and vigilance is not ours but the Lord’s.  But we also do not have need to carry the fears of the trials of the day into our rest.  Each night we can peacefully lay our head on our pillow if we have given to the Lord the cares of our heart in prayer.  Jesus always invites us to cast our burdens on Him, for He cares for us and has greater ability to handle our cares than we could ever utilize on our own.  God invites us to be relatively fearless in areas of spiritual need.  Many of the writers of the Scriptures found this to be true: Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid... (Isaiah 12:2)  Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear... (Psalm 27:3)  The Lord is on my side; I will not fear... (Psalm 118:6)  Because of these promises of security in God’s Word, we can have more than just sleep, our sleep can be sweet.  Many worried people go to bed at night and have fitful, troubled sleep filled with nightmares and many awakenings.  But the sleep of a trusting Christian can be filled with pleasant dreams and refreshing slumber.  In an eternal sense, also, our lying down will be done without fear, and what the ancients called sleep (or death) will be sweet.  We never need fear when death draws near.  God will safely guide us over to Victory’s shore and there our eternal peaceful state will be sweet indeed.  There is no time that a Christian should feel that he is without the watch care of His protector and Lord.  God has even given His angels charge over us.  Because all of this might and power is constantly working on our behalf, we can have confidence and freedom from overpowering fear that would cause our sleep to flee from us.  Whatever in your life could cause you to lose sleep tonight, whether it be small or large in seeming importance, turn it over to the Lord today.  This casting of our burdens is not a casual thing, but should involve real heartfelt prayer and claiming of God’s promises.  He promises absence of fear, real comfort and peace, and the sweet sleep that can only come to those who truly trust the Lord and follow after His wisdom and discretion.

Throughout most of the Locket Verses that we have studied so far, the Bestower of blessing has always been the Lord.  Now God gives us a command that also carries with it the privilege of being a blessing bestower as a co-laborer together with God.  Immediately after a marvelous series of personal comfort and promise for those who follow after God’s wisdom, the Lord, through Solomon, gives us a section of personal responsibility verses.  When we recognize God’s goodness to us, we will be able to perform the responsibilities of the Christian life in truth and integrity.  Our service to God and to one another should always be motivated by gratitude for what He has done for us and Who He is as Lord of our lives.  This verse tells us not to withhold good from those who deserve that good we can give to them.  Verse 28 illustrates this command: Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.  This sounds just like the Lord Jesus preaching to our hearts.  Self and the devil would never tell us to reach out to others in love and sharing.  They would tell us to hoard our goods and be selfish of our time.  "Think of number one," "take care for yourself," are just some of their mottos.  But the Lord says to us, be bestowers of good, remembering the goodness done to you by the Lord.  I wonder how many times the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts to do something for someone else and we turn deaf spiritual ears.  God wants us to learn that we have a marvelous opportunity as Christians to minister to others.  When we see someone that has a need and we are able to fill that need, God says we must do it.  Interestingly enough, God has given two conditions of this matter.  The first is found in the person of need and the second in us.  We are not to withhold good to them to whom it is due.  This raises some very strong moral issues.  We must always remember that God holds us responsible to first care for the needs of the saved.  In modern day "social gospel" churches this fact would never be preached.  Instead, on Sunday morning, we would be hearing sermons on feeding the homeless and giving money to help social causes.  Now these may be good and worthy causes in themselves, but we must never forget our primary responsibility to care for those to whom it is due.  Too many people can make their consciences light by giving money to help those that they never meet, and yet they will heartlessly pass up the needs of those that are their neighbors and friends.  God tells us to get involved, to know the needs of those around you and make certain that they are due your help.  We must carefully follow the Holy Spirit’s leading on this.  We must be wise stewards of our goods, and yet generous givers to those who are in need and who are the ones God wants us to aid.  When we were missionaries in the inner city, we sadly found that there were those who were professional beggars preying upon churches.  They always had several things in common: they used deception and agreed upon lies to gain sympathy, they always wanted something more than you had to give, and they were never willing to work for themselves.  After being taken one time too many, we took a hard look at the situation and realized that many of our own people who were sincerely following the Lord had great needs.  We coveted together as a church that no one in our own fellowship would ever have a need unmet if we were given the ability to meet it.  That is the second condition: when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.  Often times we will hear of a need and we know that we are unable to meet it for another person.  Perhaps they have the need of a certain amount of money, or of a job, and that is not in our ability to provide.  We must still not neglect the opportunity to minister in prayer.  As we pray for the need, God will provide through another who is able to meet it.  Once we were able to meet a twenty dollar need in a missionary friend’s life.  At the time we only had $27.  The next week we had a several hundred dollar need.  It took that friend’s prayers and the gift of a wealthy lady from Texas whom we had never met, to meet that need.  God will give each of us ample opportunities to minister to others if we allow Him to keep our hearts sensitive to their needs.  It may not be money, it may be encouragement or a personal love gift, but we must be willing to "do it."

This beautiful verse is another one of my "starred in the margin" verses!  God is talking about you and me in this verse.  He is saying that if we live our lives as the just children of God, that our example will be like shining lights giving forth light to others more and more until the day that Jesus comes to be the True and visible Light on earth for all to see.  It is often said that each one of us is the best example of a Christian that someone will ever meet.   What a great responsibility we have to represent the Lord Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star, in the best light possible.  All around us are those who are looking for the light to follow and we have the opportunity to shine forth each day.  We need to sing with the children: "This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine, All the time!"  It is this shining that can be the witness to lead others to Christ.  Once I was walking on a city side walk in the full light of day.  I saw two broken places in the cement and easily avoided them.  But then, just ahead, there was a tree that cast deep shadows on the pathway.  There the concrete was broken also and jutting up at an angle.  I did not see it for the shadows on the way.  The jutting fissure tripped me and down I came.  Perhaps I was not careful enough, perhaps I did not heed the warning, but it was the darkness that ruined my perfect day!  If someone had been with me, holding a light to the path, I would have been forewarned.  If one who was stronger than I had been holding my hand, I might not have tumbled.  If I had not let the darkness of the shadows of life obscure my pathway, it would have remained lit all along, as the light still shown through the leafy patterns of the tree.  For ourselves, we must keep our focus on the One true source of eternal Light who alone will be able to light our path, even through the darkness of troubling times.  He will light our way and hold our hand through the darkness.  But we do not walk this life pathway alone.  God places others along that path, because He entrusts us with a great and honorable job position.  It is given to us to be a guide to the Source of eternal truth, the Light that is found only in Christ.  It is our responsibility to hold out that Light for others to see the right way to walk, whether they be the lost who need the Light of salvation's truth, or the saved who can stumble along the way without the helping hand of another who knows the source of comfort and help found in God's Word.  To be such a guide, we must keep our vessels clean and well lit for the Light of Christ to shine through for others to see.  After all it is the Just One who forgives, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)  Self must be placed in the hands of He who is to be our All in all.  Sins must be confessed and washed away, as we would daily cleanse the inside of the glass surrounding a lantern, which has been smudged with the smoke and fog of the day.  Truly we must be just and following the Just One, Christ.  How can we be just, when we know that our heart is bent on self and following deceitful paths of the world?  Wonder of wonders, the major work is not our own!  For we are declared "just" in Christ at salvation!  The saved are those who are part of the church of the firstborn,...the spirits of just men made perfect [in Christ]. Hebrews 12:23  The Lord is the Just One!  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. Deuteronomy 32:4  In Christ, we have the amazing privilege to be known as just ones.  Tremendous blessings and promises are ours in this privilege.  Blessings are upon the head of the just... Proverbs 10:6, The memory of the just is blessed... Proverbs 10:7, The tongue of the just is as choice silver... Proverbs 10:20, The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom... Proverbs 10:31  We have been given the Just One as our Source and Bestower, and along with that gift comes the responsibility to continue to walk in His Just ways.  How well that applies to our verse of the day.  This verse also holds another illustration that is precious and beautiful to each believer.  It says that the pathway of the just (the saved) is as a shining light for us to walk in.  Imagine your personal pathway of life stretching out in front of you, well lit and glowing so that you have no difficulty knowing the way in which you should walk.  All around, the pathways of the world lie in darkness, yet the more you walk on your pathway and follow the Lord, the brighter it shines until you meet the Giver of Light and Life at the end of your pathway.  What a marvelous promise!  This picture is confirmed by the next verse (4:19): The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.  Let us never forget that there is a profound difference between being lost and saved.  The unsaved can not even tell what is causing them to stumble.  Their pathway is not lit and they lie in perpetual darkness.  We must realize our great responsibility to shed light on their pathway and bring them out of darkness into God’s marvelous Light.  A verse that really challenged my heart as a missionary was Isaiah 59:9, speaking of the cry of the lost: ...We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.  Their plight was hopeless without one to bring them the light of the Gospel.  Let us never forget that God has given us great light on our pathway and desires that we shed that Light abroad for others to see the way to God and His marvelous salvation ,so that they too can walk in marvelous paths of light.