Proverbs 20

Google “Master Your World” and the results will be many—indicating that many suggest we can be masters of our own world.

Can we? 

Today I am struck by the verses that speak specifically to a man’s honor, purpose, conduct, glory, and more…

3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,  but every fool will be quarreling.

5 The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water,  but a man of understanding will draw it out.

6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?

11 Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

29 The glory of young men is their strength,  but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

Yet, lest we think that we are somehow our own Masters…

24 A man's steps are from the Lord;  how then can man understand his way?

Our steps are from the Lord, hmmm.

If our steps are from the Lord, then how can we understand them, let alone master, our own ways? It sounds like, in God’s eyes, we perhaps are not our own masters.

We can “only understand his way” if our hearts seek God’s heart, if we delight in God’s way.

Psalm 37:23: The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;

And…today in Proverbs…

27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.

And so we pray Psalm 119:133: Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.

This is the daily challenge. 

Jesus followers often struggle between grace and law. We are supposed to live knowing God’s love and forgiveness—his grace. We are also supposed to live lives that give glory to God—lives, you might say, as set apart for Him. After all, in Proverbs we have been reading on and on about being righteous.

We simultaneously don’t want to be under the Law, but we want to follow it.

It is amazing to me that there are so many things in life, where we naturally strive, practice, work towards a goal. We often have a master who teaches and encourages us to hone our ability. In the process we don’t beat ourselves up, we simply try again—with the master encouraging us along the way.

Yet when it comes to following Jesus, we often, think we should somehow be able to “master following Jesus” all by ourselves. We strive. We fail. We at times, then beat ourselves up. 

Yet, in many other aspects of our lives, when we fall short, we would assess our progress, press on, with our master’s encouragement—seeking to master whatever it is we are working after.

Let me encourage you to understand Jesus’ great and deep love for you. Your master, the Master, is constantly encouraging you to press on, to understand how He delights in helping your order your steps.

What part of your life is experiencing missteps? Go to the Ultimate Encourager to order your steps.