Obedience to God and trust in Him represent the path to happiness. However, in our sinful nature, all of us have a tendency towards self-autonomy. We tend to lean on our own understanding and not God’s for our decision-making. Not only is this morally wrong, but it is personally destructive, leading to anxiety and sadness, and away from a loving relationship with God. In his third lecture, the father tells the son that wisdom, which leads to life, looks like earnest obedience to the Lord’s commands from the heart and wholehearted trust in the Lord. It is through this means that true happiness, peace, and joy are found. In this sermon we learn that God promises happiness to His children who obey Him earnestly and trust Him wholeheartedly, whether in prosperity or pain.
- Obey God earnestly (vv. 1-4)
- Trust God wholeheartedly (vv. 5-8)
- Whether in prosperity or pain (vv. 9-12)