“When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.”
~ Proverbs 6:22
Hi James and Ellen,
Why are there stops signs? Where are stops signs located? What color is a stop sign? What would happen if your dad did not to stop where there is a stop sign? Sometimes nothing will happen. Sometimes something bad will happen. A stop sign is a warning sign. A stop sign is a red octagonal sign that tells the driver of a vehicle to stop for a couple of seconds to check to see if there are any vehicles passing on the street or the road that he or she is going to turn onto or to cross over and if there are, the driver of the vehicle is to stay stopped until it is safe to enter or to cross the street or the road. If a driver of a vehicle does not stop for a stop sign and there is a vehicle passing on the street or the road that he or she wants to enter or to cross, the driver of the vehicle may cause an accident resulting in injuries or even death. Another thing that might happen is that a policeman might see the driver of the vehicle not stopping. If a policeman sees a driver of a vehicle not stopping for a stop sign, the policeman will stop the driver of the vehicle and he will give the driver of the vehicle a ticket for doing something which is against the law. There is always a consequence for doing something that is illegal to do. Even though it is just a piece of metal that is attached to a metal post that has been stuck into the ground, stop signs are to be always obeyed. Do you have stop signs in your house? Are there things that your ma and dad have told you that you cannot do until you have asked them first? What are some of those things? Can you watch TV anytime you want? Can you turn on the computer whenever you want? The Bible is full of stop signs. God promises you blessings if you obey His stop signs. God lets you know all through the Bible what these stop signs are. What book of the Bible – which has all kinds of stop signs, has your grandpaa been stopped at already a number of times? It is Proverbs. Solomon helps young kids – like you, to grow up knowing what direction to go, how to obey life stop signs and how to be careful around the guys, gals and kids who are on the road who do not want to obey the life road rules that God wants all guys, gals and kids to obey.
Why are there caution signs? Where are caution signs located? What color is a caution sign? A caution sign is a yellow diamond shaped sign that may warn the driver of a vehicle about a curve that is in the road ahead or about a possible slippery bridge ahead or about the possibility of a deer crossing the road ahead or . . . a stop sign tells the driver of a vehicle to stop; a caution sign tells the driver of a vehicle to be careful. Solomon in Proverbs 6 mentions a number of stops signs and caution signs. While your ma or your dad reads you this chapter, make a list of all the things that Solomon tells you that you should not do and all the things that Solomon warns you about. If you did this with every chapter in Proverbs, you would have a very long list. If you always watch for the signs that are along the road and obey them, you will have nothing to worry about. Sometimes a driver may not pay close attention to the warning signs that are along a road. Sometimes a policeman may stop a driver for going faster than what a sign says a car may go. The consequence for driving over the posted speed limit may be a speeding ticket. Your grandmaa and grandpaa were in a car accident about six years ago. The day was a beautiful, bright sunny day. Your grandmaa and grandpaa were driving in their car to Vancouver, British Columbia from Three Hills, Alberta. Your grandmaa and grandpaa had moved the Canadian South American Mission office stuff from Guelph, Ontario to Three Hills. Your grandmaa and grandpaa had spent about two weeks in Three Hills. Your grandmaa had used the time to help the new Canadian South American Mission Executive Director get a handle on how to do the mission bookkeeping. Your grandmaa and grandpaa were driving to Vancouver to help at a display table that they would set up at a missions conference that is held annually in Vancouver. The new Canadian South American Mission Executive Director and his wife were in their car ahead of your grandmaa and grandpaa. Because your grandpaa was driving faster than what he normally drove to keep up with the car that the new Canadian South American Mission Executive Director was driving, your grandpaa missed seeing a caution sign. The caution sign that your grandpaa missed seeing said to watch out for black ice on the road. The highway was very curvy as it went up and down the mountains. When your grandpaa came around a mountain curve that started out in the sun and then went into the shadow of the mountain, your grandpaa knew that he was in trouble. Melted snow had covered the road – and froze. When your grandpaa realized that he was driving on ice, your grandpaa tried to slow down his car but . . . the car that your grandpaa was driving slid into the guard rail. If your grandpaa’s car had slid in the other direction, your grandpaa’s car would have slid into the lanes where cars and trucks were coming up the mountain. Your grandpaa and grandmaa had to spend the next three days in a town in British Columbia while their car was being fixed. Your grandmaa and your grandpaa had to suffer the consequences for your grandpaa not being on the lookout for a caution sign.
Solomon writes in this chapter to tell you to keep your father’s commands and your mother’s teachings. Why? Solomon explains that commands are like lamps and that teachings are like lights. Solomon says in verse 22 “When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you”. Solomon does not want you to do things which God detests or hates. If you are listening to and obeying what your dad is telling you and what your ma is teaching you, you are learning about stop signs and caution signs and every other life sign that there is for you to watch out for to obey. A faithful Christ-follower will want to obey God’s will.
Proverbs 6 (37)