“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.14.4.ESV Progress is messy. Action is messy. Success, regardless of which kind, financial, spiritual, athletic, is not a neat or tidy enterprise. Build a great big beautiful house and for every hour of work done you will have 15 minutes of cleanup to do. Oxen are big powerful animals. They can make life on a plot of land much more efficient than the work of a person or even a small group of people. They work hard and steadily and can pull a plow or a wagon with ease. Because they work hard they need to eat to keep up their energy. They need lots of water to stay hydrated. Just like people. And just like people they need to, shall we say, relieve themselves. That’s not pretty. Now just think about the mess a few oxen make. More progress equals more mess. But even the mess of oxen can be useful as fertilizer. Consider the amount of food produced with the oxen compared to simple human efforts. Someone who wants to avoid mess won’t buy an ox. But he will never feed himself or his family, let alone many in his community. Consider never allowing the mess of relationships or the hassle of getting yourself to church. How would I ever use the gifts God has given to use in the church if I’m never there? How can we ever uphold a brother or sister if we don’t go through the “hassle” of taking time to listen to them and help them. Comfort is nice and rest is good, but the work the Lord has for us is much greater. Yes, it can be messy, but the mess proves you have the sense to have an ox, and the mess can also inform us that the Lord is indeed using us for his glory.

“My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.6.20-22.ESV When we are young we tend to listen to our parents, but as we grow a bit we start to feel our independence and push back against their instruction. We test and we see how far we can go. Some of us had very strict parents and some had lax. As we grow we tend to remember some of those rules that we fought against. Maybe not all, but most of these were meant to protect us and help us to grow up wisely. The older I get the more strongly I believe that the rules laid down by my parents were very wise and given with intended love. So much better is the instructions of Godly parents. Godly parents instruct with biblical precepts and are worth more than gold. We can learn to let God instruct us daily if we read and follow his word. What is one rule that you had growing up that you will never forget? For me, it was that we always prayed before meals. We still do that to this day.

This is very nice. Thank you.

Hello everyone I'm new here