1 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water     that he channels toward all who please him.2 A person may think their own ways are right,     but the Lord weighs the heart.3 To do what is right and just     is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—     the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit     as surely as haste leads to poverty.6 A fortune made by a lying tongue     is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.REFLECTIONSWritten by Gus CameronWe were making pancakes one morning, we had all the Tupperware boxes of ingredients out, but I didn’t look closely enough at the boxes because, instead of adding 2 tablespoons of sugar, I added 2 tablespoons of baking powder! It was only a small detail, but let’s just say that the pancakes should not have tasted like that... small details matter!I wonder if we ever think that God is only concerned about the big “spiritual” details in our lives, but that the everyday things don’t matter as much to him? Like many of the proverbs, these 6 verses seem like a random mix of ideas, but in that randomness we see how God is concerned for every detail of our lives.Many of these proverbs are exactly what we would expect. Verse 1 reminds us how important it is for the rulers of the world, in all their power and greatness, to submit themselves to God, so that they will be a blessing to their people. Verses 2 and 3 remind us that God expects us all to do “what is right and just”. It makes sense then when verse 4 says that pride and arrogance produce sin, and verse 6 warns that we’ll always be caught out when we lie. But what’s the deal with verse 5?! Be diligent, that is, work hard; and don’t be hasty, that is, take your time. It seems like good advice, the kinds of things that our parents might have said to us 100 times when we were growing up, but is that the kind of detail in my life that God’s worried about? I guess that this seemingly random mix of proverbs shows us that every detail is important to God. Even while God warns us about good and evil, he is also telling us how to make a good living and avoid poverty.Let’s give thanks that God does want good things for us.Let’s ask God to help us live every detail of our lives well, and in a way that honors him.ABOUT THE AUTHORGus is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations and is enjoying the longer evenings and warmer days of spring.