Proverbs is my least favorite book of the Bible

If I'm being honest this particular book of the Bible is my least favorite and it kinda gets on my nerves. (Please keep reading and don't call out heresy and blasphemy quite yet.)

I remember, even as a kid when it was read in my home at family worship, I found it so confusing to try and keep track of all the little snippets in each chapter. To me they seem very disjointed. There's no flow.

Many of the wisdom statements seem outdated and irrelevant to me. And don't get me started on the Proverbs 31 woman. Who really stays up all night taking care of her family just to repeat the process all over the next day? I'm a mom of a four and a half month old boy and I can barely make it through the day when he's had a rough night's sleep. (If you grew up in a Christian church environment and happen to be female you probably have heard your share of Proverbs 31 talks and sermons. I’d love to hear your experiences with this chapter in the comments.)

When it came time in my yearly Bible reading plan to read through several of the chapters in Proverbs I groaned inwardly. (I know some of you are wondering why lightning hasn't struck me yet. I'm kinda thinking the same thing.) But because I’m the kind of person that absolutely loves to check things off to do lists I just couldn’t skip those little boxes that were calling out for me to check them.

So I told myself that there had to be some way to get through this book of the Bible that has just never resonated with me. I challenged myself to find just 1 verse in each chapter that I could glean some wisdom and insight from. Turns out there’s at least one verse, sometimes a few more, that actually made me stop and think for a while. Some were even promises that I actually needed for that day.

Since journaling helps make everything better I wrote each verse out and found some way to apply it to my life that day. I’ve included a few below. I hope that whatever book of the Bible you find yourself struggling to get through, you’re able to find even the tiniest glimmer of applicable wisdom. God is not limited to our inability to connect with certain parts of Scripture. Thankfully He’s so much bigger than that! Be honest with Him and tell Him you’re struggling. I pray that you’ll find the hidden gems in His Word.

Proverbs 10:12b (Amplified Version) - “...But love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking another’s faults.]”

Proverbs 11:8a (New Living Translation) - “The godly are rescued from trouble…”

Proverbs 14:26 (New International Version) - “Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.”

Proverbs 15:3 (International Children’s Bible) - “The Lord’s eyes see everything that happens. He watches both evil and good.”

I’d love to hear what gems of wisdom you’ve found in Proverbs. Does anyone else feel the same as me? (I sure hope so!)