Gratitude of the Grace-Revived [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 20:29–21:3]

For what are spiritually alive people grateful? Proverbs 20:29–21:3 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that spiritually alive people are grateful to be aged, to be chastened by God, to be ruled by God, and to be judged by God. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional centers on the transformative reorientation of values that enables believers to find delight in what pleases God, moving beyond self-justification and fleshly desires. Drawing from Proverbs 20:29–21:3, it emphasizes four sacred graces—aging with wisdom, embracing painful discipline, submitting to God’s sovereign rule, and welcoming divine judgment—as essential to cultivating a heart that desires righteousness and justice over mere ritual. These are not burdens but blessings, reflecting God’s gracious work in sanctifying the believer from within, where true holiness and alignment with His will are cultivated. The passage underscores that human self-assessment is fatally flawed, but when the heart yields to God’s weighing of motives and actions through His Word, the believer is freed from self-deception and empowered to live righteously. Ultimately, the goal is a heart whose deepest joy is not in personal achievement or self-approval, but in doing what is right and just—precisely because God’s pleasure has become the believer’s own.