To Despise Or To Revere?

Proverbs 13:13, "Whoever despises the word bring destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded."

The commands and ways and advice and instructions of God can be marginialized, ignored, trampled upon, thrown away, misunderstood, and disobeyed. Or, these things can be treasured, guarded, obeyed, followed, understood, and placed in the most central, or highest, place in our hearts and minds. In short, the word of God can be despised or revered. The former leads to destruction, and the latter to reward.

Woe to me when I despise the word of God! Jesus, in Mark 7:6-13, accuses the religious leaders of this very thing, "...in vain do [the religious leaders] worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men...You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!...[you make] void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."

May the traditions of man never be elevated at the expense of the commandments of God. One way leads to destruction; the other way leads to reward.