The book of Proverbs is where I think we should go next. The book of Proverbs, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was written by Solomon, and they cover a wide range of topics… including youth and discipline, family life, self-control and resisting temptations, business matters, words and the tongue, having a relationship with God, marriage, seeking truth, seeking wealth, poverty, immorality, and wisdom. Within Proverbs, there are so many things we need to know to be able to navigate this life, giving us practical insights and examples of how to live according to godly wisdom.
The plan is to go through each one of these 31 proverbs. We’ll read and listen to thoughts and lessons from the world’s wisest man, and apply these truths to our lives. We can’t just read these proverbs, the time is now to act upon them! ***But of course things can always change direction because God’s in charge***
We’ll start with Proverbs 1, taken from The New Living Translation…
“These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline. To help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.
Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1: 1-7
One of the most annoying types of people is “the know-it-all.” I bet you know one. The know-it-all has a dogmatic opinion about everything. It’s either their way or the highway, they resent discipline, and they refuse to be open to or to learn anything. Solomon calls this kind of person a fool! Instead of being a know-it-all, we have to be open to the advice of others, especially those who know us well and can give valuable insight and counsel. And this is HUGE… since most of us are hardheads… Learn to learn from others! By doing that you can save yourself a lot of heartache. I’m definitely one of the hardheads who has been there and done that (been there many of times, before I learned).
In our world, knowledge is plentiful but wisdom is scarce. Wisdom means so much more than simply knowing a lot; wisdom affects every aspect of our lives. We just read that the foundation of wisdom is to fear the Lord-to live in awe of Him, and to honor and respect Him. The Bible is telling us point blank, that Faith in God should be the thing that controls our understanding the world. If you trust in God… He is the One who will make you truly wise.