Wisdom Wednesday

I thought it might be nice to do a post every Wednesday titled, what else? Wisdom Wednesday!! If you are like me, you struggle with daily decisions, well daily. What better way to gain insight than to seek the one who can grant that wisdom. So I will be posting up scriptures from Proverbs on Wednesdays. I have learned to not depend on my own understanding because leaning on myself, I can be led astray very quickly. If I had spent a little more time on my knees and not being arrogant enough to think I could handle my own life myself, then I wouldn't be in the situation I am in now. You feel me? So, let's get started. No better place to start than chapter one.

Purpose and Theme (Proverbs 1:1-7)

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The first 7 verses lay the foundation about what the book of Proverbs is all about. To help gain wisdom and insight, receiving instruction about prudent behavior, and doing what is right, just, and fair. I love, love, love verse 7. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Sometimes I don't think that we have a healthy fear of God. I think we get a false sense of security in the grace extended to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God does discipline His children. There will always be consequences for our actions, especially if we claim to be a child of God. God, like any father, wants His children to be a reflection of Him and when they act up, it is His duty as a father to put them back in line. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a fool, especially when it comes to matters of God.

I have been struggling with some stuff and that's why I have been in the book of Proverbs. I don't want to make any missteps in my life or any decisions that I make, so I have been prayerfully seeking God's word and letting that wisdom speak to me. Because sometimes we don't know the right way to go especially when every way seems like the wrong way no matter what direction you take, but God knows and He will help lead and guide you.

Wisdom’s Rebuke (Proverbs 1:20-33)

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the LORD.
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Can I just say "ouch" to those verses? I think those verses speak for themselves. I don't think I want to be the one who disregards God's wisdom. Do you?


Let me make something perfectly clear. I don't claim to be some righteous person. I am a sinner who can sin with the best of them. I need Christ's grace each and everyday. I don't have all the answers and I don't live righteously every moment of every day. I mess up. I make bad choices. I make mistakes. I'm not perfect. I am an imperfect person living in a fallen world, who needs God's guidance each and every day. I struggle with living in the flesh every single day. That's basically what this post is about. It's about me not having all the answers. I don't always know what is the right decision to make. Sometimes I am so very clueless over what to do that it is overwhelming. That's why I have been in the book of Proverbs, reading, studying, and praying over the scriptures. Its something that I should have been doing my whole life, but then again, I didn't really have that healthy fear of the Lord. It wasn't until calamity came into my life that I made the realization that I am nothing apart from Christ. When left to our own devices, we make horrible decisions. So I am just trying to change that now. No better time to start than the present. Who's with me?