Putting the I into WISDOM
The Christians who have most influenced me for good have had a fully functional familiarity with the book of Proverbs. They were (and are) able to take their considerable knowledge and apply it to their lives, providing both godly examples and godly advice. Join with me as each one of us endeavors to put the I into WISDOM. Let us seek to exemplify God’s wisdom in our daily lives. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Proverbs 1:8 touches upon one of the touchiest issues in life – authority. I know that I still chafe at the arbitrary exercise of raw power, but man’s abuse of authority should not lend us to discard this biblical principle. Solomon said, “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.” “Hear” means to listen with the intent of obeying; thus, we should translate it as “obey.” The basis of this command is the authority of God, for this verse is part of God’s Word. The Bible teaches that God’s authority is partially delegated to parents (as we see here), government, churches, and employers. Three general thoughts rapidly rise to my mind. First, we have trouble listening and trouble wanting to obey. We really need the direct, forthright commands found in the Word of God. Second, because most of us (perhaps all of us) reading this devotional have responsibilities that require the exercise of authority, we must recognize that no one will listen if we use our authority inappropriately. Third, we can contrast the use of political power with Jesus’ appropriate employment of authority. For example, many left-leaning leaders recently locked down cities and states but blithely broke their own rules and, when caught, showed no regret. Think instead of Jesus, a true leader, Who voluntarily laid aside the full exercise of His divine prerogatives, took upon Himself human flesh, and walked with us on the way to His Cross. There He died for us and in our places. His authority was exercised for mankind’s benefit, certainly not His own. When we place ourselves under His authority, it is for our best. A wise person will cherish God’s authority.