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.)
One aspect of Scripture that has always attracted me is how well-rounded and thorough it is. For example, when God gives a command, He provides context and background. Of course, He does not have to explain His admonitions to us, but He does, either by example (positive or negative) or by direct exposition. Proverbs 1:10-15, which we studied yesterday, gives explicit warnings about the extreme allurement of evil. This passage is bracketed by verses that present benefits to abstaining from the wayward way. Verse 9 speaks poetically of “an ornament of grace unto thy head,” which is a symbol of leadership, and “chains about thy neck,” a picture of rewards for service rendered. In other words, the person who willingly seeks the authority of God will become increasingly authoritative, and his life will be one of increasing dignity. Verses 16-19 provide a sad lesson in poetic justice, for what we sow we will reap (Galatians 6:7). Thus, God provides effective word pictures describing the positive outcome of eschewing evil and the sorrowful negative outcome of being enveloped in evil. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Some are wise, and some are otherwise.” Let us be wise sons and daughters of our Father.