Most of us want to be wise......well, I must confess that there has been a time or two in my life when I acted foolishly and knew it. Those did not turn out well....but now that I am older, I do want to be wise. I want to be wise so I can make good decisions, decisions that insure stability for our family; Wise decisions that make the world a better place and that honor God.
Being wise is a function of utilizing all of our resources, our acquired and innate knowledge and choosing among all of the available options that which provides the course that will lead to success and happiness. Sources of wisdom may include our parents' instruction, the knowledge acquired in both formal and informal education, advise from experts and other learned sources AND, at least for Christians, the instruction provided to us in the Word of God.....the Bible.
Proverbs is a book of biblical wisdom. It was written by King Solomon who is often referred to as the wisest man in the world. In a dream, Solomon was asked by God to ask for anything that he desired and he asked for wisdom. God granted his heart's desire.
It is important to remember that Proverbs are not God's law like the 10 commandments. These are general rules that if followed will give us the best chance to be wise and to live in ways that bring honor to ourselves, our families, our communities and our God. They are not constants because they deal with humanity. Human beings always have the choice to do unwise things. We all know examples of times when honest, upright, righteous folks did not receive the reward of their good choices in this world.
Proverbs 13:1 says a wise son heeds his father's instruction. But what if the father is a fool, will the son be wise to follow his father's foolish advice?
Proverbs 22:6 tells us to raise up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it. But all of us have seen children grow up in good homes and have every possible advantage who turn out to be heartaches to their parents.
My point is that these proverbs do not guarantee success, but they do give us our best chance. They are excellent advice for those who want to live a wise and righteous lifestyle. I commend them to you for reading and study. They are filled with Godly wisdom for each one of us.
The proverbs of Solomon:
for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;
for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young....
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance....
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
May we have eyes to see and ears to hear. May we be wise in the ways of our God.
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