Proverbs Archives - Page 3 of 3

Daily Devotional-May 25

May 25, 2020

The book of Proverbs is a collection of short sayings in the Old Testament meant to instill wisdom in God’s people. As we read, it is important to remember that a proverb is a statement which is generally true in principle, not a universally true promise. Let’s dig into the Word together and allow the Lord to shape our hearts, our minds, and our lives in his wisdom over the next month!

Proverbs chapter 8 begins with the personification of wisdom, a stark contrast to the adulteress in chapter 7. The writer of the proverb shows that to live wise is to live well, and to seek wisdom from God rather than the things of this world.

In verse 11 the writer states “Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” Ultimately, wisdom is found in Christ Jesus, and never in the things that this world has to offer.

In the next part of Proverbs 8, it speaks of the “fear of the Lord” (v.13) and of “counsel and sound wisdom” (v.14). Ultimately, Wisdom says “I love those who love me, and those that seek me diligently find me.” (v.17) Knowledge is horizontal, but wisdom is vertical…it comes only from the Lord! We need to seek Him and love Him with our whole hearts, and he will guide us.

Verses 22-31 speak of how Wisdom has been there since the beginning, with God, how God formed the earth and established the heavens, but most importantly, how we are His delight. What an awesome picture of our Heavenly Father…the knowledge that the God of all things delights in us, loves us and wants to impart His wisdom to us!

The chapter finishes with the writer reminding us of the blessings that come when we seek God’s wisdom daily. In verse 34, it says “watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.” We must learn to wait on God, and that’s a process! But we might miss out if we are in too much of a hurry, and the blessings that come along with the wisdom that God gives are always worth the wait!

Proverbs 8

The Blessings of Wisdom

8 Does not wisdom call?
    Does not understanding raise her voice?
²On the heights beside the way,
    at the crossroads she takes her stand;
³beside the gates in front of the town,
    at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
⁴“To you, O men, I call,
    and my cry is to the children of man.
⁵O simple ones, learn prudence;
    O fools, learn sense.
⁶Hear, for I will speak noble things,
    and from my lips will come what is right,
⁷for my mouth will utter truth;
    wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous;
    there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
⁹They are all straight to him who understands,
    and right to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰Take my instruction instead of silver,
    and knowledge rather than choice gold,
¹¹for wisdom is better than jewels,
    and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

¹²“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and discretion.
¹³The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and perverted speech I hate.
¹⁴I have counsel and sound wisdom;
    I have insight; I have strength.
¹⁵By me kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;
¹⁶by me princes rule,
    and nobles, all who govern justly.
¹⁷I love those who love me,
    and those who seek me diligently find me.
¹⁸Riches and honor are with me,
    enduring wealth and righteousness.
¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than choice silver.
²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the paths of justice,
²¹granting an inheritance to those who love me,
    and filling their treasuries.

²²“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work,
    the first of his acts of old.
²³Ages ago I was set up,
    at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
²⁴When there were no depths I was brought forth,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵Before the mountains had been shaped,
    before the hills, I was brought forth,
²⁶before he had made the earth with its fields,
    or the first of the dust of the world.
²⁷When he established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
²⁸when he made firm the skies above,
    when he established the fountains of the deep,
²⁹when he assigned to the sea its limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
³⁰    then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
    rejoicing before him always,
³¹rejoicing in his inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of man.

³²“And now, O sons, listen to me:
    blessed are those who keep my ways.
³³Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.
³⁴Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.
³⁵For whoever finds me finds life
    and obtains favor from the Lord,
³⁶but he who fails to find me injures himself;
    all who hate me love death.”

As it says in verse 35, “whoever finds me, finds life”, a promise we see fulfilled in the New Testament, in the person of Jesus Christ!

Family Discussion Question:

Why do you think that the author tells us that wisdom is better than earthly riches, like jewels or money? What makes having wisdom better than having the good things of this world?

Devotional

Daily Devotional-May 24

May 24, 2020

We see in Proverbs 7 another urgent warning from Solomon concerning the grave danger of adultery and of the seductive and evil luring of the adulteress. Solomon describes in detail how the adulteress makes empty promises which lead only to death and ruin, and then exhorts his sons to keep their hearts true and far away from her paths.

We see in the voice of the adulteress in this passage a picture of all temptation towards sin; sin always makes promises it can’t keep. It is appealing to us and may even give us some temporary joy or pleasure, but just like the fruit in the Garden of Eden, it is wrapped up in a lie and inevitably ends in death.

Proverbs 7

Warning Against the Adulteress

7 My son, keep my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you;
²keep my commandments and live;
    keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
³bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and call insight your intimate friend,
⁵to keep you from the forbidden woman,
    from the adulteress with her smooth words.

⁶For at the window of my house
    I have looked out through my lattice,
⁷and I have seen among the simple,
    I have perceived among the youths,
    a young man lacking sense,
⁸passing along the street near her corner,
    taking the road to her house
⁹in the twilight, in the evening,
    at the time of night and darkness.

¹⁰And behold, the woman meets him,
    dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
¹¹She is loud and wayward;
    her feet do not stay at home;
¹²now in the street, now in the market,
    and at every corner she lies in wait.
¹³She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with bold face she says to him,
¹⁴“I had to offer sacrifices,
    and today I have paid my vows;
¹⁵so now I have come out to meet you,
    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
¹⁶I have spread my couch with coverings,
    colored linens from Egyptian linen;
¹⁷I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
    aloes, and cinnamon.
¹⁸Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
    let us delight ourselves with love.
¹⁹For my husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey;
²⁰he took a bag of money with him;
    at full moon he will come home.”

²¹With much seductive speech she persuades him;
    with her smooth talk she compels him.
²²All at once he follows her,
    as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast
²³    till an arrow pierces its liver;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
    he does not know that it will cost him his life.

²⁴And now, O sons, listen to me,
    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
²⁵Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
    do not stray into her paths,
²⁶for many a victim has she laid low,
    and all her slain are a mighty throng.
²⁷Her house is the way to Sheol,
    going down to the chambers of death.

Solomon presents us with the way of life and the way of death in the earlier chapters of Proverbs. The way of God’s wisdom and living according to His ways is the only path to true life, lasting joy, and perfect peace. Anything and everything else that the Devil or the world may throw at us may look like the way to happiness and life, but their end is always devastation.

For three chapters in a row now, Solomon has warned his sons against adultery or against the adulterous woman. Why would Solomon feel the need to warn them so extensively on this issue? What does that mean for us?

Family Discussion Question:

God places restrictions on our behavior because he loves us and knows that living his way leads to true life and joy. Why is it important to remember and understand God’s commandments and wisdom in this way? Where does every other way besides God’s way ultimately lead?

Devotional

Daily Devotional-May 23

May 23, 2020

In Proverbs 6 Solomon gives more counsel for wise living to his children. He instructs his son to make things right quickly with those who would have reason to accuse them, to be diligent and hard-working rather than lazy, and to avoid walking in wicked and perverse ways which the Lord detests.

Finally, Solomon takes time to once again warn his son against adultery. Solomon warns his son to keep the advice of his parents close to his heart, because it will lead him in the right way and not in the path of the adulteress. He warns his son about those who commit adultery, that they are like a man carrying fire next to his chest and expecting not to get burned; their expectation that they will not have to face the consequences is equally absurd!

Proverbs 6

Practical Warnings

6 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
    have given your pledge for a stranger,
²if you are snared in the words of your mouth,
    caught in the words of your mouth,
³then do this, my son, and save yourself,
    for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
    go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor.
⁴Give your eyes no sleep
    and your eyelids no slumber;
⁵save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
    like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, O sluggard;
    consider her ways, and be wise.
⁷Without having any chief,
    officer, or ruler,
⁸she prepares her bread in summer
    and gathers her food in harvest.
⁹How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
    When will you arise from your sleep?
¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
¹¹and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.

¹²A worthless person, a wicked man,
    goes about with crooked speech,
¹³winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,
    points with his finger,
¹⁴with perverted heart devises evil,
    continually sowing discord;
¹⁵therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
    in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

¹⁶There are six things that the Lord hates,
    seven that are an abomination to him:
¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
    and hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸a heart that devises wicked plans,
    feet that make haste to run to evil,
¹⁹a false witness who breathes out lies,
    and one who sows discord among brothers.

Warnings Against Adultery

²⁰My son, keep your father’s commandment,
    and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
²¹Bind them on your heart always;
    tie them around your neck.
²²When you walk, they will lead you;
    when you lie down, they will watch over you;
    and when you awake, they will talk with you.
²³For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
    and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
²⁴to preserve you from the evil woman,
    from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
²⁵Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
    and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
²⁶for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,
    but a married woman hunts down a precious life.
²⁷Can a man carry fire next to his chest
    and his clothes not be burned?
²⁸Or can one walk on hot coals
    and his feet not be scorched?
²⁹So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
    none who touches her will go unpunished.
³⁰People do not despise a thief if he steals
    to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
³¹but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;
    he will give all the goods of his house.
³²He who commits adultery lacks sense;
    he who does it destroys himself.
³³He will get wounds and dishonor,
    and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
³⁴For jealousy makes a man furious,
    and he will not spare when he takes revenge.
³⁵He will accept no compensation;
    he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

We see two things in this repeated warning against adultery in the book of Proverbs; first, that God takes the marriage covenant deathly seriously, and there are consequences for those who dishonor it. Second, that we sometimes believe, to our own harm, that we can toy around with sin and that somehow everything will be okay.

We cannot afford not to take sin seriously. If we do, we are playing with fire and we are going to get burned, one way or another. Sin might be dead, but it is still deadly, and we must combat it in the power of the Holy Spirit! Living in God’s wisdom means living within His boundaries!

What are some ways we tend to minimize or belittle our sin? How do we sometimes think that we can get away with it? How can we turn from this attitude?

Family Discussion Question:

Have you ever done something that seemed harmless to you at the time, but later on it ended up really bad for you? How does that relate to the way this passage talks about sin?

Devotional

Daily Devotional-May 22

May 22, 2020

In Proverbs chapter 5 Solomon continues to give instruction to his son, this time concerning marital fidelity. Solomon warns his son of the dangers of adultery and how it ultimately leads to ruin and death, while the wise path of delighting in one’s wife alone leads to life and joy.

There are many similarities between Solomon’s description of the “forbidden” or adulterous woman and the way the Scriptures describe sin in general. Sin can be alluring and appealing to us. Sin looks like it is going to deliver what we want. Sin gives us momentary pleasure or relief. Sin puts up a good front, but in the end it only leads to misery, brokenness, and death.

Sin is elsewhere described as spiritual adultery against God, so we shouldn’t be surprised that it can have similar results as marital adultery!

Sin makes promises to us that it can never, ever deliver on; God’s promises never fail! We must take great care to remain faithful to him in every way. When we don’t, the result is always misery and its end is death, but when we do the outcome for us is life and joy!

Proverbs 5

Warning Against Adultery

5 My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
    incline your ear to my understanding,
²that you may keep discretion,
    and your lips may guard knowledge.
³For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil,
⁴but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
    sharp as a two-edged sword.
⁵Her feet go down to death;
    her steps follow the path to Sheol;
⁶she does not ponder the path of life;
    her ways wander, and she does not know it.

⁷And now, O sons, listen to me,
    and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
⁸Keep your way far from her,
    and do not go near the door of her house,
⁹lest you give your honor to others
    and your years to the merciless,
¹⁰lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
    and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
¹¹and at the end of your life you groan,
    when your flesh and body are consumed,
¹²and you say, “How I hated discipline,
    and my heart despised reproof!
¹³I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
    or incline my ear to my instructors.
¹⁴I am at the brink of utter ruin
    in the assembled congregation.”

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern,
    flowing water from your own well.
¹⁶Should your springs be scattered abroad,
    streams of water in the streets?
¹⁷Let them be for yourself alone,
    and not for strangers with you.
¹⁸Let your fountain be blessed,
    and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
¹⁹    a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
    be intoxicated always in her love.
²⁰Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman
    and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
²¹For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord,
    and he ponders all his paths.
²²The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
    and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
²³He dies for lack of discipline,
    and because of his great folly he is led astray.

How can we, like Solomon, be faithful to warn our own children of the dangers and miseries of sexual sin?

In what ways do we commit acts of spiritual adultery against God? How can we move to respond to His Word and walk in faithfulness to Him today?

Family Discussion Question:

Why is it sometimes so difficult for us to avoid doing things that we know are not pleasing to God?

Devotional

Daily Devotional-May 21

May 21, 2020

In chapter 4 of Proverbs the author continues giving instruction to his sons in the way of wisdom. He implores his children to seek diligently after wisdom and embrace it, to walk in the way of wisdom rather than the path of the wicked, and to turn from evil ways and remain on the path of life.

In the midst of this fatherly instruction on following the path of wisdom is this command: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The rest of the instructions that Solomon gives thereafter are dependent on this one being kept; the idea he is trying to convey is that the influences we allow into our hearts will end up determining the course of our lives!

To keep a close guard on one’s heart is an integral aspect of wise living, because without it we will inevitably end up where we never intended to go in the first place. If we are not keeping our hearts with all vigilance, allowing worldly or wicked things in without a second thought, we shouldn’t be surprised when out feet end up wandering where our hearts have already gone.

Proverbs 4

A Father’s Wise Instruction

4 Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
²for I give you good precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
³When I was a son with my father,
    tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
⁴he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
    keep my commandments, and live.
⁵Get wisdom; get insight;
    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
    love her, and she will guard you.
⁷The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
    and whatever you get, get insight.
⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
    she will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹She will place on your head a graceful garland;
    she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

¹⁰Hear, my son, and accept my words,
    that the years of your life may be many.
¹¹I have taught you the way of wisdom;
    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
¹²When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
    and if you run, you will not stumble.
¹³Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
    guard her, for she is your life.
¹⁴Do not enter the path of the wicked,
    and do not walk in the way of the evil.
¹⁵Avoid it; do not go on it;
    turn away from it and pass on.
¹⁶For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
    they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
    which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
¹⁹The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
    they do not know over what they stumble.

²⁰My son, be attentive to my words;
    incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹Let them not escape from your sight;
    keep them within your heart.
²²For they are life to those who find them,
    and healing to all their flesh.
²³Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for from it flow the springs of life.
²⁴Put away from you crooked speech,
    and put devious talk far from you.
²⁵Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
²⁶Ponder the path of your feet;
    then all your ways will be sure.
²⁷Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
    turn your foot away from evil.

How have you heard the phrase “guard your heart” used before? Was it an appropriate use of the phrase based on its usage in this passage?

What are some ways in which we are tempted to let the guard over our hearts down to the voices of the world and of the Devil? What are some ways we can make sure to guard our hearts with renewed vigilance?

Family Discussion Question:

Why is it so important to make sure the things we are consuming (TV/movies, games, books, music, etc.) are honoring to God? How does this passage say it affects us when we don’t?

Devotional

Daily Devotional-May 20

May 20, 2020

In Proverbs chapter 3 Solomon continues to give his son advice for wise living. He instructs him to acknowledge the Lord in all his ways, and reminds him of the value of gaining wisdom and of how it is the path to life.

Solomon also warns his son to treat others fairly and to do good to his neighbors rather than evil. Walking in the wisdom God gives means not only fearing and honoring Him, but relating to others in a way that acknowledges him too!

All of this is built off of Solomon’s instruction in verse 5, to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Leaning on our own understanding leads to trouble, destruction, and death, but trusting in the Lord, fearing Him and turning away from evil, is the way of wisdom!

We have to lean into the fact that God, the One who created everything that exists and made it all to function the way it does, really does know more than we know and can see more than we see. This is an easy thing for us to assent to on an intellectual level, but an immensely difficult thing for us to actually live out! Trust Him and lean into His vast wisdom and understanding today!

Proverbs 3

Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
²for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.

³Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
    bind them around your neck;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴So you will find favor and good success
    in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
⁷Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
¹⁰then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
¹²for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

¹³Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding,
¹⁴for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
    and her profit better than gold.
¹⁵She is more precious than jewels,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
    those who hold her fast are called blessed.

¹⁹The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
²⁰by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, do not lose sight of these—
    keep sound wisdom and discretion,
²²and they will be life for your soul
    and adornment for your neck.
²³Then you will walk on your way securely,
    and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden terror
    or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence
    and will keep your foot from being caught.
²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
    tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
²⁹Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
    who dwells trustingly beside you.
³⁰Do not contend with a man for no reason,
    when he has done you no harm.
³¹Do not envy a man of violence
    and do not choose any of his ways,
³²for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
    but the upright are in his confidence.
³³The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
³⁴Toward the scorners he is scornful,
    but to the humble he gives favor.
³⁵The wise will inherit honor,
    but fools get disgrace.

How do our actions sometimes demonstrate that we really think we are smarter than God on a base level?

How can we align ourselves with the truth and lean on His understanding rather than our own today?

Family Discussion Question:

What does it mean to trust in the Lord rather than leaning on our own understanding? How can we make sure that we are trusting in him by following his way rather than doing only what seems right to us?

Devotional

Daily Devotionals: May 19

May 19, 2020

Over the next 31 days we are going to dive into the book of Proverbs together! The book of Proverbs is a collection of short sayings in the Old Testament meant to instill wisdom in God’s people. It’s important to remember as we read that a proverb is a statement which is generallytrue in principle, not a universally true promise. Let’s dig into the Word together and allow the Lord to shape our hearts, our minds, and our lives in his wisdom over the next month!

In Proverbs chapter 2 we see Solomon give advice to his child for a second time, this time instructing him to seek after wisdom as one would seek a precious treasure. He tells his son that seeking after wisdom in this way will lead him to the knowledge of God, for it is the Lord Himself who is the source of all true wisdom.

Solomon makes a clear distinction here between the way of wisdom, that is, the way of the fear and knowledge of God, and the way of darkness and evil. In making this distinction, he also makes clear to us that the path of wisdom leads to life and peace, while the path of foolishness and evil ends in death and destruction.

When we seek the wisdom that has God as its source, seeking to live our lives in accordance with his ways and his truth, we have to remember that this is always the path to true, full, and abundant life! God’s ways and commands are always intended to invite us into the fullness of life that He wants us to experience, not to arbitrarily restrict us!

God is not holding out on us, and when we seek His wisdom in the fear of Him we find this to be true every single time!

Proverbs 2

The Value of Wisdom

2 My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
²making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
³yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
⁴if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
⁷he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
⁸guarding the paths of justice
    and watching over the way of his saints.
⁹Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
¹⁰for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
¹¹discretion will watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
¹²delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
¹³who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,
¹⁴who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵men whose paths are crooked,
    and who are devious in their ways.

¹⁶So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
    from the adulteress with her smooth words,
¹⁷who forsakes the companion of her youth
    and forgets the covenant of her God;
¹⁸for her house sinks down to death,
    and her paths to the departed;
¹⁹none who go to her come back,
    nor do they regain the paths of life.

²⁰So you will walk in the way of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹For the upright will inhabit the land,
    and those with integrity will remain in it,
²²but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Why do we so often think, at a fundamental level, that the path to true life somehow lies outside of God’s wisdom and the boundaries He has placed around our lives? How can we fight this kind of thinking in our lives?

Devotional

Daily Devotionals: May 18

May 18, 2020

In Proverbs chapter 1 we see the first of several superscripts in the book, ascribing the first portion of the book to King Solomon, known as the wisest man besides the Lord Jesus to have ever lived.

Solomon introduces the book, gives his first paternal advice for his son to avoid becoming entangled in the plans of sinners, and writes an impassioned plea from the perspective of Wisdom, personified here as a woman, for those who walk in the way of fools to turn to her, receive instruction and avoid being destroyed.

In verse 7 Solomon says this: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This saying serves as a sort of thesis statement around which the rest of the book is going to revolve. Apart from an acknowledgement of and reverence for the Lord’s awesome glory, holiness, and authority, all supposed knowledge and wisdom is vain and useless. It is only through the fear of the Lord that wisdom can find both its only true source and its only correct purpose!

Proverbs 1

The Beginning of Knowledge

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

²To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
³to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in righteousness, justice, and equity;
⁴to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the youth—
⁵Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
⁶to understand a proverb and a saying,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

⁸Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
    and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
⁹for they are a graceful garland for your head
    and pendants for your neck.
¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.
¹¹If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
    let us ambush the innocent without reason;
¹²like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
¹³we shall find all precious goods,
    we shall fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴throw in your lot among us;
    we will all have one purse”—
¹⁵my son, do not walk in the way with them;
    hold back your foot from their paths,
¹⁶for their feet run to evil,
    and they make haste to shed blood.
¹⁷For in vain is a net spread
    in the sight of any bird,
¹⁸but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
    they set an ambush for their own lives.
¹⁹Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
    it takes away the life of its possessors.

The Call of Wisdom

²⁰Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
    in the markets she raises her voice;
²¹at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
²²“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³If you turn at my reproof,
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
    I will make my words known to you.
²⁴Because I have called and you refused to listen,
    have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
²⁵because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,
²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when terror strikes you,
²⁷when terror strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
²⁸Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
²⁹Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
³⁰would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,
³¹therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
    and have their fill of their own devices.
³²For the simple are killed by their turning away,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;
³³but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

What does it mean to “fear the LORD”?

Why is the fear of the LORD the only starting point for building a life which could be characterized as wise?