The internet is full of quick resources and self-help advice amidst times of calm and times of crisis. You can find help on literally anything on the go anytime, anywhere. However, how much of it is true and actually helpful and how much of it is is just click-bait and sensationalism.
Thankfully, we have a book that has stood the test of time. King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, (excluding Jesus fully-man of course). Solomon, Son of David, when asked by God he can have anything he wants, Solomon responded “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (2 Chronicles 1:10). It is through this Godly wisdom that we have the book of Proverbs today! and today we look at Porverbs 2
Amazing!
Let’s journey through Proverbs!
Take a journey with me through this book of practical Proverbs.
Wear a scarf
Proverbs 2
Moral Benefits of Wisdom
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.
18 Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
Wisdom for the unknown
I remember experiencing snow for the first time in August 2011. South Africa isn’t known for snow, so when it does come, everybody gets truly energized. At the same time in spite of the fact that we as South African’s tend to disregard how cold it gets in snow conditions.
Sure, we may have dressed warmly because the day started cold, but that would be a jacket or jersey and not much else. The year it snowed, oh boy, we had cold, for sure, but we’re talking about a different kind of cold. The kind that gets in your bones, freezes the little hairs in your nose, and basically makes you run back inside screaming. Maybe that’s exaggerating.
In any case, we had to learn an important lesson; in that kind of cold, a scarf is essential. It isn’t about fashion; it’s about protection. The wind-whipping chill could actually damage your skin if you left it unprotected.
Solomon talks to “his son” about the value of wisdom in Proverbs 2. What he says is incredibly important and it isn’t unlike the wisdom of wearing a scarf.
“For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.” (Proverbs 2:6-8)
Wisdom is a light
The best thing about wisdom is that it helps keep us out of dangerous, dark situations. God’s wisdom is a light, showing us every obstacle hidden in the dark that could trip us and cause us to fall. It’s a thick wool scarf around our necks, helping block out some of the most destructive influences of shame, self-doubt, insults, and bad choices that can plague our lives if we let them.
Of course, having a scarf isn’t enough. You have to wear it. Having the knowledge, the wisdom, isn’t enough, you have to apply it to your circumstances.
For us to make sense of how God’s wisdom protects us, we actually have to bring that wisdom into our ways of walking every day. It takes creativity sometimes to live by God’s wisdom in our daily life – it takes prayer, patience, and a lot of listening to know how to apply the nuggets of wisdom we find in Proverbs.
God’s wisdom is infinite – that means our finite human minds can only comprehend snippets of His wisdom when He decides we need it.
As you read Proverbs 2, keep this image of a scarf (or sunblock, if you live in hot conditions) in mind. How is God protecting you with His wisdom today? How are the teachings you find in Proverbs impacting the way you walk in your daily world?
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