Length of Days (Proverbs 3:2)

We studied Proverbs 3:1 yesterday, and I include it here for completeness. Verse 2 is a continuation of the thought, so it is important to remember (no pun intended) what verse one was all about.

My son, don’t forget my teaching;

    but let your heart keep my commandments:

2 for they will add to you length of days,

    years of life, and peace.

Proverbs 3:1-2 (WEB)

Length of Days

Verse two clearly states that if you apply yourself to wisdom’s teaching, then you will have length of days. Put simply, wise people live longer.

This is an obvious truth if you think about it. it is wise to look both ways before your cross the road. It is wise to cut the power before attempting electrical work on your home. It is wise to eat healthily. It is wise to avoid smoking or drinking heavily. If you have worrying symptoms, it is wise to have a doctor check you over sooner rather than later. There are any number of examples we could give.

If we do unwise things, it will certainly shorten our life. We may get away with certain things over a short time, but in the end, foolish choices will catch up with us.

These are largely physical truths. In the natural world we live in, applying wisdom will certainly lengthen our lives. Some suggest there is a spiritual element here too. The mere act of studying the Word can bring health and healing to our bodies. Psalm 107 is sometimes cited as evidence for this.

He sent His word and healed them,

And saved them from their destruction.

Psalm 107:20 *NASB)

As with everything in the Bible, context is key. Are we able to use Psalm 107 to promise believers that God will heal them simply through studying the Word? I will leave you to study that out for yourself and decide.

This verse in Proverbs 3, and the Psalm I mention above, are not the only places in the Bible which link Scripture to length of days, and we will see another example when we reach chapter 4. Whether you see a spiritual dynamic here or not, it is clear that wise choices will prolong your life. That is the point to take from this today, and I hope it encourages you to deploy wisdom’s ways in your life.

Peace

I do not want to move on without picking up on that rather important word in verse two – peace. Verse two tells us that remembering wisdom’s teaching does not just give length of days, but peaceful ones also.

Length of life is hardly a good measure of quality of life. Some of the restrictions imposed on the world by governments during the COVID pandemic were done so to protect life, but really that meant protect length of life. Many argue that while the restrictions did stop some from dying prematurely, it drastically reduced their life quality. I do not wish to enter that debate here, but mention it merely to point out that living 100 years in prison is not a better life than living 60 years in freedom.

Length of life is hardly a good measure of quality of #life #Wisdom #Bible #Christianity

And so this verse points out that wisdom will give length of days, but peace also. Living without peace is hard indeed, and few would choose a long life without it. Peace is a theme of Proverbs too, and later we will see it is better to live in peace and poverty, than in luxury with discord and stress.

In my previous post – Wisdom Shouts Out – we saw another link between wisdom and peace.

Proverbs 1:33 says:

But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”

Proverbs 1:33 (NLT)

As someone who feels they are constantly wrestling with stress, peace feels like a soothing balm. Modern medicine tells us that stress shortens our life, and therefore supports the Bible in teaching us that wisdom leads to peace, and peace (the opposite of stress) lengthens our years.

Peace is a prize; be it peace with others or peace with ourselves, it is something to seek after and hold on to.

#Peace is a prize; be it peace with others or peace with ourselves, it is something to seek after #Bible #Wsidom #Christianity

Let me close by reminding you that life is not measured simply by the number of days you have.

On my wedding day I gave a speech, as you do, and I recall some words which are relevant. I said, “Life is not about how many moments you have, but about the moments that make life worth living.” That probably came from some book or movie, and I do not claim them as my own, but wise nonetheless!

Live the best life you can in whatever time you have, and live wisely! God bless!

Do Not Forget (Proverbs 3:1)

We tackle Proverbs 3 this week, and before we jump in, I just want to say a huge thank you for your comments so far. I hope you have been enjoying it and it has increased your hunger for wisdom.

My difficulty in writing about the Proverbs is knowing how deep to dive. As you can imagine, we could study a single line each day and spend the next 10 years on the book! Perhaps that is not a bad thing, but I do want to encourage you to study the depths for yourself too.

My son, don’t forget my teaching;

    but let your heart keep my commandments:

Proverbs 3:1 (WEB)

The chapter opens with an instruction not to forget the teaching. That sounds simple enough, but I wonder how easy it is?

This post lands on a Monday, and if I ask you what your pastor taught on yesterday at church, can you remember? What about the previous Sunday?

I mentioned before that I enjoy a number of Christian podcasts, and listened to several over the weekend. What were they about? Am I able to give you a summary? Not easily! The reason is, although I listened, I did not engage with the teaching. I agreed with it, found it helpful, but took no notes and did other things while listening. I may retain some surface knowledge of the subject, but did not meditate on it nor store up the knowledge in my heart (as Proverbs 3:1b encourages us to).

God has been leading me to “consume” less and to engage more. It is not about how many sermons I listen to, but what I learn from the ones I do.

It is not about how many sermons I listen to, but what I learn from the ones I do. #Bible #Christianity #Memory

Being perfectly honest with you, I am not doing very well with this command. I have cut back on the range of messages I listen to, but I cannot say that I have taken the steps I need to really engage more.

What I need to do, and I offer this as a suggestion for you also, is as follows:

  • Slow down
  • Give it my full attention
  • Make notes
  • Apply

Taking each in turn, I must first slow down. I turn up the speed on my podcast player so that a 30-minute sermon takes much less time. This may be of use in certain situations, but if trying to learn something, then slow and steady is far better.

As above, I tend to plug my earbuds in, turn on a podcast and then do a hundred other things while listening. Again, this is not wholly wrong but it must also mean that I am not giving the teaching my full attention. I may hear the words being said, but are they penetrating my heart? Unlikely. Rather, I should be sat down, limiting distractions and focus on the subject at hand.

My memory is naturally good, and so I have never been too reliant on notes. the truth is though, that when we write notes about something we are listening to, we are processing that information. Our retention of that message will be far greater if we have written down key things that were important to us.

Many years ago, I started a journal of sorts where I wrote down particular Bible verses and bullet points about things the Lord had shared with me (be it directly or through others’ teaching). This was a very7 helpful practice and I had hoped to build an almost entire commentary over the course of my life. I have let it slip, although still have it, and perhaps this post is a nudge from God to pick that up again.

Finally, if we really want to ensure we do not forget a teaching, we must apply it. We need to assess what we have learned and decide what we will do about it. Not every passage in the Bible lends itself to practical action. For instance, it is easier to apply an instruction to pray from an epistle, than it is to apply something from a historical narrative or word of prophecy.

Most Bible teaching should lead us to some form of corresponding action. I am quite a practical person so am always reading the Scriptures, and looking for something I can do with them. Often I am thinking, “How would I teach this passage?” It is not always a healthy approach, and so we should handle the Bible text appropriately.

Having discussed only one verse from Proverbs 3, I am coming to a close on this post. All that I have said above about not forgetting teaching applies also to blogs you and I read. I follow a number of Bible and Christian blogs, and all are helpful at times. Do I fully engage with them though? The truth is not always. I read, like, and then move on to the next one, missing huge opportunities to grow in my faith. How about you?

Will you take the steps above to improve your recollection of Bible teaching? Let me know how you get on.

This Sunday at Church: Email Sermon Notes to those who can’t make it to Service

For this Sunday here’s what you can do: Email Sermon Notes to those who can’t make it to Service. Sometimes other church members have legitimate …

This Sunday at Church: Email Sermon Notes to those who can’t make it to Service

Introduce Yourself – Sunday Suggestion

This week’s Sunday Suggestion is as straightforward as ever. Introduce yourself to someone new at church. It may seem obvious, but often it can go undone. Church can be a little busy at times. In the run up to the service, you might be running around, getting things ready or trying to settle unsettled children. Afterwards, over coffee, you might need to have a quick word with someone, or else chat to your friends.

This week though, take a few minutes to pick out someone you have never met and go introduce yourself. If you cannot see anyone you do not know (firstly, well done) then head over to someone you would like to know better or who looks like they may need a chat.

Peter encourages us to:

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

1 Peter 4:8 (NLT)

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9 #Bible #Jesus #Church

Being hospitable is not restricted to your own home, and you can be just as welcoming to those in the Father’s House as well.

This suggestion is not restricted to just welcoming new people, and can apply to anyone in the church – new or seasoned.

I am not the most social of people, and my natural inclination is to drift towards those I already know well. The result is that despite being in my current church for a number of years, there are still people I do not really know at all. I have little excuse for this apart from my own discomfort. Put me in a pulpit in front of a crowd, and I am happy to talk away… but sit me down with someone I do not know, and I find it a real challenge. Just how I am wired I suppose!

As a result, I need to discipline myself to make sure I make an effort, or I too easily find an excuse not to.

The key for me, and I hope it helps you too, is not to worry about yourself and how you are coming across. When our focus is on ourselves, we are being self-centred. Instead, we need to focus on them and really listen. Make them feel welcome, find out a bit about them and you will not need to worry about yourself.

Imagine if you introduced yourself to someone new every week for the entirety of 2022… by the end of the year, you will have potentially made 50 new friends, and made each of them feel welcomed and valued.

Why not take it a step further, and rather than just make the connection for yourself, introduce them to someone else too. Invite them to a home group. Take them out for coffee. Go that extra mile. You will brighten their day, and maybe even their entire year.

Have a great weekend!

False Teachers

Listening to some Christian radio the other day, the person being interviewed happened to mention the name of a fairly well-known speaker who I listen to quite often. They suggested this person was a “false teacher,” and make a passing remark about why they thought that.

I then did what I probably should not have done… (check out my series on Proverbs for advice on wise choices!). I googled! A few simple key words led me straight to a web site which laid out in detail why this particular preacher was a false teacher. Naturally, they had links to other Bible teachers I am familiar with, and foolishly, I clicked.

Before long, I had a whole list of so-called “false teachers” to deal with. This was, of course, just one opinion, but I personally find it difficult once seeds of doubt have been sown.

We should be wary of false teachers:

But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. 2 Many will follow their immoral[a] ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. 3 In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.

2 Peter 2:1-3 (WEB)

There are clearly false teachers in the world and in the church, proclaiming a distorted gospel which is no Gospel at all. Some deny Christ, and others deny the truth of the Bible. We must be on the look out for such people, and defend the faith against those who would malign it (to borrow from Peter’s words above).

There are clearly false teachers in the world and in the church, proclaiming a distorted gospel which is no Gospel at all. #Bible #truth #Christianity

This is a very difficult issue however, and the problem with being deceived is that you do not know about it, otherwise you would not be deceived at all. How do we guard against such things? I will give you my thoughts shortly.

Before I do, I want to point out that there is no ministry of criticism. The website I stumbled across yesterday listed many preachers and their faults, but gave little or no alternatives. It is no one’s job or calling to simply point out what everyone else is doing wrong. We should be alert to false teaching, and address it appropriately when we encounter it, but that is very different to setting yourself up as the Gospel police.

So how do we defend against false teaching? Here are a few thoughts.

Know your Bible

You cannot hope to detect falsities if you do not know the truth. Set about knowing the Scriptures for yourself. If someone makes a claim which is clearly contrary to what the Bible says, you know you can safely dismiss it.

When travelling on a journey, you need to know your route. If you know the destination and how to reach it, then you will soon know if you take a wrong turn. If you know now the destination nor the path to get there, every road looks the same.

Systematically study the Word of God. Let Scripture speak for itself. Let it be its own defence. One verse out of context does not a doctrine make. Scripture must be interpreted in the light of other Scripture.

Know the teacher

Get to know the Bible teacher you are listening to, and I do not mean personally (although that is always helpful!). Find out a bit more about them. Anyone who’s anyone can get a website, write a blog or publish a book these days (including me) and unfortunately that does not always qualify them to speak into your life.

Jesus said:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Matthew 7:15-20 (NKJV)

If the teacher is bearing bad fruit, then I would suggest not listening to them, even if they are charismatic, interesting or exciting – or if everyone else listens to them.

If they are bearing good fruit, then it gives you confidence that they are at least attempting to follow Jesus.

Listening to the radio or watching Christian TV makes it very difficult to be a fruit inspector however. What someone portrays on screen may be very different to what they are like behind closed doors. Be discerning, do your research (bearing in mind it is easier to criticise than anything else) and measure what you hear against the Bible.

Know the Truth Giver

If you have made every effort to get to know the teachers you are following, and based that against your hopefully good knowledge of the Bible, then the last and most important point I can make is this – know the Bringer of Truth.

However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.

John 16:13 (WEB)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. He will guide you. Do not attempt to follow the Spirit without first knowing your Bible, as it can be all too easy to be deceived if you do. But, the Spirit, hand in hand with the Bible, will lead you into all truth.

Avoiding false teachers is not as easy as it might seem. If you search for anyone on the web, you will find something wrong with them. We are all imperfect, and not one of us has complete understanding. All we can do is be mindful of false teaching around us, take the steps above and ensure we are following Christ and bearing fruit.

May the Lord protect you from all falsehood and deception, and may the Spirit of Truth bless you with insight and understanding. In the name of Jesus! Amen

Word Count – Update #1

It has been a productive day! I decided to take the day off of work and spend some dedicated time writing.

If you read my previous post – Word Count – you will recall that I am working on two separate book projects right now, and keen to get them done! I said I would keep you posted on my progress, not because you find it all that interesting, but rather to ensure I am accountable. It may only be a personal goal to progress these projects, but it is one I want to stay on course for.

Well, I started the day with a word count of around 17,000 and pleased to report I have been able to add another 4,000 to the total! As I said before, word count is no indicator of quality, but at this phase in the project, I just want to get the words down.

I am hugely encouraged by this, especially as writing does not always come easy on some days. The blog is up to a healthy 18,000 words for the year to date, so I feel that completing these projects is achievable.

Keep me honest, please!

Hope you have a great weekend!

The Story So Far… (Proverbs 1-2)

As we reach the end of Proverbs 2, it is a good point at which to review what we have covered so far.

These first two chapters are essentially building a case for choosing wisdom. Similar themes have arisen throughout, namely justice, insight, the benefits of wisdom and the risks of foolishness. Solomon is trying to hammer home the idea that wisdom is the only sensible choice for us, and that wisdom’s only true source is from God.

Chapter two ends as follows:

20 So you may walk in the way of good men,

    and keep the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will dwell in the land.

    The perfect will remain in it.

22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land.

    The treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Proverbs 2:20-22 (WEB)

At first glance, these verses may not add anything new that we have not already seen so far. Verse 20 begins with a “So” and connects to previous verses. It loops in the idea that if we choose wisdom, and avoid evil, we will walk in the way of good men and follow the path of the righteous. Put simply, wisdom leads to righteous living.

In the Land

Verse 21 and 22 however introduce something new. They mention the idea of dwelling “in the land”, and the converse, to be “rooted out of it”. At the very basic level, this refers to life and death. To be alive is to live in the land, and to die is to be removed from it. In that sense, it is a restatement of the idea from earlier in the chapter where we see that sin leads to death.

When I see a reference to “the land” I often ponder if it refers to land generically speaking, or if it is a specific reference to the land of Israel. Some today believe that the physical land upon which Israel currently sits is no longer important, and yet others believe the land itself is part of God’s promise.

For instance, Genesis 17 states:

Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, 4 “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”

Genesis 17:3-8 (WEB)

This appears to be an everlasting covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham, and verse 8 specifically mentions “the land”.

Many disagree on this point, so I will leave it to you to determine if you think the land itself is important or not, but if it is, then this point from Proverbs may link in.

As I say, verse 22 points out that the wicked or treacherous will be cut off from the land. If the land is specific to Israel as I ponder above, then this also may refer to the danger of ignoring God’s ways. We know that as the nation of Israel forsook the Lord in the generations that followed Solomon, not following the Law and worshipping other gods. This resulted in them being taken into captivity and the subsequent exile.

However you read these verses, the conclusion is clear. Following God’s ways and making wise choices will lead to good things, and not doing so will lead to bad. Insightful huh?

Perfect

Proverbs 2:21 says “The perfect will remain in it.” i.e. the land. This little word “perfect” leapt out at me, for I know I am far from it!

It reminds me of what Jesus said here:

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48 (ESV)

Most translations do use the word perfect, which is a tough pill to swallow. Some say “will be perfect,” but I am not certain if the Greek implies a future perfection here.

How can we hope to be perfect?

We could infer that perfect does not mean perfect, but rather just good. Even so, can we dare to hope to be “good”? I am often uneasy about taking a word or phrase from the Bible and trying to argue that it does not mean what it says. Clearly, there are poetic or metaphorical examples which are not meant to be taken literally. We must handle the text appropriately therefore, and be sure not to allegorise something that was intended to be literal.

The truth is, I do not know for sure how best to interpret this. My suggestion is that it is a call to live uprightly of course, but also a distinction between who we are and what we do. While we may not act perfectly all of the time, we are righteous because of our position in Christ. Perhaps Jesus is directing us to live well, but to recognise our behaviour will never be perfect while on the earth, and instead to rely on His perfection. I will leave you to consider that for yourself.

Catching Up

If you have missed any of the previous posts on Proverbs, then here is a list for you to catch up on.

Thanks for your ongoing support by reading these posts. I hope they bless you.

Follow me

I hope this post finds you well!

This is just a very brief note to say that as well as the blog, you can find and follow me on my Twitter and Facebook.

My Twitter handle is @andrewbrown100 which is the same as my WordPress name.

On Facebook, search for my page andy-brown.org

I primarily use these to keep people updated on activity on the blog, but also some personal updates from time to time.

Do feel free to check out those social media connections and hope to see you there.

God bless and have a great day!

Strange Women & Bad Men (Proverbs 2:9-19)

As I prepared for today’s post, I realised that I probably should have included Proverbs 2:9 in with the article called – When Wisdom. It fits better with the earlier parts of chapter two, but one of the keys to Proverbs is to review, review and review again! Some parts are repetitive for good reason, helping us to remember what we have learned.

So let’s use verse 9-10 as a refresher from our earlier studies on chapter two.

Then you will understand righteousness and justice,

    equity and every good path.

10 For wisdom will enter into your heart.

    Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Proverbs 2:9-10 (WEB)

The “Then” kicking off verse 9 reminds us that this is part of a continuing thought. The first part of chapter two presents us with a series of “if” statements directing us to choose wisdom or not.

Verses 5-8, and now 9 also, tell us the “then” – i.e. if we choose wisdom, then what?

Verse 9 summarises that we if we choose wisdom, we will understand righteousness and justice. We understood from previous texts that righteousness is not merely doing right, but being in right standing with God. Proverbs 1:3 rings familiar, speaking also of justice and equity, as verse 9 above does.

to receive instruction in wise dealing,

    in righteousness, justice, and equity;

Proverbs 1:3 (WEB)

In some ways, Solomon is continuing to build his case for wisdom, making these points time and again, hoping they will, as verse 10 says, enter into our hearts. Our hearts can be hard at times, and it may take many thrusts of wisdom’s piercing to break through. When it does though, finally we may take pleasure in the knowledge of these things in our inner man or soul.

Bad Men

11 Discretion will watch over you.

    Understanding will keep you,

12 to deliver you from the way of evil,

    from the men who speak perverse things,

Proverbs 2:11-12 (WEB)

Verses 11-15 can be summed up in two phrases: 1) Discretion and understanding will keep and protect you, from what? From… 2) Men of evil who speak perversity.

The author piles word upon word about the depths of such men’s depravity, speaking of:

  • Their evil ways – v12
  • Their perverse speech – v12
  • Their ways of darkness – v13
  • Their rejoicing in evil – v14
  • And so on…

We might describe them simply as “bad men!”

Such descriptions might make you feel somewhat uneasy. In my mind, I picture a very dark alley in a not so nice part of town where such men might lurk in wait for me. The imagery is powerful, and is intended to send a shiver down our spine!

You may live in relative safety. A nice home, a friendly neighbourhood, and little if any crime to speak of. Yet we ought not to be fooled by the depths of sinfulness in the human heart. Very few of us would consider ourselves as “evil” but equally few would volunteer their inmost thoughts or secret sins. We have all fallen short, and ultimately anything that is not holy is evil to some extent.

Wisdom guards us though. Good judgement tells me not to walk down a dark alley at night, nor to drink heavily or take drugs before driving. Good sense, derived by wisdom, helps me to make sensible choices that do not risk my own life or that of others.

While wisdom cannot prevent all and every eventuality, it can drastically reduce the likelihood of falling prey to evil (be it others’ or our own).

While #wisdom cannot prevent all and every eventuality, it can drastically reduce the likelihood of falling prey to #evil (be it others’ or our own). #Bible #Christianity

The Strange Woman

16 to deliver you from the strange woman,

    even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,

Proverbs 2:16 (WEB)

Having warned us of the dangers of evil men, the chapter turns to warnings about a “strange woman.” This word “strange” is translated as “forbidden,” “immoral,” and “adulterous” in other versions of the Bible, and are perhaps more helpful adjectives.

We find ourselves, for the first time in Proverbs, dealing with a subject which will come up again and again in this book – adultery.

The strange woman here depicted in these verses is an image of temptation. She flatters and seduces, exploiting our fleshly desires. We may think adultery risks our marriage and family, and of course it does, but to start down this path leads to destruction (see verses 18 and 19).

To dabble in adultery, and even to indulge any form of sin, risks our very lives. That is how serious we should treat it. Proverbs 6:27 asks if a man can embrace fire and not have his clothes burned? The obvious answer is no!

I cannot emphasise enough the dangers of sin. We may think it’s just a little lie, or I’m only stealing a pen, or we’re just going out for coffee… and before you know it, you are trapped in sin’s clutches.

James says:

Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James 1:15 (ESV)

It all starts with desire. As that desire grows, it leads to sin. And sin, once fully developed brings forth death! We think we can “play” with desires, but one thing leads to another and before long, we are drowning in iniquity.

Don’t let that be you dear reader! Don’t dabble with desire, don’t go near the strange woman nor the evil men. Let wisdom guard your ways, and employ common sense! In the heat of the moment you may want to give in to temptation, but wisdom asks if you will want to live with the consequences later.

Let wisdom enter your heart today, and steer well clear of any wrongdoing!

God’s Glory or Your Comfort?

Pearls of Wisdom

God’s number one goal is NOT to make you comfortable

Some Christian TV channels are great, but not all of their content lines up with Scripture. You do have to be discerning. If you tune in to the wrong show or preacher, you might be misled into thinking that God’s number one priority is to make your life comfortable, easy and problem free. Not to burst your bubble, but this is not so!

God’s primary concern is His own glory.

God’s primary concern is His own glory. #Christianity #Bible #Jesus

If it were anyone else, that would be considered self-indulgent and self-centred. For God though, it is not. He is the only One truly deserving of all praise, honour and glory.

That is not to say that God is uninterested in you, or in what is happening in your life. Far from it! He wants good things for His children, as any Father does. Yet God does not run the universe on the basis of your comfort. The choices God makes are driven by what will bring Him the most glory. And rightly so!

For us, whatever we do or do not do, let it be done for the glory of God!

Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (WEB) #Bible #Glory #Jesus #Christianity

Let us all focus less on what we might want, and more on what will bring Jesus glory. We can tolerate a little discomfort in this life, with the promise eternal heaven to come!

Then Wisdom (Proverbs 2:5-8)

In yesterday’s post – If Wisdom – we saw and understood that wisdom required certain things from us. A choice was given to us, and we could opt to follow the path of insight or to tread the way of foolishness.

What are the benefits of wisdom though? We posed the question yesterday, if I do this, then what? Our passage today seeks to answer that very point.

Recall that I likened it to a computer program. If… then… If you do A, then B will happen. If we opt for Wisdom, then what is the result?

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.

Proverbs 2:5-8 (NIV)

The Fear of the Lord

It is hard to get past verse five. It promises something of a “big ticket” item as the first benefit of seeking wisdom’s way. If you choose wisdom, then you will understand the fear of the Lord.

This is no small promise. It all begins and ends with the fear of our Great God. Just so that it is said, “fear” here is not to be afraid, but rather to revere and respect – though those two words seem inadequate somehow.

Many people describe themselves as agnostic, meaning that they are uncertain if there is a God at all. They are not so adamant as atheists, but have questions they are yet to find the answers for. Some people believe in some form of god or higher being, others think there is some kind of universal energy but would hesitate to describe this as a conscious being.

Wisdom reveals the truth to us. There is a God, and He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Choosing wisdom leads to understanding the fear of the Lord, and to knowledge of Him.

Perhaps the entire point of my series, or rather the entire thrust of the book of Proverbs is this; that wisdom leads to God. We do not seek wisdom for its own ends. We do not pursue it simply to be known as “wise.” While it may bring success in different areas of our lives, that is not the point either.

#Wisdom leads to the knowledge of #God #Bible #Christianity #Jesus

If there were no other benefits to the way of wisdom, gaining understanding of the fear of God is more than enough.

The Source of Wisdom

Verse six could not be more clear about the source of wisdom.

For the Lord gives #wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. #Proverbs 2:6 #Bible #Christianity

Wisdom – true wisdom – comes only from God. He gives it gladly to those who would follow after Him.

From His mouth comes understanding… and what comes from a person’s mouth? Their word of course. God’s Word, which we know as the Bible, is the only place to find wisdom more valuable than gold.

I recall a time as a young man when I spoke to a Christian Union meeting at the nearby university. I waved my Bible at them and almost yelled “Read your Bibles!” I was perhaps a little less subtle in those days! I hope they remembered it though, I know I did! I knew then as I do now that knowing your Bible is the key to success in this life. The Word speaks of Christ, and only by knowing Him can we make this life worth living.

(side note: success does not equate to wealth, fame or a high profile job title… but it does not exclude these either.)

Please, dear reader, study the Scriptures! In them you will find life. They speak of Jesus. They bestow wisdom.

Interchangeable Wisdom

Verses seven and eight switch gears slightly, as the author pauses to reflect on the benefits of knowing the Lord (rather than wisdom itself).

We see that God has stored up success for the righteous, and for those us bathed in the cleansing blood of the Lamb, we take a different view of what righteousness really is. It is not behaving well, but rather being in a position of good standing with God. We are not righteous because we are good, but because He is!

The Lord is a shield, and He guards the path of the just. And He protects the way of the faithful. Such benefits the Lord offers are reminiscent of those that come from wisdom herself. This touches on something I have always pondered about Proverbs. Knowledge of God and knowledge of wisdom appear largely interchangeable.

I will leave you this thought to meditate on. Is knowing wisdom the same as knowing God? Or rather, is knowing God the same as knowing wisdom?

One last thing, as it is in my mind. I do not know all there is to know about Proverbs (or the Bible as a whole for that matter). I hope that what I write is helpful and encouraging. I cannot however answer all questions you are likely to have. There are passages later in Proverbs which I will struggle with, no doubt, and as we reach them I will try to be open and honest with you.

I recall a preacher I respect reading a passage once and asking “What does this mean?” His answer was as follows: “I have no idea!” I may have to hold up my hands and admit the same as some point. And likely, so will you.

Let each of us pray for wisdom, and a deeper knowledge of God and His Word. May the Holy Spirit reveal to us all we need to know, and help us to understand those passages and points we struggle with.

Remember, if you follow the path of wisdom, you will find Jesus.

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“A Prayer Of Preparation”

A short but beautiful prayer to share with you this evening. Hope you can join with me in saying amen to this!

Father, it’s my desire to have the same mindset as William Featherstone who, following his conversion at the young age of 16, penned these words of …

“A Prayer Of Preparation”

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