John Strain

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”  (Proverbs 9:4&16, ESV)

All who are simple receive this invitation twice in Proverbs 9.  Lady Wisdom invites us in and prepares us to walk in the way of insight.  The woman Folly invites us in, knowing that her pleasures lead to death.  Yesterday we learned that Lady Wisdom is better than anything else we might want.  She stands at the crossroads to help us choose between right and wrong, between prudence and foolishness.

Today, Proverbs confronts us with the two paths: the way of wisdom and the way of folly.  Both cry for our attention.  Both initially look attractive.  Both make offers that seem appealing.  But, Lady Wisdom and Woman Folly offer drastically different results, and we must learn that lesson.

The choices we make have consequences.  The voices that hold our attention will either protect us or destroy us.  The invitations we accept will give us life or kill us.  Each of us, without Lady Wisdom is simple.  We’re not prepared to make wise choices by ourselves.  We need this lesson about the choices of life for all the crossroad decisions in front of us!

Notice vs. 4.  Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!  Wisdom asks us to take her path and promises us the power to live and walk in the way of insight (vs. 6).  She tells us that she will multiply our days and add years to our lives (vs.11).

Woman Folly gives us the same invitation in vs. 16.    She tells us that what she offers us is sweet and pleasant (vs. 17).  It’s an appealing path, full of enticing pleasures.   We just can’t see the end of the path until the damage is already done.

Life, death; death, life: the contrast couldn’t be more huge!  Lady Wisdom offers us life, understanding and knowledge.  The Foolish Woman offers us a little pleasure that carries with it the sting of death.  Proverbs 9:18 needs to reverberate through our minds every time we stand at the crossroads and face the decision between Lady Wisdom and Woman Folly.

The way of wisdom keeps us in the light.  The way of foolishness keeps us in the dark so we can’t see how bad it is.  We must believe Solomon when he tells us that we don’t want to entertain Woman Folly’s invitation to enjoy foolishness.  The choice is ours.  May God help us make the right one!

To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of men.  O you simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. (Proverbs 8:4&5 ESV)

Proverbs 8 personifies wisdom as the opposite of the foolish woman we see in chapters 7 and 9.  She speaks to people, all people, inviting them to hear her . . . to discover her benefits for their lives.  The people who need to hear her are simple and foolish.  Those to whom Solomon wrote were not unlike you and me.  Even those of us who truly follow Jesus have those moments when we act imprudently and foolishly.  Don’t we all have those moments we wish had a rewind button so we could make a better choice?

Two things stand out in my reading of this chapter.  First, I notice where this lady (Wisdom) stands.  She stands “at the crossroads” (vs. 2).  Think of her as standing at the place in our lives where we decide to act wisely or foolishly, prudently or imprudently.  Second, I notice what Lady Wisdom has to say.  She stands “where the paths meet” and tells us that she (Wisdom) is better than jewels, and that any other thing we might want to cannot compare with her (vs. 11).

Do you get the picture?  You and I are standing where the paths to wisdom and foolishness (trouble!) intersect.  We have to decide.  The foolish choice looks really good.  Or, the foolish choice is appealing.  Or, the foolish choice seems to be exactly what will satisfy us; but it’s still foolish.  Lady Wisdom stands in the middle of the two intersecting paths.  She cries out to us, “I’m better than all those other choices!  I’ll keep you safe and make your life better.”

Have you heard her voice when standing “where the paths meet?”  I have, but I haven’t always listened and chosen the right path.  I can tell you, though, that I’m more committed to hearing Lady Wisdom than at anytime in my life.  Even those of us who are slow learners can still get it!  We can still hear her voice.  We can still choose her over all the other things that will only do us harm and cause us regret.  I invite you to join me in choosing to listen for Lady Wisdom when she calls to us.  At every crossroad experience when we have to choose between prudence and imprudence, between foolishness and good sense, Lady Wisdom calls to us.  Let’s listen for her voice!

My son, keep my words, and treasure up my commands with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.  Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the seductress with her smooth words.  (Proverbs 7:1-5, ESV)

I know most of the people who read my blog, and I doubt that any of those readers are inclined to physical immorality or to keeping company with a prostitute.  Physical adultery may not be on our radar screen, but we still need this instruction.  Reading the history of the people of Israel helps me understand how quickly we can succumb to the attractions of the world in ways that lead us into physical or spiritual adultery.  Making wisdom our close relative and insight our close friend is our only protection against the lure of physical immorality and spiritual adultery.

Just a few lines down in chapter 7, the writer tells us about a young man who went the way of the harlot.  He was “devoid of understanding.”  He didn’t know how to live life skillfully.  The ability to tell truth from lies didn’t exist in his life.  He believed all her lies and paid a huge price for his “night of pleasure.”

The lines from Proverbs 7:1-5 tell us how to detect the lies and avoid their consequences.  You may think I sound like a broken record, but the tools for skillful living haven’t changed.  Solomon simply says, “Be good friends with God’s Word!”  This instruction, received with humility and obedience, will protect us from the enemy of our souls and from everything that robs us of righteousness.

These words of wisdom offer us good news.  We don’t have to live foolishly!  We don’t have to give in when temptation comes!  We don’t have to suffer the consequences of poor choices!  The gracious God who created us offers us the wisdom to live life with skill.  He offers us the discernment to make good choices.  And, as followers of Jesus, He gives us His Holy Spirit to apply wisdom and discernment in every situation.

If they are not already our good friends, we would do well to make wisdom and insight our closest friends.  In our homes and work places, in our leisure activities, in the secret recesses of our hearts, wisdom and insight should always be welcome friends.

“For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light. . . .”

                                                                                     Proverbs 6:23 (NKJV)

Constant reminder may be the best benefit of reading Proverbs every month.  The writers remind us of things best avoided and of things best remembered.  Much of chapter six reminds us of things from which we ought to run.  Right in the middle of the chapter, however, Solomon makes sure we remember how to stay on track.

He tells us that the commandment (God’s Word) is a lamp.  The law (God’s Word) is a light.  This Word of God has the power to light our way.  Think about driving down a dark road at night without headlights.  If you choose to drive through life without God’s Word, you almost certainly will wind up in a ditch!

The psalmist said it this way: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (119:105 NKJV) Like the headlights on your car, the commandment and the law help us see the way we should go.  They enable us to travel safely through dangerous territory.  Living in the light of the commandment and the law keeps us centered safely in the way.  God’s Word, a lamp and a light, gives us wisdom to make good choices.  This lamp and light inform our decisions, small and big.  They provide direction when we stand at the fork in the road.  They are our road map for life.

The question is simple.  Do we make time for the Scriptures?  This commandment . . . this law . . .  this light protects us from Satan and his devices by keeping us on the on the road of God’s choosing.  The Book is like a flashlight without batteries, though, if we don’t allow it to saturate our lives.

Choosing to walk with Jesus isn’t without cost.  It takes time.  It takes diligence.  It takes obedience.  Living life with God demands disciplined time with the commandment that is a lamp and the law that is light.  God gave us the commandment and the law to illuminate our journey.  It is to our advantage to keep the Book open so the light shines bright and clear.

“My son, be attentive to my wisdom. . . .”  Proverbs 5:1(ESV)

I’ve learned a few things through more than forty years of ministry.  One thing stands out as I think about this line from Proverbs.  Most of the time when I get in trouble, it’s because I’ve not been attentive to wisdom.

I’ve counseled people through the years with all kinds of problems and situations in their lives.  Even as I type these words I think about how remarkably unsuccessful I’ve been in many of those sessions.  While some of the failure might be my lack of skill, much of the failure came from people who were unwilling to “pay attention to wisdom.”

Solomon and the other Proverbs writers didn’t shy away from difficult or controversial issues.  Chapters 5, 6 & 7 of Proverbs address the issue of adultery.  Some commentators believe that some of this teaching speaks to the problem of spiritual adultery, not “just” physical immorality.  They suggest that the “immoral woman” (3:3) may be anything that causes us to be unfaithful to God’s instructions.

I believe that thinking to be accurate, but I also believe much of this instruction warns us about the dangers of sexual sin.  These are hard chapters to read, but they tell us how to avoid the sins of immorality, physical and spiritual.  Even those guilty of these sins in the past can learn how to avoid them in the future.  We need to pay attention!

Remember, Proverbs is about living life skillfully.  We live in a world full of sexual land mines.  We live in a world that entices us to spiritual adultery, too.  Navigating both dangers requires more skill than our humanity provides.  Others who have already navigated the territory by paying attention to wisdom can help us avoid the dangers.  We need to pay attention!

Those who don’t listen, who don’t receive instruction from the wise, live in danger.  The Proverbs writer tells us that those who don’t listen to wisdom, who don’t pay attention, find themselves at the brink of utter ruin. (see 5:12-14)  We need to pay attention!

Attentiveness to wisdom protects us from danger!

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

God designed us with a “control center” that He calls the “heart.”  It’s the place where we know God.  Solomon warns us that our hearts need guarding; the issues that determine whether we live as wise or foolish people begin there.  This little verse of wisdom informs us that we are responsible for the decisions that begin in this “control center” called the heart.

Jesus agreed with Solomon.  Check out Matthew 5:21-30 where He says that murder and adultery begin in the heart.  Then later in Matthew (15:11-20), He teaches us that the defiling things that come out of our mouths begin in our hearts (vs. 18).

So, we know our hearts need guarding.   We know we have the responsibility to do that guarding.  What does that guarding look like?  How do we stand sentinel over our hearts to make sure they’re protected?  Choice may be the key word.

First, we have to choose to obey the Word of God that tells us keep your heart with all diligence.  Once we’ve made the choice to obey the instruction, we must choose to do the hard work diligence demands.  Every day–maybe every hour–we guard our hearts by exercising wisdom and discernment.  What do we allow into our lives?  What do we not allow?  Some things will strengthen our hearts.  Other things will pollute it.  The knowledge and application of God’s Word, aided by God’s Spirit, equips us to stand sentinel.

A man who was a member of the church I serve struggled with sin in a particular area of his life.  He agreed that he needed to guard his heart.  He agreed that he needed to live with diligence.  So he became obedient and diligent.  He told me frequently that he “prayed on the armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17) each morning before he finished his quiet time.  He also asked me to hold him accountable in this area of his life.  He was obedient and diligent in guarding his heart.

Obedience and diligence.  It’s a matter of choice.  Like most of the journey with Jesus, you’re probably better off if some you trust holds you accountable.  I have two men who get a report every week on my computer usage.  Simply put, they help me guard my heart.  Every day is a guard duty day for those who want to follow Jesus!

Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.                       Proverbs 3:23 (ESV)

I’m bypassing two of the most familiar verses in Scripture (See Proverbs 3:5&6), because another line of wisdom from this chapter jumped out at me this morning. All of us know life is complicated. Many of us have figured out that it can also be dangerous. The world, the flesh, and the devil create traps that can bring great harm to our souls and to our physical lives.

Solomon tells us we can walk safely through the land mines on the landscape of our lives. Some of you probably doubt that; your experience tells you otherwise. You’ve experienced the damage life can bring. You know what it means to stumble. Maybe you just need a new experience.

Back up with me and listen to Solomon: The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by His knowledge the depths were broken open, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, do not lose sight of these—keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. (Proverbs 3:19-22 ESV)

Understanding, knowledge, wisdom and discretion recur frequently in Proverbs, and we need close acquaintance with these character qualities. They are our friends! Through these verses, Solomon acquaints us with their value and offers us the key to safety. As we keep sound wisdom and discretion before our eyes (perhaps by reading God’s word regularly?), they bring life and safety to us.

We must learn these lessons to live safely, since we don’t autonomously know how to live that way. Only God can build into our lives genuine wisdom and discretion that brings true safety. He is the one who, by teaching us, can bring us away from danger into sure safety. It’s a safety that lets us sleep without fear and address danger with confidence.

All of us have stumbled somewhere along the journey. Solomon convinces me that choosing to keep wisdom and discretion, in the fear of the Lord, before our eyes can change us. Instead of knowing a little safety with much danger, we can be Christ-followers who know much safety in the midst of danger!

Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:5(ESV)

Yesterday we thought about the fear of the Lord (1:1), and we defined it as a reverent, humble, and obedient attitude toward God. It is the beginning of knowledge, particularly the knowledge we need to live our lives with godly wisdom.

Today we come to Proverbs 2 and see the fear of the Lord in play again. How does it become a part of our lives? How can this fear of the Lord begin to change the way we think and how we make choices? Solomon tells us in vs.5 and the verses that precede it. Take time to read vss. 1-5. Watch the progression. “My son, IF you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you. . . .”

We know from yesterday that some choose not to pursue the fear of the Lord. Solomon also lets us know what happens if we make the other choice—to discover the fear of the Lord and its benefit for our lives. IF we receive God’s words and apply them to our lives, we’re on the right track.

But there’s more. Notice vs. 4: “IF you seek her (wisdom) as silver, And search for her as hidden treasure . . . .” Too many of us want something to happen to us, some experience that comes out of nowhere and makes us different. It doesn’t work that way. We’ll not discover the fear of the Lord and its power by maintaining a passive posture. Even the practice of being still before the Lord includes a posture of active listening.

Proverbs 2:1-5 lets us know that we have to do at least three things in the pursuit of wisdom. We have to listen to God’s Word in a positive way—hoarding it in our hearts and minds as valuable treasure. We also have to cry out for discernment (the ability to choose the best thing among multiple choices). Then we have to search for God’s wisdom with and energy and passion. We pursue it as though it were buried treasure.

Reverence, humility, and obedience will produce godly wisdom in our lives. As God brings wisdom, discernment, and understanding to our minds and hearts, we will experience the fear of the Lord. Steadily, we’ll see change occur that makes us more like Jesus.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7

Think with me today about “the fear of the Lord.” The phrase occurs fourteen times in Proverbs, and Solomon says it “the beginning of knowledge.” (1:7) This concept put to work in our lives is the foundation upon which everything else rests. I believe we must grasp the power behind “the fear of the Lord” if we are to fully become the people God designed us to be.

Just what does “the fear of the Lord” mean? According the study notes in the English Standard Version (ESV) Study Bible, it is “the core maxim of the book.” We need to grasp the concept. I don’t believe God wants us to be afraid of Him, but He does want us to give Him reverence and respect. He wants us to stand in awe of Him as we recognize His greatness and our lack of greatness. This fear of the Lord is a combination, I think, of three things: reverence, humility and a willing obedience to His instructions.

Solomon says that wisdom to live life skillfully begins with “the fear of the Lord.” How often have you and I walked through life on our own without even thinking about God? When “the fear of the Lord,” that reverent, humble, obedient attitude of which Solomon speaks is at work in our lives, we do think about Him and His ways before we act. Something—someone—has become more important than our own self-absorbed view of life.

You may be thinking Ok, how does this work? How do I begin to fear the Lord? If you and I can learn how to live out this wisdom in our lives, where do we begin? Solomon gives us some answers in chapters 1 & 2. I invite you to look at one part of the answer today. We’ll discover more of the answer tomorrow.

Much of life is about choices. We already know that. The issue is this: Are we making those choices skillfully? Look at Proverbs 1:29: Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. God tells us that some will call on Him (vs. 28), but He will not answer. Their choosing not to choose “the fear of the Lord” prompts Him not to answer when they call.

Do our choices reflect reverence, humility and obedience toward God? Or, do they reveal our efforts to choose our on way, a way that can only lead us away from this great God who loves us? That’s a question I believe God’s people need frequently to ask of themselves

The Pursuit of Wisdom

Many years ago a pastor challenged me to read a chapter of Proverbs a day, getting through the book in a month. Then he challenged me to keep doing that every month for a year. I accepted his challenge, and I’ve been reading Proverbs for the better part of twenty years.

The introduction to this book in an old Bible of mine (a New King James Version published by Broadman and Holman) explains why reading Proverbs is so important and so beneficial. Allow me to share it with you: The key word in Proverbs is wisdom, “the ability to live life skillfully.” A godly life in an ungodly world, however, is no simple assignment. Proverbs provides God’s detailed instructions for His people to deal successfully with the practical affairs of everyday life: how to relate to God, parents, children, neighbors and government. Solomon, the principal author, uses a combination of poetry, parables, pithy questions, short stories, and wise maxims to give in strikingly memorable form the common sense and divine perspective necessary to handle life’s issues.

I invite you to join me in my thirty-one-day pursuit through Proverbs. Perhaps you’ll find it as helpful, challenging and instructive as I do. One month isn’t enough, though. Maybe you will “catch” Proverbs fever in a way that will bring you back to this insightful book every day for the rest of your life. After reading it monthly for twenty years, I promise you that you’ll never exhaust its wisdom!

My plan is simple: I will read one chapter a day, relying on God’s Spirit to make one thought stand out from each chapter. If you’ll allow me, I’ll share something about that one thought and invite you to think about it, too. The purpose of Proverbs, as with all God’s Word, is not information. He’s looking for transformation that will make us more like Jesus. Spending time pursuing wisdom in Proverbs will help us experience that transformation from the inside out.

We’ll begin tomorrow with Proverbs 1. I hope you’ll share the pursuit with me, one day at a time.