Let me focus my thought today on the beginning and ending of Proverbs, chapter 1:
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;4 for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young-5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
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29 Since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the LORD,30 since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
The Bible isn’t a rule book that one must follow in order to be a Christian! Instead, it is the written Word of God that reveals His purpose and allows us to come to understand that. It’s a story of redemption. There is a definite beginning, middle, and end.
Proverbs is one of the few parts of the Bible that have withstood the test of time. It is as relevant today as it was when it was back in the days of Solomon, who is the primary writer of the book.
The first part of Proverbs 1 explains the purpose for Solomon’s writings. As we see in verse 2, this is for attaining wisdom and discipline and for understanding words of insight. Proverbs is written quite simply and is offered as prose. For those that seek to learn more of God and to fulfill our purpose it is like music to our ears. For those that want to live for themselves, it is conviction and folly. Verse 7 tells us: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
In order to gain wisdom, we must learn to fear the Lord. Not fear the Lord as if he is going to do us harm, but fear the Lord in reverence for He is the creator of the universe and all that exists within it. Reverent fear is quite different from a fear that causes a fight or flight response. Think about it this way: If you love the Lord and want to live the life He has called you to live, you are drawn to learn more and more about His ways and His people. If you hate the Lord or are indifferent to Him, then you either will ignore His Word and cast it aside as fable and separate yourself from it (flight) or you will take a stand and shout against that which you do not agree with (fight).
The second part of chapter 1 reveals to us that there will be those that turn to God’s Word and find wisdom and solace and there will also be some that turn away from it with anger or distrust or just ignore and disrespect it as truth. However, there can be no one that plays the middle and tries to have it both ways. For them, as it is written in verse 28: “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.” and verse 31: “they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.” As the old saying goes, they are what they eat!
Won’t you open your heart to the Lord today and spend a few moments a day trying to discern the wisdom He has made available to you through the book of Proverbs? A few moments a day for 31 days…isn’t it worth that just to decide whether there is any substance to the truth of God and wisdom in the Bible that is relevant to you and to the world around you?
Take extra time today studying chapter 1 and reflecting on what wisdom God wants you to reap from your time of study, meditation, and prayer this month. As we in America are about to celebrate the 4th of July as our Independence Day, let’s make a decision to celebrate the entire month of July as our independence from unwise thoughts and actions. Free your mind, and the rest will follow.
Related posts:
- Proverbs 1: Simple is not always good
- Daily Devotion: Proverbs 2
- Daily Devotion: Proverbs 8
- Daily Devotion: Proverbs 17
- Daily Devotion: Proverbs 9
Tags: Bible, daily devotion, meditation, prayer, proverbs 1
