Page 19 - Living Light 88

Monday March 17 - Get wisdom and keep it Get wisdom, get understanding... Proverbs 4:5
Jesus had to remind the leaders of his time that some teachings passed down are merely “rules taught by men” (Mark 7:7,13) and can easily replace the word of God in our thinking. Instead, true wisdom comes from God himself (Proverbs 2:6) and is found in the Scriptures.
This is hugely important! In our chapter this week we’re urged not to carelessly forget wisdom, nor deliberately forsake wisdom or let it go (vv 2,5,6,13). Don’t swerve from it or around it (vv 5,27). It’s not an obstacle to fulfilment; it’s the way to life. So, says the writer of Proverbs, ‘Get wisdom, get understanding’ (v 5). And just in case you’re still unsure of its value, ‘get wisdom, though it cost all you have’ (v 7). Wisdom from God is worth every effort you make to lay hold of it, keep it, guard it, live by it – just as Jesus later compared the life of God’s kingdom to a pearl of the greatest value (Matthew 13:45-46).
In fact, don’t just get wisdom, but esteem it, embrace it, love it, like a perfect marriage. If you do, you will be uplifted and honoured, and our wise God will watch over you (vv 6,8). He will crown you with grace and love, as a bride would place a garland on her husband’s head (v 9).
God’s wisdom? There’s nothing to match it, ‘for it is your life’ (v 13).
Gracious God, help me to live by your wisdom, that I may bring you glory. Amen.
Tuesday March 18 - Pitfalls or paths of righteousness
I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.
Proverbs 4:11
Mr R chose homelessness but was a regular worshipper at my church years ago, his dignified pose and resonant voice belying his appearance. “Young man”, he said to me once, “there’s only one road in life. One road!”
But the Bible says there are two! The familiar theme in Psalms and Proverbs of the road of wisdom and the road of folly feature in our chapter, and as we saw yesterday the writer implores us to take the former. He goes on to warn us of the pitfalls of setting foot on the path of wrongdoing – don’t walk along it, keep away from it, don’t travel on it (vv 14-15). If you do, you’ll eventually stumble (that’s what pitfalls are – like falling down a pit). But before that, you’ll find the way of wrong takes over your life, so you spend your time wishing and planning to get one over on someone else (v 16), and wicked, cruel ways become meat and drink to you (to paraphrase v 17).
So we must navigate our way along the path of God’s wisdom, looking straight ahead (v 25), turning neither ‘to right nor left’ as God told Joshua (Joshua 1:7) and as his written word tells us time and again. Carefully choose the paths to tread – the firm paths of God’s teaching (v 26), free of potholes, free of pits – so that your steps are unhampered (v 12).
‘You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn over’ (Psalm 18:36). Father, let us walk it together. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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