Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.
“The grass is always greener on the other side.”
“The early bird catches the worm.”
“Every cloud has a silver lining.”
“Actions speak louder than words.”
I am sure at some point in your life, you have heard one or all of these sayings, probably more than once. While these sayings or proverbs can provide some wisdom, they don’t compare to the wisdom we are given in God’s Word.
Today, we begin looking at the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is one of the books of the Bible that is considered Wisdom Literature. It doesn’t include God’s laws or any prophecies or promises. The Bible Recap describes Proverbs as a book of “accumulated wisdom and general insights of people who observed the world closely and aimed to demonstrate the wisdom of God in every aspect of their lives.”
Three types of people are seen throughout the book of Proverbs: the wise, the foolish, and the simple. The Bible Recap describes them this way:
- The wise person walks in righteousness and the fear of God.
- The fool leans on their understanding and doesn’t seek God, or blatantly rebels against Him.
- The simple person is easily led astray.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be seen as a fool or as one of the simple ones who are easily swayed. Verse 32 says, “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.” Death and destruction! Who wants that?
I want to be known as someone who is wise. Sometimes that is easier said than done! More than once, I have tried to do things on my own without seeking God first, placing me in the fool category. I am sure I have been led astray a few times. I know I am not the only one! But we can’t continue to live there. God wants us to listen to and learn from His word and from the wisdom of those we can trust to point us toward Him.
Whether you are a new believer or you have been following Christ for many years, we can all learn new things from God’s word. Verses 4-6 tell us, “These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.”
As we look at the book of Proverbs over the next few weeks, my prayer for you and me is that we will gain and value the wisdom in these chapters so that we can move past being someone who is easily led astray or follows their own way. Instead, we will start to look more like the wise person who seeks God first.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
- Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
- SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
- OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
- APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
- PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.