The Book of Proverbs is a guide to right living and a resource of life wisdom. Right off the bat, we are warned about people who will cause us to do wrong; that there is obvious temptation to ignore this godly wisdom and it comes in the form of people who ignore it.
So much of this comes across as being mean almost, doesn’t it? Calling people idiots and fools…”You’ll call for me, but don’t expect an answer. No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me.” I don’t think this is something we should take literally, in the sense that God is someone who doesn’t love us because he calls us names. Make no mistake about it…you’ll NEVER know a “love” like the love of God.
Rather, I think of it as being how the writer, Solomon, decided to place emphasis on his points. If he were one of us right here and right now, he may say something along the lines of, “This wisdom will help you! But if you take it lightly, it’s not the wisdom’s fault. It’s yours!”
This wisdom in Proverbs makes itself undeniably obvious to us. It “shouts at us” right in the middle of where we exist. This wisdom contains the answers that we so desperately search for. The question is: will we ignore it or practice it and “relax…knowing we’re in good hands?” I mean, that really would be foolish to know that there was a guide for life and we took it lightly and didn’t receive what was there for the taking, right? Not that it’s just something that we get because we’re a Christian, but because we seek God’s wisdom and apply it to our lives.
This isn’t wisdom that we can just come running to after we screw up…then not take it seriously and consider it something that “I tried it and it didn’t work.” No. This wisdom stands on it’s own, boldly and confidently, because it’s the same exact wisdom that spoke you and me and everything we know into existence.
And it only “truly works” when it is coupled with a total respect and full surrender to God through Jesus Christ.
Join me tomorrow for Chapter 2.
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