Choosing to Keep God’s Wisdom, The Value of Wisdom’s Correction, God’s Practical Wisdom

(Encouraged reading: Proverbs 3)

v. 1-10 Choosing to Keep God’s Wisdom

     For a Christian to prosper spiritually they need to abide in wisdom and trust the Lord. The two verses I want to focus on are verses 5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” These are two commonly known and repeated verses, however let us consider the practical application of Solomon’s advice. When our lives have been turned upside down, when someone is mean to us for no reason, when we lose a job, when life is going smoothly, when all our relationships are harmonious and we have an abundance of friends, when we land our dream job…this verse must be lived out at ALL times. We must learn that we can’t trust our own feelings, beliefs, assumptions, thoughts, or even “known facts”, we ALWAYS need to trust God.

v. 11-18 The Value of Wisdom’s Correction

     Solomon tells us that we need to know the true worth of wisdom’s correction. Verse 12 says, “For whom the Lord loves He corrects”; God wants to keep us safe, but when we willfully decide to not heed wisdom, warning, and correction trouble will come.

v. 19-35 God’s Practical Wisdom

     When we decide to live foolishly, we will not have the stable ground wisdom provides. Solomon gives examples of simple ways to live wisely in our daily lives (v. 27-31). “For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord, but His secret counsel is with the upright” (v. 32).

Application:

     There are two responses to wisdom: to heed it or to ignore it. This chapter shares all the benefits of living a life that responds to godly advice. We need to learn the importance of living a wise life; it preserves us and keeps us in line with God’s will.  

Prayer:

     Lord, may we learn to trust You with our lives day by day, minute by minute. May we continue to seek Your wisdom instead of trusting ourselves; may we continue to depend on You throughout all our life.