May 16: The Proverbs of Solomon

"Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor." (Proverbs 4:5-9)
　
Today's reading begins our trip through the Book of Proverbs, authored chiefly by King Solomon. As we read earlier this week, Solomon sought wisdom above earthly riches or long life, but, because of His faithfulness to what God esteemed (in wisdom), God blessed Solomon both with long life and great riches. As we look into the Proverbs, I encourage you to see that we should seek wisdom not merely as a means to several ends, but rather as a valuable component of our growth in Christian maturity. Indeed, Jesus Himself declares that the wise man will build his house on a rock -- that is, on God and His promises (Matthew 7:24-29). Because you are reading through the Scriptures this year, you are on a solid path toward gathering wisdom, for God's Word is indeed the fount of godly wisdom.

1. Wisdom holds greater value than gold or silver. It pays dividends for all time. Get-rick-quick schemes may promise an easy payday, but only wisdom leads to "enduring wealth and prosperity." God does not desire that we seek after these good things, but rather that we first seek Him and the attendant wisdom that is in His character. Knowing God and delighting in His presence are the keys to growing in godly wisdom; indeed, life and death are tied up in wisdom: "For whoever finds me finds life/ and receives favor from the LORD." In seeking wisdom, we will discover God Himself: "Then you will understand the fear of the LORD/ and find the knowledge of God."

Thinking about wisdom recalls the words that God gave to Moses as he prepared the Israelites for entering the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy 30:15-18, we read:

"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

"But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess."

Seeking after wisdom does mean the difference between life and death!
　

2. There is a stark difference between godly and worldly wisdom. Godly wisdom espouses an eternal perspective and eschews quick gains, while earthly wisdom wants to find the "best" in the here-and-now. Godly wisdom is more concerned with the heart than the outward senses.
Clearly, godly and worldly wisdom come from different sources. We know that God created the world according to godly wisdom: "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works,/ before his deeds of old... " In another passage, we read: "By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,/ by understanding he set the heavens in place;/ by his knowledge the deeps were divided,/ and the clouds let drop the dew." Wouldn't you prefer to tap into this wisdom instead of the something man created?

Another key distinction between godly and worldly wisdom lies in what they esteem and whom they exalt. Worldly wisdom is meant to glorify man and his works; this type of thinking leads to pride and arrogance. Godly wisdom instead seeks to bring honor and glory unto God Himself and calls its possessors to be humble and gentle-hearted, like Jesus.
　

3. In order to keep our hearts open to godly wisdom, we must guard our hearts, for they are corruptible: "Above all else, guide your heart,/ for it is the wellspring of life." (4:23) How may we guard our hearts? Primarily through what we seek after. It is somewhat like the food we eat. If we hunger after junk food and constantly give into the temptation, we will struggle to maintain a healthy weight. We must discipline ourselves to "hunger" after healthy living because we recognize that the rewards are worth it. In a similar manner, we may pray that God would so reveal Himself to us that we would hunger and thirst after Him and then discipline ourselves to remain faithful to seeking Him. We cannot merely play "defense"; we must actively seek after God and His wisdom.
　

QUESTIONS

1. Do you delight in godly wisdom? If not, what in today's reading spoke to you about seeking after godly wisdom?

2. What can you do to "guard your heart" today?