A few reflections on Proverbs
1
1. Two things that we need are
‘wisdom’ and ‘discipline’. ‘Wisdom’ is living from God’s perspective on life
and ‘discipline’ is having the character to consistently do what you know is
right.
2. We must have a hunger for
wisdom and pursue it. Fearing God is the first step in the quest for a meaningful existence.
3. Acquiring wisdom is not a hard thing to do.
4. Who you hang around with has a
huge influence on who you become. Choose your friends wisely.
5. Good things tend to flow from wise behaviour (but not in a magical or guaranteed way).
6. Wisdom yearns to set people free from their foolish ways
and to impart a spirit of wisdom to them so that they will become wise. Wisdom
proactively shouts and cries out to the simple-minded, urging them to change.
How often she has called out to us. How often we have neglected her advice – to our own detriment.
7. If we reject the call of wisdom
over and over again, we move beyond the reach of her help. We may then search
for her but it will be too late. We will eat the bitter fruit of living our own
way. Our own complacency will have destroyed us. What’s the point? Listen to wisdom! Accept her advice and
pay attention to her correction. If you do, you will live in peace and safety,
unafraid of harm.
8. Hear the urgency of Wisdom's appeal! Her appeal is made to all. To be complacent is as bad as outright rejection (vs.32). Wisdom wants the fool, the immature (simple), and the mocker to know the horrible consequences of not obeying her, so they will respond positively to her right away.
Great advice for wise living.