Words to the Wise

 

Today I want to share some words to the wise.

God’s Word is lamp to our feet and a light to our path and it is the best source of wisdom for our everyday lives. Today, let’s explore how to reach our potential in Christ as I share some words to the wise while I comment on Proverbs 3:1-12. This passage reads:

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, or length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;  then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

We are all familiar with the old saying, “A word to the wide is sufficient.” Proverbs is full of words to the wise, and today we want to look at five of them which we find in our Scripture passage for today.

The first word to the wise is “remember.” A good memory is a good thing, but in this case, Solomon is talking about remembering God’s Word.

The Scriptures are our guidebook for life and our map for walking with God. We are to study it and live by it all the days of our lives. To do that we must hide it in our hearts and minds. 

Our culture today rejects God’s Word and anyone who holds a high view of Scripture is described as a “wild-eyed fundamentalist,” but what is the result of remembering the Bible?  Solomon said that when we live by God’s wisdom, we can find favor with both God and man.

The next word to the wise is “trust.” We must live by trust, but in whom should we have that faith? We can’t trust ourselves because we are weak and limited, nor can we trust others because they are the same.  We can’t trust science or technology, either, because they were made by humans.

The only one we can truly trust is God. One of my pastors always said that he hid behind God, because, although our pastor admitted that he would fail us, God never would.

We must trust God, but how? With all our hearts.  Instead of sticking our toe in the water of faith, we heed to dive in headfirst! When we exercise that kind of faith, when we acknowledge Him all the time in all our ways, then He will direct our paths.

The third word to the wise in Proverbs 3 is fear. Today, people are not afraid of much. 

Children are not afraid of their teachers or principals, and criminals don’t fear the police or the courts. Frankly, God is not feared much either, and He is not given the respect and reverence that He is due.

Satan is a roaring lion, but God’s law has teeth. Satan tries to intimidate us, but God is the infinite and omnipotent Lord of the universe. He deserves to be feared.

What happens when we reverently fear God? First, we will depart from evil and its corrosive effects on our lives. Then, we will be healthy in all our ways. Even Christians, who are spared the eternal death that sin brings, must fear God to avoid the human consequences of their sin.

Another word to wise in this passage is honor.

How do we honor people? We give them awards like at the Oscars or like giving a medal in the military. We honor people by giving them gifts and money, too, but the best way to honor them his by giving them our allegiance. 

Solomon instructs us here that we also need to honor God. We honor Him with our allegiance, which also means offering Him our money, time, and effort, and even our very souls. God deserves our honor, and when we give it to Him, we are also blessed beyond our measure.

The fifth and final word to the wise in Proverbs 3 is love. The bottom line is that God loves us, and He cares for us. He wants the best for us, and so He corrects us, and He guides us. It is incumbent upon us to understand His love, accept His corrections, and allow Him to nurture us.

In many ways, God’s love reminds me of a lifeguard. Lifeguards want to safe drowning people, and drowning people need to let them. God loves us, and we should let him!

So, some words to the wise from Proverbs 3: remember, trust, fear, honor, and love. Have we today we have observed made these a part of our daily lives? Solomon would tell us that wise people do!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt