Wisdom and Consequences -- Proverbs 1

Today begins a journey of 31 days through the book of proverbs. It is not a complicated thing, there are 31 proverbs, so in 31 days a person can read through them all. Essentially the proverbs are a collection of sayings and short teachings on the topic of wisdom, more specifically, wise living. The first proverb outlines why it matters to pay attention to wisdom, form there we will journey into the lessons of wisdom for our lives.

"The fear of God is the beginning of all knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline." v. 7

This idea of fearing God can be difficult for many to grab a hold of. Often God is thought of in terms of love not fear, so why would we need or want to fear God? Understanding what it means to fear God might cause some clarity to emerge. Fearing God does not mean we hide, trembling. No, it means we remember who God is and who we are. God is all powerful, and can do all things. The magnitude of God's power and authority are beyond our comprehension. Fear in this instance is more about awe, and remembering the greatness of God. Verse 7 could be written, remembering the greatness of God is the beginning of all knowledge...

For some wisdom is claimed to be elusive, according to proverbs wisdom is readily available. The difference is whether we are willing to pursue wisdom or not. For those who pursue wisdom, there is great reward and benefit. For those who disregard wisdom, there are consequences of that choice. As we make our choice our relationship with wisdom develops. For those who seek wisdom, our ability to engage in wise living increases. For those who ignore wisdom, wise living becomes more distant, and harder to find.

Over the next 31 days the opportunity to chose wisdom is before us, may we choose wisely.