Daily PresenceSample

Before the world of Netflix, Prime Video, and streaming entertainment, cable television was the only way to catch your favorite shows. Mixed within those shows were something foreign to Gen Z: commercials. Even worse? They weren’t skippable! One commercial I remember always popping up was an “Ab Belt.” No lie, this elastic strap around the waist of chiseled models was billed as the fix-all for having a sculpted six pack by summer. Don’t ask me if I ever bought one.

Fast-forward to 2022, I’ve spent nearly 20 years of my life working out rather intensely and have yet to meet someone with chiseled abs who says, “Got these beauties from a belt I bought from an infomercial.” Yet even today a quick Google search reveals over 98,000,000 results for an “ab belt” with 8 pages of product results for purchase.

There is something in us that longs for the easy way to get the results we’ve always longed for. Unfortunately, I don’t know (nor have I ever discovered) the secret for ripped abs. But what I do know from reading Proverbs 8-11 is that God, by way of Solomon, has given us a “secret” solution for blessing, favor, joy, delight, inheritance, value, gifts, justice, treasures, and life! Solomon summarizes it himself in Proverbs 8:35, “For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.” The start of the chapter along with chapter 9 revolves around the pursuit of wisdom. Solomon defines this wisdom in verse 9:10, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.”

So let’s cut to the chase and worry about our abs another day. A righteous fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, which transforms our lives through a number of God’s promises. Fearing the Lord simply means to fear and run from a life without Him. Inversely, when I’m living in intimacy with God, growing in His wisdom, Solomon promises that everything else will be filled with joy, favor, and blessing.

There are a lot of “quick fixes” to chase after, but none of them have the power of God’s wisdom. As Solomon said, God’s wisdom is far greater than silver, pure gold, rubies, and ab belts. Pursue wisdom today and live!