Proverbs in 31 DaysSample

The tone of this Proverb is thick with urgency. The author is resolved to communicate the absolute necessity to not just momentarily listen to His instruction, but to make sure His listener forever holds onto what they’ve heard. He says phrases like “pay attention”, “take hold of my words with all your heart,” and “do not forget my words”. All of this communicates that this wisdom is both important and easily ignored. Many people will not live in the way of wisdom, and it will keep them from living in the way that life is meant to be lived. The author here is adamant that there is a path that leads to pain and a path that leads to peace. You cannot just live your own truth and find a steady path. It is only along the path of the righteous that people will find a life that gets better and better. This is why when you hear true wisdom, it must be guarded like it is a pearl of great price.

Since the writer is so insistent that we listen, we need to be honest with our ability to forget. Unless we take Biblical wisdom seriously, we will fall prey to the “wisdom” of the world. Every day, we are inundated with thoughts and perspectives that come in opposition to Scripture. If we are to walk along the right paths, we need to be absolutely sure which wisdom is true and which is false. If we do not guard our doctrine closely, we will be prone to traveling along the roads of the unrighteous. These paths are not just incorrect, but dangerous.

Embracing Biblical wisdom also means assuming that you do not already possess all wisdom. Proverbs will tell us to do things that we don’t initially want to do. We must approach the Bible with a submissive and humble posture so we don’t just pick and choose the verses that we like. We must embrace the totality of Biblical wisdom, not just the catchy sayings. On our own, we will not choose the right path. However, with Scripture as our guide, there are sure and steady paths available to those of us who will fight to listen.