As a child I received many “proverbs” from my
grandmother. She had some of the
greatest sayings, which didn’t mean a lot to me at the time…sort of wasted on
my youth, but as I matured, I realized what a wise woman she was. The “sayings” she shared with me took on new
meaning WHEN I applied them. I often
smile when I remember some of the things she taught me. One memory I think of often with great fondness
is when I was telling her some sad story about a situation I didn’t like or one
where I had been hurt, was scared or wondered how I would ever “live through it!” I had so many dramas in my life, especially
as a teenager, that I don’t remember the exact “tragedy” I was relaying, but I do
remember her saying “If all of our troubles were hung on a line (clothes line
for laundry), you’d take yours and I’d take mine.” That was her way of telling me that everyone
has troubles and that there’s always someone with a harder situation than mine. I’ve come to realize that this is definitely
true!
As an adult, I’ve learned to read God’s Proverbs knowing
that there is great wisdom there. This
is wisdom for a life of skillful living!
The book of Proverbs in the Bible was mostly composed by the wisest man
to ever live, King Solomon. God gave him
great wisdom because he asked for it instead of all the other choices he could
have made. People came from great distances
to hear his wisdom. Most scholars
believe these were written during his middle age years. This book is really God’s “How to” advice for
His children so that we will live a better life and be blessed. Some of the writings are pretty funny and
some show us the comparison between the wise person and the fool by the choices
they make.
I would like to challenge you to read one chapter in
Proverbs each day for 31 days (there are exactly 31 chapters in this book) and
at the end of each chapter jot down one principle of wisdom that God has shown
you. Keeping these in a journal would be
a great way to record what God wants you to know. Be sure you ask The Holy Spirit to guide your
thinking and show you what the spiritual meaning is. It’s easy sometimes to interpret a proverb we
hear with worldly wisdom. For instance,
“If the shoe fits, wear it” does not mean I can buy all the shoes I try on that
fit! Sometimes I wish it did! Why not start by asking God to help you
interpret His Proverbs for your particular situation and show you how you can
be wise in the role where God has placed you:
Wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and/or co-worker. Here’s a great one to start with if you are
desiring to be an amazing woman: Proverbs
3:5-6 says: “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 your paths straight.” Wisdom, or
skill for living, comes from God and begins with the fear and knowledge of Him
(see Proverbs 9:10).
There are many components of wisdom described in the book of
Proverbs, many of which are outlined in the first chapter. Describe all of the
aspect of wisdom in each of the following verses:
Proverbs 1:2:
Proverbs 1:3:
Proverbs 1:4:
Proverbs 1:5:
Proverbs 1:6:
Proverbs 1:7:
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