Pondering Proverbs 2

Wisdom's Worth

1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; 3 furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, 5then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up success for the upright; He is a shield for those who live with integrity 8 so that He may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His loyal followers. 9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity-every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your mind, and knowledge will delight your heart. 11 Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, 12 rescuing you from the way of evil- from the one who says perverse things, 13 [from] those who abandon the right paths to walk in ways of darkness, 14 [from] those who enjoy doing evil and celebrate perversity,15 whose paths are crooked, and whose ways are devious. 16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman, from a stranger with her flattering talk, 17 who abandons the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; 18 for her house sinks down to death and her ways to the land of the departed spirits. 19 None return who go to her; none reach the paths of life. 20 So follow the way of good people, and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will inhabit the land, and those of integrity will remain in it; 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous uprooted from it.

Interesting when I read this, the Proverb "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" came to my mind.  I looked it up to reference it and found that it is used in Proverbs 9:10, 111:10 and in 1:7 it is actually "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."

When reading thru the Proverbs, it is so full of practical life advise that when followed and taken, can make our lives so much easier.  As I am reading thru the verses, I note that just hearing this advise is never enough.  Perhaps we all need to study them then life experiences prove them to be true.  It seems that only thru experience do we humans truly learn.  Of course, some of us learn quickly while others it takes a little more time in the field to actually learn the lesson.  The hope is that even if we veer of track, there is always a way back.  

So I pray that I will adhere to the sound advise and teaching found in this book.  I also pray that I will be able to take God at His word and just live it.  He has proven its reliability to me over and over.  However, I also know me.  I know I always tend to get the lesson better thru the exercise than from study alone.  UGH  I hate that about me, but it is just the hard cold fact.  

I pray for wisdom, understanding and knowledge that comes from the Lord for me today.  Would you join me and ask the Lord to enlighten you in your mind and heart to His true wisdom, knowledge and understanding.  I pray that you will.  I pray this for my family, friends and for all who will read this today.  I ask it in the name of our Lord Jesus.  Amen.