Proverbial Wisdom: Secure in Wisdom

 Read Proverbs 4

Have you ever had anyone refer to you as a child?  How did that make you feel?  A lot of times when someone refers to us as a child, we take it as an insult upon our character.  However, in the book of Proverbs, being referred to as a child is a huge compliment.  We see through the pages of Proverbs that God considers us His very children, His very heirs, and He wishes to instruct us as a Father instructs His children.  God gives us reassurance that He loves us and only wants us to follow His instructions because they will guide us and lead us to a good life.  We have security inside God’s very words.  His instructions will give us the wisdom to lead lives that not only honor Him, but will ultimately bring us great happiness and joy.  God’s instructions are not overbearing rules to make our lives miserable, instead it’s the exact opposite.  They are rules to protect us and instructions to guide us into the abundant life.

When you were a child and got sick, did your parents ever have to take you to the doctor and get you a shot?  Have you ever had to take your own child in for a shot?  It can be a very painful experience.  It’s painful not just for the child, but also for the parent as well.  While the child has to endure the short pain of the needle prick, the adult must bear watching the pain of the child.  However, the parent has the foresight to know that ultimately it is for the betterment of the child.  This is how God’s relationship is with us when it comes to the pains in our life.  We have to go through them and when they are happening to us we may wonder why we have to go through such a thing and why in the world our loving Father is allowing such a thing to happen!  Isn’t that the attitude of a child.  Sitting on that doctors table wondering why in the world they are holding onto me letting the doctor do such a thing to me.  Again, we may not understand the reason at the time, but God is a loving Father who only wants the best for us and yes, He will allow painful experiences to happen to us at times to grow us and make us into the person He wishes for us to be.

So, what is some of the wisdom and instruction that God really wants us to learn to protect us in our lives?  One of the main and most important warnings is to steer clear away from evil.  Now, this may sound simple in and of itself but if we are honest with ourselves, it can be a very hard thing to do.  The world around us entices us.  Our sinful natures can easily cause us to fall and come unto temptation.  There are influences all around us that want to get us to take the wrong path.  From friends and family to popular media, there are many things that seek to take us off the path of worshipping Almighty God.  God tells us to open our eyes, ears, and our hearts to dedicate ourselves to staying on His right path.  We are to remove ourselves completely from evil.  Sometimes this will cause us to make some difficult decisions.  Sometimes we will have to stop hanging around certain people or participating in certain activities where temptation may rise up.  Again, these can be painful experiences, but they will ultimately be the wise decisions that God wants us to make in our lives which will only lead us into the abundant life He wants for us.