Proverbs 8:1-14, 17 (NLT) 1Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! 2On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads. 3By the gates at the entrance to the town, on the road leading in, she cries aloud, 4“I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people. 5You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding. 6Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, 7for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. 8My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it. 9My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge. 10Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. 11For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. 12I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. 13All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. 14Common sense and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine. ... 17I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me.”
The protagonist in our story is the wise man. He has the wisdom to know there is always room for improvement and humility to accept correction. He has courage to run from temptation. He seeks true wisdom and finds it. He shows understanding. There is nothing devious or perverse in his speech.
2 Timothy 3:12-13 and 4:3-4 (NIV) 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ... 3For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
The antagonist in our story is the scoffer. He is unteachable and full of pride. It is senseless to challenge him with wisdom; he will not listen, he must learn the hard way. In fact, the scoffer is quick to gather up hearsay and unreliable sources to support his own ideas. Misinformation abounds and the scoffer is quick to deceive and be deceived. He is not interested in truth unless it is his own contrived or manufactured “truth.” The Apostle Paul warned young Timothy of the time when people would not want to listen to wisdom. Rather they would listen to teachers who taught whatever their “itching ears want to hear.”
Wisdom personified has no problem speaking in plain language. Wisdom is not interested in making the truth more palatable for our tender ears. The voice of Wisdom speaks:
Proverbs 8:35-36 and 9:12 (NLT) 35For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. 36But those who miss me injure themselves. All who hate me love death. ... 12If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.
Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,
Thank you for the wisdom that grows as we deepen our faith in You. Teach us to love your ways.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.
The devotion Important Things to Tell You was originally written for Saturday, April 16, 2016; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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