Husband, dad, pastor, artist, and musician. Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2006 (no joke!). Loves coffee (big time), good movies, and sarcastic humor. Holds a Doctorate in Ministry. Most importantly, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. All glory belongs to Him! Matthew 5:16
As I looked at the first few verses of Proverbs chapter 1, I thought to myself, “What have I not seen?”
I looked for something to write about. I looked for something to share.
But in reality, what good is it if I write a post about wisdom, yet never heed it? If I’m going to spend time in God’s word only to write blog posts, what good is that? A devotional on wisdom from a writer who didn’t apply it? Pretty sad.
Verse 2 starts off with “To know wisdom…” In other words, these proverbs are a gift to us…the product of experiences (much of which we should want to avoid). They were written for us to learn, to know…
The problem is that knowing something is different than doing something. Having access to wisdom is not the same as putting that wisdom into practice.
The same can be said about Jesus. It’s one thing to know who He is; it’s another thing to know Him on a personal level. The more we have a personal relationship with the Wisdom of God, the more our choices and actions will reflect it.
So, as I share my thoughts on these proverbs, may they be more than comments on what I see, but a calling to a deeper relationship with Wisdom Himself.
On the 1st day of April 2012, a new blog was born. Now, exactly six years later, ProverbialThought.com is being reborn…re-envisioned…rebooted…reinforced.
Welcome to Proverbial Thought (& More)!
More Contributors
Over the years we’ve had contributors come and go. Therefore, as we do a reboot, a new generation of authors will be joining our ranks, offering new and fresh perspectives. As a matter of fact, we are looking forward to having a few more ladies join our ranks this time around.
Just be aware, it will probably take a little time for everyone to get on board…some have yet to be asked.
A More Flexible Format
The last time we went through Proverbs we had a specific format. Every day we looked at a new proverb, one at a time in consecutive order, until we eventually commented on every proverb from chapter 1 to 31.
The last time around our contributors pre-selected what verses we would cover, put our names to them, then submitted a post in the proper order and (usually) at the appropriate time.
This time is going to be different.
This time we are going to cover a chapter a week. This time there will be no schedule. This time there will be no pre–selection of verses. This time we are going to be sharing our thoughts only on the verses that stand out, the ones God selects for us. If two people happen to pick the same proverb/verse, that’s OK – none of us will have the same perspective.
We haven’t worked out all the details at this point, but we hope to at least have a post a day from somebody, even if it’s only me (Anthony).
More Thoughts
All of our previous “proverbial thoughts” had a goal of around 500 words, give or take. Each post was to be like a mini-commentary with personal observation and application. The idea was to explain the proverb then give examples from our personal experiences how the wisdom of each proverb played out.
This time around we are simply going to share what the Holy Spirit is showing us, whether it be about ourselves, each other, our communities, or life in general.
And then we will ask for your thoughts.
More Than Practical
The book of Proverbs is a book of practical wisdom, but it’s more than that; it’s inspired Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 1:24 we read that Jesus Christ is “the wisdom of God.” In Luke 24 we read where Jesus expounded the Scripture, “beginning at Moses and all the prophets,” and explained to the disciples how He was the subject of it all.
In Proverbs, Jesus is Wisdom personified.
As we start afresh in our relationship with Proverbs, it is our prayer that this blog will do more than offer practical advice for life. This time around we hope you get to know the Author of Life and the Wisdom that makes life worth living.
And speaking of living, happy Resurrection Day! He is RISEN!
For everyone’s convenience, I am going to be updating the chapter tabs at the top of the main page. As of this post, I only have chapters 1 and 2 uploaded, but more will come very soon.
As for April 1st (Easter), I’m still open to suggestions as to where to go next. Let me know.
It was on April 1st, 2012, that the first installment of Proverbial Thought was posted. Over 700 posts later, with only a few verses missed, those of us who contributed to this project shared our thoughts about 99.9% of all the proverbs in the book of Proverbs.
The total word count was over 350,000!
Needless to say, that was a lot of thinking, and it’s all still here, available to anyone who wants to read it.
But April 1st (Easter) is just around the corner, and now the time is here to decide what to do with this blog.
Do I just repost (for a 3rd time) the posts that have already been written? Or, do we do something different?
Here are some options being considered…
Start all over from scratch
If this option is chosen, we’ll need to recruit some new talent
Repost everything in order as it was originally done, but just update what’s needed as it comes along.
Do a hybrid version…repost the original stuff, but allow for new content to be submitted when available.
Should tabs be created (Chapter One, Chapter Two, etc.) to give easy access to past posts?
Do a new project through a different book (i.e., Chris Jordan suggested doing something similar with the book of James).
If this option is chosen, should we start a new blog altogether or keep this one?
I would love YOUR thoughts! Please leave a comment telling me what you think.
Wow! Can you believe it’s been so long since this blog was first started? Nearly six years ago I approached several friends whom I trusted and asked if they would like to participate in a study through the book of Proverbs. The journey on which we eventually embarked proved both a challenge and a blessing, and I’ll always be grateful for the many hours of study invested.
But where do we go from here? Do I keep reposting the old posts? Do we start fresh? What about new contributors (in addition to the ones who’d like to continue to contribute)?
One suggestion came from Chris Jordan. He suggested that we start a project similar to this one, only this time through the New Testament book of James. That would certainly be interesting, wouldn’t it?
If we start with a new book of the Bible, do we start a new blog? Do we just continue with this one? Maybe update the format? I’m open to suggestions.
Oh, there’s something else. The cost for this blog (domain and stuff) is $26 dollars a year – that’s the basic cost. Would any of you like to help cover the annual cost? It’s actually due today, incidentally 😉
I have to ask… If you’d like to helpme pay the renewal charge, you can go to my PayPal account (you can find a link on my other blog, TheRecoveringLegalist.com) and make a small donation – anything would help.
There are a lot of more costly WordPress formats, you know. If you guys could contribute, we could upgrade to a more robust format, one that could be more customizable, but could also facilitate audio and video uploads. The possibilities are something to consider.
So, please, let me know what you think. Every idea will be considered.
“Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”
What of Us?
At long last, we have come not only to the end of a chapter, but the whole book of Proverbs (and the second time through – it’s taken SIX YEARS!). The last verse of the last chapter is both a statement of praise for the virtuous woman and a challenge for us. Wisdom will receive the fruit of her labor. Her works will praise her in the gates. But what of us? What of our works?
The virtuous woman of this chapter has done everything with wisdom and grace; she deserves what is coming to her. The product of her faithfulness, her ingenuity, her holiness, and her benevolence will speak of her in the highest places of honor. Her works are her testimony; she need not speak of herself. But what will be said of us?
Fruit? Praise?
When it all comes down to where the rubber meets the road, we will reap what we sow. If the nearly two years it took to write the “thoughts” found here on this site (or the book which hopefully will follow) were worth anything, there will be fruit, and Wisdom will be praised in the gates.
It is hard to believe that almost SIX WHOLE YEARS have gone by since the first post on Proverbial Thought was written back on April 1, 2012! Much has happened; much has been endured; much has been learned; many have been blessed, and many have become wiser.
But the real blessings yet to be had are the ones that will be revealed in eternity: the marriages that stayed together; the poor choices not made; the hearts made more in tune with God’s Spirit; the lives saved by simple moments of vulnerability; the eyes turned to Christ, the Wisdom of God.
Thank you, dear friends and subscribers, especially all the contributors, for a wonderful and enlightening journey through this ancient book of wisdom – God’s Wisdom. I pray it was fruitful.
“Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.”
What Matters
Over the years I have met many people. Sadly, many of those cared not about the virtues praised in this chapter, only fame, popularity, wealth, and beauty. Parents are often more concerned with whether or not their daughters make the team, wear the crown, win the ribbon, get the rich husband, or fit into that certain dress.
Alicia on her wedding day.
However, I don’t care so much about all those things. Sure, I want my daughters to be liked and well-off. It even makes me swell with pride when they win awards or turn heads with a glamorous gown. What matters to me is that they become women of honor, courage, strength, and faith. What matters most is that they honor God.
Praise
Unfortunately, most girls get praised for being sexy, selfish, and seductive. Instead of praising the hard-working woman who is faithful to her husband and God, who takes care of her family, we tune in each week to reality shows that make millionaires out of harlots and place a premium on vanity, not virtue.
Haley and Katie @ Bryan College
Moms and dads, husbands, it is our responsibility to praise the woman “that feareth the Lord” (31:30). Whether they be young and in school, or mothers and grandmothers, our “daughters” should be praised for doing “virtuously.” And what higher praise could there be than to say, “Of all the virtuous, godly, Proverbs 31-like women in the world, you are the best“?
That is the praise my wife desires. That’s the praise I hope to teach my daughters to seek.
“She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.”
Here, in this description of a virtuous, priceless woman, we see further proof that a woman is not limited to domestic work. Although she takes care of her household, she is industrious and business-minded. She makes a product she’s proud of and not afraid to stake her family’s reputation.
Notice here, too, that she is not only a hard worker, but she knows how to make use of her time. Instead of working for every dollar (or whatever currency she uses), she lets her money work for her. Instead of setting up a stand beside the road to sell her wares, she makes her product available to be sold by a merchant.
Personally, I believe there is a little bit of cleverness in the last part of this verse. She makes a product and sells it, but she “delivereth girdles unto the merchant.” It could be that she is just making a delivery, but it might be possible that she is greasing the skids of business. She gives the merchant something special for selling her product.
A wise woman, good in business and full of virtue, is obviously going to be one that is concerned with quality and the way others in the market are treated. By following her example, men and women alike would earn a better reputation and further the cause of the faith (see 1 Timothy 3:7).
“She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.”
The Best
This proverb is about a mother, a wife, a woman who is not afraid of the weather forecast, for she has already made plans for the cold. But even more, it’s about a proud (in a good sense) and resourceful mother who cares enough to clothe her family with the highest quality garments.
Most people are unfamiliar with with how costly the colors scarlet and purple were back in biblical times. They are also typically unaware of the quality of garments treated with these dyes. Without going into too much detail, just to put things in perspective, to dye a shirt purple back in those days could cost the equivalent of $1,000 in today’s money. The rarity of true purple dye, the kind used for royalty, is hard for the modern mind to comprehend.
And what’s more, the dye that was used was known to preserve garments. It is reported that when Alexander the Great rode into Susa, he was presented with a scarlet robe found in one of the palaces. It was said to have been hundreds of years old, yet in perfect condition due to the preserving qualities of the dye.
She Cared
Maybe it would help if we considered what a Proverbs 31 woman is NOT. The anti-thesis of the woman in this proverb could care less how her family looks in public. She would buy the cheapest quality, even though she had money to do otherwise. She would let the kids dress themselves without concerning herself about rain, snow, or the looks of others. Essentially, she could care less about her own appearance, so why bother with her family.
I’ll never forget how my wife, when buying shoes for our children, would take them to a quality shoe store. She used to say, “I know they’re expensive, but good shoes are better for their feet…and better shoes last longer.” She invested in our children’s health. Or, as a certain greeting card company would say, she cared enough to give the best.
The Best You Have
Now, not everyone can afford “the best.” To be the best wife does not mean one has to be the richest or most stylish. The virtuous woman does not have to have access to the highest quality money can buy.
However, a good woman cares about her family, not only in how they are prepared, but how others see them. She understands that how her household is dressed is not only a reflection on herself, but on her husband as well. She does her best to send the message that her household is one that not only takes care of each other, but does it with style.
After all, a good wife is better than a queen, so why not dress her children like royalty?
Caitlin Klem
Chris Jordan
Daniel M. Klem
dawnlizjones
David
Grady Davidson
Jason Sneed
M. Wiley Wilson
Nick
Anthony Baker
Katie Marie
Wally Fry
Proverbial Thought 