Category Archives: Wisdom

May 8, 2018

Follow your Father’s and Mother’s Good Advice

By M. Wiley Wilson

Dorothy and Everett Wilson wedding photoI am a very fortunate man. My father gave me excellent advice. My mother taught me about love. I don’t know how they saw it but that was what they were doing. They were very wise.

As a part of the “greatest generation” ever, my father lived through the great depression and survived World War II. He knew what he was doing. It wasn’t haphazard. His father had taught him. He taught me.

His wisdom serves me well. When I heed it, I am successful.

Good friend, follow your father’s good advice;
    don’t wander off from your mother’s teachings.
Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;
    wear them like a scarf around your neck.
Wherever you walk, they’ll guide you;
    whenever you rest, they’ll guard you;
    when you wake up, they’ll tell you what’s next.
For sound advice is a beacon,
    good teaching is a light,
    moral discipline is a life path.

~~King Solomon Proverbs 6 (The Message Bible)

Mom's love of countryAnd then, there is my mother.  It is true I am a product of my mother’s love. She cared so much for us. She passed away when I was 12. I always felt her love. I owe her so very much. I wish I could thank her in person.

Someday I will. I know she believed that.

Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” —Robert Browning

This is the very cool thing. I have a heavenly Father who is amazingly wise. He sent his son Jesus to show me wisdom and does so every day. My earthly father led me to my heavenly Father.

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May 5, 2018

Heeding the Warning

By Caitlin Klem

7 And now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”

Proverbs 5:7-14 ESV

I look for the context when trying to understand any message better, so when I hear the warning summed up in verses 12-14 in this part of the proverbs, I look to the verses preceding it to understand why it is given.

The audience of this passage is being urged to listen to a particular bit of wisdom and not forget it: keep far away and do not come near (being unfaithful to God). I see this as a big, bold-lettered sign on the straight and narrow path saying “wrong way” or “danger, keep out”. This is a warning against things of the flesh, the ways of the world, or in other words, that which causes us to sin (to separate ourselves from God).

It can be rather easy to get caught up in our own designs, or so focused on following certain directions (like a figurative GPS) that we miss the warning right in front of us. Honoring others and putting our trust in false teachings or false teachers will lead away from the best path, no matter how good it sounds or in line with current thinking. Yet, if we adhere to the truth and “do not depart” from it, we will be able to see the unfamiliar territory and turn away.

Giving our years to the merciless, those who do not have our best interests at heart will lead to wasted time and possible destruction. For when we follow someone else’s plan, as opposed to Gods, many wrong turns and necessary U-turns will be sure to follow. Yet again, if we adhere to the truth and “do not depart” from it, we will be able to see the wrong turns ahead and continue on the straight and narrow path instead.

As much as any journey is to be enjoyed, wrong turns and wasted time can be exhausting. And when the purpose of the journey is for anyone or anything against God’s glory, it is worthless, for “what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36) Instead, adhere now to God’s wisdom and see the danger in being unfaithful to Him, lest you find yourself on the path to utter ruin.

 

 

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in counsel, discipline, Paths of Life, Temptation, Warnings, Wisdom

April 28, 2018

Narrow minded?

By Daniel M. Klem

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Proverbs 4:25‭-‬27 KJV

Allow me to rephrase these three verses:

Watch where you’re going, think about the path you’re taking, and keep going without swerving!

It is interesting to consider the respect we as a world have for people who start businesses, movements, or groups or who pursue a cause despite opposition with determination, conviction, and unswerving loyalty, with boundaries and rules that protect their cause.

It is interesting in that, at least in the Western world, those same qualities are frowned upon when our society looks at Christian devotion, saying Christian’s are too “narrow minded”.

But is it bad to be narrow minded?

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Matthew 7:13‭-‬14 ESV

If we claim to follow the living the God who has redeemed His people, should we not follow what He has revealed to us in His Word? Should we not regularly watch where we are going, how we are living, and live within boundaries that would “remove … evil”?

Should we not be “narrow minded” by keeping our minds on the narrow gate, who is Jesus? (John 10)

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April 27, 2018

Sweet Ride

By dawnlizjones

ford-290615_1920Do you remember when you turned 16 and your parents bought you your first new car?

Yeah, me neither.

That’s okay though, because growing up sharing the family auto(s) was actually a good thing.  And anyway, just because I got my driver’s license didn’t mean I automatically deserved a car, not by a long shot.  Having a license isn’t a “right”, or something I earn.  Sure, I did a little study and answered a few questions, but in reality, a license is something bestowed—a trust. Continue reading

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April 24, 2018

Keep vigilant watch over your heart.

By M. Wiley Wilson

Jesus challenges me to be vigilant. If I don’t pay attention, I will drift. Jesus has given me the way of wisdom. May I pay attention and not reject him.

Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.” ~King Solomon | Source: Proverbs 4:23

I must watch over my heart. The main thing to pay attention to is my heart. From my heart comes what I think, what I say and what I do. It starts with my heart.

Life starts with my heart. It is easy to believe my heart isn’t important but it is the key. David knew it. Solomon knew it. Jesus focused on it and challenges me to pay attention.

David was known as a man after God’s own heart. May I learn enough to have that said of me. Now that is a real goal to have.

The good news is the Jesus gives me a new heart. I am a new creation in Him. That is amazing to consider. I have been born again.

According to the Bible, the heart is the center not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life.

The heart is the “home of the personal life,” and hence a man is designated, according to his heart, wise, upright and righteous, pious and good.

The heart is also the seat of the conscience. It is naturally wicked, and hence it can contaminate my whole life and character. Hence the heart must be changed, regenerated, before a man can willingly obey God.

The process of salvation begins in the heart by the believing reception of the testimony of God, while the rejection of that testimony hardens the heart. “Hardness of heart” evidences itself by light views of sin; partial acknowledgment and confession of it; pride and conceit; ingratitude; unconcern about the word and ordinances of God; inattention to divine providences; stifling convictions of conscience; shunning reproof; presumption, and general ignorance of divine things.”

We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God. | 1 John 3:19–21 (NASB)

 

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April 21, 2018

This Is Wisdom (Use Discretion)

By Daniel M. Klem

My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
Proverbs 3:21‭-‬23

Stumbling and Falling

The late second decade of this millennium has been tumultuous. Businesses are shuttering doors every week. Politicians are stepping down in disgrace. Actors are having careers crumble over night. Even pastors and ministry leaders are losing positions and status in shame.

Movements are continuously rising to combat [real or percieved] injustices. Tensions run high between governments, businesses, institutions, the press, and societies to the point that no one is safe from saying anything without trouble brewing.

Why?

As a whole, we have not kept wisdom, and discretion has long since been discarded.

Sure, some people think they are being discreet, but without sound wisdom. Now, “Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” (Luke 12:3)

And this is what we see today.

A society that lacks wisdom and discretion – that lacks common sense but says and does whatever seems right (or right to them) – is a society of increasing chaos and depravity.

What then shall we do?

Especially as Christians, we should turn to God, live wisely, and use discretion. We do not need to voice our opinion about everything. At least not right away. A friend of mine has a 72-hour rule for major events: wait 72 hours before commenting to make sure more facts are available.

We would be wise to use a similar tactic in relationships – especially on social media!

We would be wise to do this with the news – that too often is merely sensationalism gossip, anymore.

We would be wise to set parameters for ourselves and our relationships.

Perhaps we can at least try to “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5, NIV)

This is necessarily hard, because it is hard getting over ourselves. We do not like confronting our sinful nature.

But that is wisdom.

5 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Relationships, Wisdom

April 17, 2018

Don’t assume that you know it all

By M. Wiley Wilson

I think I am pretty clever some days. I think I can figure it all out.

AND then I run into the wall with something and I realize I am not as clever as I like to think I am. My understanding is not what our LORD wants.

If the victory is to be His, I have to trust Him with all my heart. I have to emotionally connect with what He wants not what I understand.

May I trust him from the bottom of my heart.

May I do it now.

What is God saying?

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! (Proverbs 3:5 The Message Bible)

And here is some more. True understand comes from Jesus. The point of understanding is to know Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the Truth. Jesus leads us to eternal life. Now that is some very good news.

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus the Messiah. This is the true God and eternal life. | 1 John 5:20 (NASB)

So what does Jesus himself say? The point is to know that God is in Jesus and Jesus is in God. They are one and the same. That is true understanding.

“But if I do them [miracles], though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” | John 10:38 (NASB)

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April 14, 2018

It’s Not Natural

By Anthony Baker

What Is Natural

Some things are not natural. Let’s start with a few things that are.

When humans are born, they have a tendency to be selfish and self-centered (have you been around babies?). As they age, the tendency remains, and with some, it becomes a regular habit. But of course, this is nothing but natural.

It is also natural for humans to do stupid stuff and get suckered by other humans – it happens all the time. The humans who do stupid and evil things love doing what they do so much they recruit others with less experience in life to do the stupid stuff for them, then laugh as they enjoy the evil of it all.

And it should go without saying, humans are lustful creatures. If they weren’t, 95% of all advertisers would go bankrupt.

Is it any wonder the prophet Jeremiah described the heart of man as “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9)?

What Is NOT Natural

The second chapter of Proverbs confirms all of the above, but it also shows that the antidote is something that is painful and runs completely contrary to humanity’s sense of self-preservation.

“When wisdom entereth into thine heart…” – Proverbs 2:10a

There is nothing – NOTHING – natural about heart surgery. There is absolutely nothing natural or pleasant about something piercing one’s chest cavity and entering that life-sustaining muscle, the beating of which we become very accustomed.

It is also unnatural for an evil, deceitful, and desperately wicked heart to yield to wisdom. Wisdom is unnatural; it must enter in.

But the surgery is elective, and the wise will choose – and live! But fools avoid it, choosing instead indiscretion, a lack of knowledge, and a perfumed deathbed in the house of the flatterer (Proverbs 2:11-18).

When Christ (the wisdom of God – 1 Cor. 1:24) enters your heart, life is supernatural (Romans 8:10)!

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April 13, 2018

The Preciousness of Wisdom

By Katie Marie

Hello, Dear Reader. I am a rarity to this blog, but I have come to share with you some truths of Wisdom which I have gleaned.

Last Summer, I found myself in a particularly tough place in regards to dating relationships. The person I was with for a period of three months was someone of immoral character and rebellion. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, so to speak, and I, being the naïve woman looking for a nice and caring fellow, fell into the trap of enticement.

During the last couple of weeks of my relationship, I was interested in reading Scripture, but it was rooted in how I wanted to prove to my parents that this person I spent time with was worth the time I had invested. I began to read through Proverbs for a short time, but once my relationship ended I began to have a bitterness fester within my heart due to some underlying problems with self-image and self-value.

I have always hated the possibility that one day I would live up to my middle name which means “bitterness,” yet that is exactly what I had become: a bitter young woman, full of rebellion against my upbringing. I spent a majority of my time during the last half of last year and the first part of this year in hate and corruption of the mind and heart, and the worst part was that I knew exactly how to remedy that pain I put myself through.

In a paper I wrote at the beginning of this semester, I stated:

“I know that God is real and loving and forgiving; I know with all certainty that He wants me to come to Him. Even so, I do not want the help that He has to offer my wounded and rotting spirit. I do not want to muster up the courage it takes to allow Him to scrape the putrid rot from my soul, just as a doctor must scrape and clean a burn victim. I do not want the comfort that He sends me through the gracious acts of others as they hold me and speak life into my heart. I do not want what I need. I want my own efforts to win over. Never have I understood so clearly how a dying man fights for his last breath – until now. I know that God is real, but I would rather trust my fingernails for security.” – The Strength of My Own Fingernails

Now, as I am recovering from this season of life, I can look at Scripture again with a refreshed mind and soul. Here is what I have learned from Proverbs 2:

Wisdom is:

  • A protector via discernment (v. 3)
  • A saving grace from wicked people (v. 12-19)
  • Something which only comes from the Lord (v. 6)
  • Something which must be sought out (v. 1-5)
  • Something which has value (v. 4)

Sterling Silver

In verse 4, Solomon refers to the value of Wisdom as being like that of the value of silver. This precious metal has been used in jewelry for thousands of years, including a piece which is now on my left ring finger. I wear a sterling silver band for several reasons, one of which to serve as a reminder that God’s Wisdom is something to be cherished. If only I had listened to the teachings of this Word and my parent’s concerns before taking my course of actions last year! I would have saved myself so much heartache and regret!

Wisdom is worth seeking out; it is a treasure to obtain. The catch is this: you must be willing to sacrifice your personal agenda in order to journey to find this treasure. It was only after I sacrificed my lifestyle and my hurt to Christ that I was able to access the Lord’s Wisdom again. If you want this treasure, it must be the only thing you seek.

5 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in advice, counsel, Instruction, Knowledge, Parenting, Paths of Life, pride/humility, Relationships, Uncategorized, Value and Worth, Wisdom, Word of the Lord

April 11, 2018

The Protection of Wisdom

By Daniel M. Klem

“For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.” – Proverbs 2:6-8

God gives wisdom.

The first thing to realize is that He gives wisdom to all, regardless of faith or belief, as evidenced by people of all backgrounds who make wise decisions in this world.

This is why, in verses 7-8, he explains more deeply that He sets aside sound wisdom for the righteous, the saints of God.

To keep it simple, non-believers (those who do not believe in God or believe in a different god than that revealed in the Bible) become futile in their thinking. They believe and teach things that are contrary to God’s truth and even sound reason, and they bring others with them. (See Romans 1-3, 1 Corinthians 1)

For the faithful, God’s wisdom does three things:

  1. Shields (the buckler): We are protected from lies and deceit, because we know the truth and can see deception more clearly. Arguments against us fall flat.
  2. Guards (keeps): Truth is protected, because lies cannot hold up. Whereas a shield deflects, a guard holds back. I am reminded of a contrast of debates I saw in which one man had to keep coming up with answers because he did not rely on the Bible, but another man shot down his opponents initial questions by simply quoting the Bible (with brief, simple explanations as needed). There was no need to continually adapt to new attacks, because his initial, biblical answers ended the questioning.
  3. Supports (Preserves): God’s truth will always sustain us. We do not need to be concerned with future attacks, debates, or seemingly contradictory evidence. Nor do we need to worry about “slipping” in faith, word, or deed. We may stumble, but His truth remains for us to eternally fall on and hold us up. (See Matthew 10:16-20, Mark 13:9-11; Luke 12:8-12; John 14:26)

The ultimate sound wisdom given to the faithful – while helpful in fighting off the “wisdom of the world” – is that we will “understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”

In other words, we will find the truth of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life.

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