THE CALL OF WISDOM
Proverbs 8:32-36 NKJV
32 "Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death."
This is a fascinating chapter in the book of Proverbs. The entire chapter is about wisdom, godly wisdom. In this chapter, wisdom is personified as a woman. Wisdom is not demanding or forcing; wisdom is calling. Wisdom is available, but wisdom is not going to knock down your door to enter your life. Verse 17 is quite telling. Wisdom declares she loves those who love her, and those who seek her diligently will find her. Wisdom is a very attractive package. The blessings of wisdom and the timeless nature of wisdom should not be overlooked.
In our verses for today, wisdom is summing up and encouraging us to listen. Wisdom does not beg but clearly states the benefits that godly wisdom brings into our lives. Blessed are the ones who keep wisdom. James would later state in his New Testament letter that the blessed ones are those who do God's Word. We will never separate the word of God from the wisdom of God. The blessed among us are those who hear God's wisdom and do not think lightly of it. That's a truth that is so vital and so easy to overlook. Because God does not force us to listen, but always presents His wisdom as a matter of choice and obedience, we have to guard against a casual posture toward His word.
Wisdom speaks to the importance of obtaining through consistency. It's no secret that I am a big proponent of daily Bible reading and spending time thinking about applying God's Word to our lives. I am only repeating what God's wisdom is saying. Blessed are those who seek daily. Seeking and waiting indicate hunger, a desire to know and learn. This is not a duty but an opportunity. For wisdom tells us what happens. Those who find wisdom find life and obtain favor from the Lord. There are so many areas of our life where death has been the primary influence. And by death, I do not mean ceasing to exist, but the resulting darkness of being apart from God and His ways. When we learn to walk in the wisdom of God, we inject life into our situations. When I learned to walk more in the wisdom of God's love, it injected a big dose of life into my relationships. When I learned through God's wisdom to speak words that would build instead of tearing down, things changed for the better. We are all learning to walk in God's ways, or we could say, God's wisdom. When we do, things improve. God's wisdom is not the easiest path; it's the best, most productive, life-giving path. And don't forget that walking in God's wisdom positions us for His favor.
Wisdom closes with a warning, and it's stout. Sinning against wisdom hurts us, "wrongs his own soul." Ever told someone that if they continued down this path, it was going to hurt them? That is exactly what wisdom is saying. And if we think little of God's wisdom, we are too attached to the ways of the world that produce death. Again, not ceasing to exist but separating us from the life and favor that God has prepared for those who love Him. And love His wisdom.
I encourage you to read this chapter again. It's one of the most profound chapters of the Proverbs. God's wisdom existed before the world was ever formed. And God's wisdom is still viable and powerful today. Wisdom is calling. What is your answer?