Proverbs 3:7-8
The
Book of Proverbs is unlike most of the rest of the Bible. It’s not a story like
Exodus or Job or most of the Old Testament; it is not a letter like Romans or
Ephesians or any of the Epistle letters; it’s not prophecy like Isaiah or Revelation;
and, it’s not poetry like Psalms. In other words Proverbs stands alone unlike
any other Book of the Bible. It is called a collection of wise say-ings. We
usually read it in small doses, like a daily devotional. It seems like a
collection of unrelated, unconnected sayings that sort of jump all over the
place, but when we look closer we will find that within the Book of Proverbs
there are definite themes that emerge. One of those themes is “wisdom” which is
connected with the “fear of the Lord.”
The
third part of Proverbs 3 – another directive for our lives says; “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your
bones.” I know a lot of people who are “wise in their own eyes” but I have
learned to be wise in the things of the Lord and never think I know it all. I
always try to remember that “my ways are not God’s ways” according to
scripture, and that my understanding and wisdom are not always right.
So, this is part of what it means to “fear the Lord.”
- In this age of information knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is scarce.
Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. It is a basic attitude that
affects every aspect of life. The foundation of knowledge is to fear the
Lord—to honor and respect God, to live in awe of his power, and to obey his
Word. Faith in God should be the controlling principle for our understanding of
the world, our attitudes, and our actions. Trust in God—he will make you truly
wise. Our lives are to be ones that constantly seek the Lord and His wisdom and
instruction. There is only One who knows it all and it is not the person that
you see when you look in the mirror.
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