Read
6 All wisdom comes from the Lord,
and so do common sense
and understanding.
7God gives helpful advice
to everyone who obeys him
and protects those
who live as they should.
8God sees that justice is done,
and he watches over everyone
who is faithful to him.
Reflect
I remember the first time I heard the phrase, “All truth is God’s Truth.” It hit me with a myriad of implications. Any time I heard something that rang true, it was connected ultimately to God. Here we hear that not only does wisdom come from the Lord, but even “common sense.” Ever heard the phrase, “A stitch in time saves nine”? It might not be apparent at first, but the basic principle goes back to God. Take care of things early with immediate follow-through, or you may have a lot more work to do later. That’s how God made things.
God loves to give advice. In a world of self-help books and gurus, we have the Word of God to guide us. The wisdom of the Proverbs protects us from harming ourselves or allowing others to do so. We learn that God doesn’t just leave us to our own devices, but gives us the insight to be decisive.
The God of the Bible has got this. He is watching out and has a special eye on those who are faithful to him. This should give us the confidence to go forward and act on his advice, and the motivation to keep searching his Word for guidance.
We live in a world with a lot of conflicting opinions and options, thankfully we can have confidence that as we put into practice the helpful advice of God, we will be better off for it in the long run. As they say, common sense isn’t that common. In fact, it’s divine. It’s high time we started seeing that God made all that exists, including our own existence, and has graciously given us the owner’s manual. Don’t forget to read the instructions.
Respond
God of All Truth, anything that rings true sings of you, so we ask that we would heed your advice, in order that we would be guided into lives that reflect the purpose we were created for, and enjoy the relationship with you that brings true protection. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Cyril Guerette
Dr. Cyril Guerette is Lead Pastor of ForestView Church Without Walls in Oakville, ON. He also served for 10 years as a pastor in downtown Toronto. He holds a PhD (University of St. Michael’s College) and M.Phil (University of Cambridge) and serves as Associate Professor of Philosophy & Theology at Heritage College & Seminary. Cyril enjoys writing, taking walks, making hiphop music, playing with his children, and admiring the mixed-media photographic artwork of his wife, Maegan. Publications: Guerette, Cyril. Poetic/Dialectic: The Confluence of Poetry and Philosophy in St. Anselm’s Theology. Portland, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2017 (Forthcoming). Guerette, Cyril. “The Pastor as Poet”, in For Christ and His Church. Edited by Rick Reed. Kitchener-Waterloo, ON: Joshua Press, 2015. Guerette, Cyril. “An Appeal to Zeal”, in Letters to a Future Church: Words of Encouragement and Prophetic Appeals. Edited by Chris Lewis. Downer’s Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2012.