Read
The Foolishness
1My son, pay close attention
and don't forget
what I tell you to do.
2Obey me, and you will live!
Let my instructions be
your greatest treasure.
3Keep them at your fingertips
and write them
in your mind.
4Let wisdom be your sister
and make common sense
your closest friend.
5They will protect you
from the flattering words
of someone else's wife.
Reflect
I confess that there are days I chose to pick up my spy novel rather than sit and read my Bible. Surely there is someone who shares my guilt! Clearly wisdom and understanding of any real value is pretty scarce in that kind of morning reading! Yet in this passage we are challenged to embrace wisdom and understanding as we would a dear sister and or friend.
Wisdom and understanding are to be major ingredients of our heart and mind. We are to keep these truths in places that we can reach for them in a moment of need. As great cooks open their cupboards and choose just the right spices to create an amazing supper, so we need to grab and apply wisdom and understanding every day.
Unlike many of the spices in my cupboard that get little use, wisdom and understanding are to be like the salt and pepper of our lives. Used often, they make all the difference.
This passage is written to a son imploring him to listen to the commands (wisdom and understanding) imparted by his parents. It takes the wisdom and understanding of God to teach your children well. How do you boil it down so that it is not overwhelming for them? What are the majors? May we not get bogged down on the minors!
When applied like this, wisdom and understanding keep us from the stuff of life that destroys our character and poisons our souls. The only way we are going to be able to apply these truths in a moment’s notice is to know them. As you read the Word of God, receive the truths found there, even memorizing them! You have set yourself up with these precious soul vitamins within reach of the temptations and trials that may be ahead of you, perhaps even today.
Respond
Heavenly Father, you are all wise. Your word is my reference book for wisdom and understanding. Burn the truths I find there into the fiber of my soul. May I be given the insight required to apply these truths to myself and impart them to the children in my life. Amen.
Donna Dyck
Donna and her husband Bill are parents of 4 adult children and have 9 grandchildren. They have been pastoring at Toronto Alliance church for 28 years. Donna has written 2 books, Confessions of a Not So Average Girl and Confessions of an Unlikely Pastors wife. She has spoken at many conferences, seminars, and events over the years. She and her husband have just written a Devotional called Hope for an Unwanted Journey which will be published soon and is for parents, especially those who are walking through the valley of addiction or mental illness with their loved ones.