Listening to Wisdom

"Wisdom shouts in the street. She lifts her voice in the square. At the head of the noisy streets she cries out. At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention and you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof. I will also laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your dread comes, when your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would not accept my counsel. They spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” (rf. Proverbs 1:21-33)

You would think Solomon was alive and well and living in 21st century America, publishing this passage for consumption in his latest blog or newsletter article, hoping that we would read it and get his point.

One can see her desperately shouting to the passers-by, trying to get their attention. Wisdom endeavoring to warn them of what will befall if they will not heed her plain teachings. Most walk quickly by her as if she were a statue in the park, a lifeless relic of days gone by, a monument of values long forgotten. Others in their absolute foolishness seek to deify her as if she were a god, falling prostrate at her feet, worshiping her and singing her praises even as she defiantly kicks them away for their rank idolatry. She is, after all, the servant of the Most High God, not a competitor for His adoration and allegiance. Never would she brook such a rebellious thought in her own heart much less allow such an action her way.

Only a small few actually stand and listen to her words. They take in not only her warning but are prompted to run to the same Foundation upon which her words are based. Indeed, their eyes are opened to the reality that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”From that relational starting point, their lives are changed, their souls refreshed, their minds renewed. They are now ready to follow Wisdom’s path, prepared to face the challenges that life has awaiting them fully armed with the Master’s weapons of truth, faith and knowledge.

The question is this: Has Wisdom’s words of warning fallen on your deaf ears or have you been open to Wisdom as expressed in God’s Word? Though personified as a woman here in Proverbs, the wisdom of God is nonetheless intended for us to heed if we are to live our lives in accordance to His will. Thus, if God’s Word takes a distant back seat in our daily lives in terms of importance, then so does His wisdom.

The above warning is for us. If we despise His wisdom, we should not complain when our wisdom falls and our plans fail miserably. However, if we seek His wisdom, He promises not only to grant it in abundance, but also the blessings that accompany it. Personally, I will take His wisdom over mine anytime. Comparing the greatness of the God of the universe to my own pitiful qualities: No contest. His wisdom, without question!