Signs of the Times

Proverbs 13

Scripture – vs. 1 “Intelligent children listen to their parents;
foolish children do their own thing.”

Vs. 13 “Ignore the Word and suffer;
 honour God’s commands and grow rich.”

Vs. 25 “An appetite for good brings much satisfaction, but the belly of the wicked always wants more.”

Observation – Too many wisdom sayings! How do I keep them in my head? The young Jewish students must have had some memorizing techniques. Anyway, I’ve chosen the first, middle and last verse of Proverbs 13 to look at today.

Sing-song contrasts --  Each saying has two parts with contrasting cause & effect concepts.

Causes… listen vs do their own thing, ignore the word vs honour commands, appetite for good vs belly of the wicked.

Effects… Intelligence vs foolish, suffer vs grow rich, satisfaction vs wants more.

Practical... Each saying can be applied to everyday ordinary life. Wisdom is practiced in the small things as well as the large decisions.

Application – I don’t post or forward witty sayings on Facebook, I struggle with church signs with creative sayings, and I don’t display inspirational posters in my study. I’m skeptical that life is as simple as cause & effect actions inspired by a glossy poster. But isn't that what Proverbs are? Are they daily reminders of an intentional life of common sense and faithful obedience? I love reading Proverbs from the Bible, why don’t I like them when splashed on neon signs or framed on a wall?

But it can’t hurt for me to embrace truth in any form it is presented… even if it is a church sign. 

Prayer – Lord of wisdom, help me to value common sense. Also, help me attend to your Spiritual-sense that you have placed within me through Jesus. Bring to heart and mind your words of wisdom to guide my everyday ordinary decisions.