Wisdom shouts in the street;
in the public square she raises her voice.
21 Above the noisy crowd, she calls out.
At the entrances of the city gates, she has her say:
22 “How long will you clueless people love your naïveté,
mockers hold their mocking dear,
and fools hate knowledge?
23 You should respond when I correct you.
Look, I’ll pour out my spirit on you.
I’ll reveal my words to you.
24 I invited you, but you rejected me;
I stretched out my hand to you,
but you paid no attention.
28 Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will seek me, but won’t find me
29 because they hated knowledge
and didn’t choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They didn’t want my advice;
they rejected all my corrections.
31 They will eat from the fruit of their way,
and they’ll be full of their own schemes.
32 The immature will die because they turn away;
smugness will destroy fools.
33 Those who obey me will dwell securely,
untroubled by the dread of harm.”
Reflection
The saying goes, “Knowledge is knowing what quick sand is, and wisdom is knowing to walk around it.” If we don’t use what we know, we can fall into a trap and it can lead to our destruction. But many people fall for the trap that knowledge is enough, relying on their own limited understanding. When we don’t put our trust in God, we end up
pursuing our own desires at the expense of others. Following the wise path is hard work. Some people give up out of doubt, anger or frustration and turn their backs on God and live their lives for only earthly things, not the things of God.
When Solomon, the writer of Proverbs, became King, he asked God for wisdom and discernment to lead the nation. God granted him knowledge and wisdom. Solomon instructed Israel to listen to God, to not be foolish by turning their backs on God, as abandoning God would lead to their destruction. Yet, Solomon didn’t follow his own advice, he turned his heart away from God to the idols of his foreign wives. Solomon’s foolishness would have disastrous consequences for Israel.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering & Prayer
We see the importance of living a life seeking God’s wisdom versus a life lived in foolishness, in Proverbs 1:7. Solomon says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Wisdom then, is loving God, having reverence for God’s holiness, experiencing the awe of God’s miraculous power, worshipping God, reading God’s word, and following Jesus.
This spiritual wisdom is a gift from God to us, as long as we follow Jesus by loving God and loving others, our feet can stay on the path of wisdom. No matter how difficult it may be, whether we doubt, or become angry or frustrated, we can trust God to supply what we need to sustain us on this journey. So don’t settle for the status quo, and don’t give up!
It’s a good practice to ask ourselves each day, are we seeking God’s wisdom? Which path are we following, the wise path or the foolish path?
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, send us your gift of wisdom so we may discern the path that you would have us follow. We trust in you Lord to sustain us on this journey as we follow Jesus. Amen.
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