Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Proverbs 4 and Psalm 41

Proverbs 4 calls us to love and prize wisdom very highly (v.8). In fact, in both v.5 and 7, it teaches us to “get” wisdom – thereby translating the Hebrew word “qana” which implies purchasing something. So it’s clear that wisdom is really worth having, and that it has wonderful benefits that make it worth whatever it may cost us.

Wisdom is well worth having, according to this chapter, because it will protect us, guard us, make us great, keep us in better health, and honour us with a long, good and righteous life (v.6-10, 18, 22). Who wouldn’t want that? Who wouldn’t want to be led down the “way of the righteous” which “shines ever brighter until the first light of day” (v.18)?

But there is a price to pay. To walk in wisdom’s ways, first we are required to reject and renounce the ways of the evil (v.14-16). This can often feel like a difficult decision. The ways of evil are usually very attractive, and present themselves as the easiest, least costly and quickest way to accomplish “the good life”. To avoid them we will need to be very clear in our own minds that we trust wisdom’s way, even when it appears more difficult and costly in the short term. We will need to pay the price of listening attentively to wise teaching, guidance and correction, meditating on wisdom’s ways so that they may “penetrate deep” into our hearts (v.21); and be single-mindedly focussed on staying on wisdom’s pathway.

Lord, help me not to be fooled by the tempting, easy way out or the shortcut. Help me to choose the way of wisdom, even when the inital cost seems higher and the way seems longer. Guide me by Your Spirit of wisdom, and empower me to follow wisdom’s way, every moment of my day. Amen.