Be Wise! - A Summer Series Based On The Wisdom Of Proverbs

Be Wise

Proverbs

June 23, 2019

Three Stooges Video

Any ideas what were talking about today? Usually when someone calls us a wise guy - it means they’re not happy with us. We’ve done something to get them upset by giving some kind of a smart alec / sarcastic response. Well . . . amazingly, that’s the goal of this series! I want you to B Y’S

That’s right be a wise guy or a wise gal. That’s the title of this new summer series. For the next several weeks, we’re going to be looking into the book of Proverbs to gain a better understanding of God’s wisdom. The end result will be lots of better things if we can put God’s wisdom into practice. We’re going to be diving into lots of areas of life where we can and need to apply wisdom.

Here’s my challenge for you . . . From June 23 through the end of August, I would like you to read the book of Proverbs at least 2 times. Proverbs has 31 chapters, so very simply it’s 1 chapter per day. You’ll be amazed at the amount of wisdom you’ll gain and the number of times wisdom is used in this book.

As a quick background to the book of Proverbs - - about 3,000 years ago, King Solomon wrote the majority of this book. I’d say about 25 out of 31 chapters are attributed to him. So, how did Solomon get to be so wise? Great question!! We find the story in 1 Kings 3 - -

5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”

6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father,

because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you.

And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.

8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.

9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people,

that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself

long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,

12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind,

so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.

So, Solomon gained this wisdom from God, along with honor and riches. Which led him to share that wisdom with us. At that point in his life, Solomon realized a few things about wisdom.

When you have wisdom, you can have just about anything else.

If you have wisdom, you'll not only be able to make money, you'll know how to keep it.

If you have wisdom, you'll be able to develop lasting friendships.

If you have wisdom, you'll know what to say and when to say it.

If you have wisdom, you'll know how to make good and right decisions.

If you have wisdom, you'll be able to sleep at night, because you won't be dreading the consequences of your actions.

So, where do you get wisdom? Obviously, you know what I’m going to say. . . Read the Bible, that’s the best source.

When you get your wisdom from the Bible, it will prove to be right every time. In fact, the Bible draws a clear distinction between God's wisdom and human wisdom. In Proverbs 14:12, we read - -

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. – Proverbs 14:12

Our natural tendency is not toward wisdom, it’s towards foolishness. If you follow your natural instincts through life, we tend to find that many of things that seem like a good idea at the time prove to be not so good decisions in the end.

In order to succeed in life, we need wisdom. Proverbs shows us how to get it, and how to apply it to our lives. Sometimes, it’s pretty straight forward. In fact, most of the time it is. Have you ever read a book which is a best seller . . . and when you’re done, the book really didn’t teach you anything new, but the author was able to say it in a way which made sense - - - and then we think, “man I could have written that! That was pretty obvious!” Well, when we’re done, you may be thinking the same way. Some of what Solomon tells us obvious, but we need to sometimes be reminded of the obvious.