Prudence

PRUDENCE

OBSERVATION: PRUDENCE DEFINED: WISE, CAREFUL, CAUTIOUS, AND GUARDED. A FOOL IS DEFINED EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.

INTERPRETATION: PROVERBS 14:15 (NKJV) THE SIMPLE BELIEVES EVERY WORD, BUT THE PRUDENT CONSIDERS WELL HIS STEPS. PROVERBS 14:15 (THE BOOK) ONLY SIMPLETONS BELIEVE EVERYTHING THEY ARE TOLD! THE PRUDENT CAREFULLY CONSIDER THEIR STEPS.

THOUGHTS FOR THE LISTENER:

JACOB APPEARS NAÏVE AS A YOUNG MAN: HE DID NOT GRASP THE HATRED OF HIS BROTHER ESAU TOWARD HIM FOR STEALING HIS BIRTHRIGHT. (GENESIS 27: 41). NEHEMIAH REFUSED TO STOP RESTORING THE WALL AROUND JERUSALEM: HIS ENEMIES DID NOT SUCCEED IN STOPPING HIM! (NEHEMIAH 6) PRUDENCE PREVAILED!

A WISE BELIEVER MUST LISTEN AND EVALUATE WHAT HE HEARS. HE EVALUATES ACCORDING TO THE WORD! HE PURSUES BIBLICAL WISDOM AND PRACTICES DISCRETION.

A WISE MAN FEARS EVIL AND AVOIDS IT.

A WISE MAN EMBRACES BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING THAT DIGNIFIES HIM. HE WALKS IN BIBLICAL CHARACTER.

SIMPLETONS BELIEVE EVERYTHING AND HAVE NO CONVICTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING (PARTIAL QUOTE-WARREN WIERSBE)

APPLICATION: THE BASIC CHARACTERISTIC OF A NAÏVE PERSON IS GULLIBILITY. A PRUDENT BELIEVER IS CAREFUL!