Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 571 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Benefits of Wisdom - Proverbs 2

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 571 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore Proverbs 2 from The Voice Translation which will give us a fresh perspective on this book of timeless wisdom.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. I invested last week in Arizona working with our construction project there. Interest is strong for purchasing the townhomes that we are just completing. It appears that we will be able to start on Phase II within the next couple of months. The desert was green and in bloom and was beautiful in its own way. Spring in Ohio, which is just starting to show its colors is also beautiful in its own way. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”

Although we don’t know exactly what the future may hold for us, there is a great benefit to having wisdom in our lives. It allows us to anticipate possible outcomes to our decisions and make wise decisions. So today in chapter 2 of Proverbs, we will explore…

The Benefits of Wisdom

This entire chapter is the father’s second speech to his son. It is more encouraging (and a little less bloody) than the last one, but his tone is still urgent. If you seek out wisdom, you will find it, but you’ve got to look hard.

Verses 4-5

“Look for [wisdom] as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”

How badly do you want wisdom? Do you value it as something rare and precious? If so, you’re going to have to work for it like a man digging for gold. The good news is that God is pleased to give wisdom and success to people who seek it, so get ready for the most important treasure hunt that exists! But be warned of greed or pride. The best way to succeed is to stay humble and continue to ask God for help.

In verse 5 we learn that we must truly respect the Eternal One – the one True God. This is synonymous with knowing God. Like a child who touches fire and learns its true strength, when we know God, we humbly revere His huge, all-encompassing power. This transforms our stance towards Him, as well as our behavior. Don’t worry if this sounds intense! The father promises that as wisdom “enters your heart,” you will have direction and guidance, and knowledge “will be pleasant to your soul.”

Verses 12-22

There’s a lot of imagery here about the landscape of good or evil paths. The father warns about two specific dangers on the journey – you are going to encounter people who take shortcuts in life at the expense of others (evildoers) or who tempt you to break your marriage covenants for easy sex (the seductive woman). These people may seem thrilling at first, but their cheap, twisted, “shadowy pit” will lead you to misery, or, as the father says, “they will never again find their way back to true life.” That is serious. Remember, wisdom will keep you away from the grips of these people and will lead you to a life of stability and joy.

1 My son, if you accept what I am telling you

and store my counsel and directives deep within you,

2 If you listen for Lady Wisdom, attune your ears to her,

and engage your mind to understand what she is telling you,

3 If you cry out to her for insight

and beg for understanding,