Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 636 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

God's Wisdom, Your Wisdom - Proverbs 15

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 636 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 15 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. It is another busy week of work and investing additional time with our grandson Kiprono. He continually absorbs everything that he hears, sees, and experiences. It would do us all well, as adults, to foster this passion for learning in each of us.

Our granddaughter Hazel has been feeling fairly well the past couple of weeks, but her blood counts remain a bit on the low side, so it is a holding period for us and a planning time for the oncology team before they determine her next extensive regimen of treatments. For those of us that like to take action and solve problems, these periods of waiting are extra difficult. We know that God is in control of Hazel’s situation, so we must be patient and wait.

During these days when our wisdom falters, all we can do is call on the Eternal and allow Him to work His will and way, knowing His wisdom prevails. This is the topic for today as we explore Chapter 15 of Proverbs and our focus will be…

God’s Wisdom, Your Wisdom

This chapter is marked by the frequent use of God’s personal covenant name “Yahweh” (translated as “Lord” in most English translations and the Eternal in the Voice translation). It is repeated 9 times in this chapter, which is almost as many as the preceding 5 Chapters altogether!

There’s something significant about that. In Chapters 10-14 we heard a lot about morality and good behavior, but now it’s all being connected to our personal relationship with the God of the Bible. The book of Proverbs isn’t simply about being a decent person, but a person who is being changed by a relationship with Yahweh.

The major themes in this chapter include:

The power of a well-chosen response (verses 1-4)

The critical need for instruction (verses 5-12)

The blessing of a cheerful disposition (verses 13-18)

The secret of a successful path (verses 19-24)

The favor that comes to the humble heart (verses 25-33)

While these are great principles, they are meaningless and empty if a relationship with God is not the motivation behind them.

As I read through these various themes, pay attention to how the author weaves devotion to Yahweh, the Eternal, into these principles of life. What do these proverbs reveal about the Eternal’s character? What strikes you most personally?

Listen intently as I read Proverbs 15:

1 A tender answer turns away rage,

but a prickly reply spikes anger.

2 The words of the wise extend knowledge,

but foolish people utter nonsense.

3 The Eternal can see all things;

His gaze is fixed on both the evil and the good.

4 A word of encouragement heals the one who receives it,

but a deceitful word breaks the spirit.

5 Fools refuse their parents’ guidance,

but sensible children accept correction.

6 Great treasure may be found where the right-living make their home,

but trouble awaits the wicked at every turn.

7 When the wise speak, knowledge spreads far and wide,

but fools care nothing about such matters.

8 When the wicked offer sacrifices, they disgust the Eternal,