Proverb A Day: Proverbs 1
PROVERB A DAY
Pastor Kevin leads us through a daily thought on Proverbs 1.
Transcript Below.
Well, good morning everyone. Welcome to may. It’s May 1st today. That means two things. It means that it’s my brother’s birthday. And it means that we’re going to be in chapter one of Proverbs and looking to see what God might want to say to us there. When, when we drop into the book of Proverbs are right off the bat, we find some words about the intended outcome of reading and reflecting on the Proverbs in the ways that we have been. What should we hope to see happening in our lives as we do that? And there’s a couple of verses verses two and three that drew my attention when I was looking at them. Earlier today. This is what they say the Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel. Here’s what we should be finding for gaining wisdom and instruction for understanding words of insight, for receiving instruction in prudent behavior doing what is right and just and fair.
So when I read that, I see that there’s a couple of different things that are playing out in the Proverbs here. When we read the words like wisdom and understanding and insight in verse two, it’s clear that the Proverbs are wanting to shape the way that we think, right? They’re wanting to lead us into wisdom and understanding and insight. And, and the fact is that’s what they have done for me throughout my life. I’ve been reading the Proverbs throughout my life and, and I love, I’m drawn to the depth and to the wisdom that I find there. Oftentimes it’s even looked like this. There are Proverbs still that I read that I don’t fully understand. And yet every time I come back to them, when I come back to them, a month later, or a year later, or five years later, I find that my understanding is deepening that there are layers to the wisdom here that I’m soaking in.
And I love that about the Proverbs. They’re, they’re shaping the way that I think. But if I’m paying attention to verse two in verse three here in Proverbs one I need to realize that that’s not the ultimate goal of the Proverbs. It’s not the full goal, at least having the ways that I think being shaped because verse three is going to tell me that it’s also about shaping the way that I live. Right? So it says that the Proverbs are for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair these words and this idea of, of Proverbs leading me to do what is right and just and fair. They tell me that this isn’t just about shaping the way that I think it’s about shaping the way way that I live. And, and the fact is many of us can, can live our lives in our heads, right?
And we can live our faith in our heads. We can be really focused on orthodoxy on, on right thinking. But that doesn’t always translate into orthopraxy. Right. Living our faith doesn’t always transition from our head down to our hands. And, and that’s a problem. It’s a problem for Proverbs. It’s also a problem in the new Testament. So James is going to tell us in James one, two, two, don’t just listen to the word, don’t just hear the word. And so deceive yourself. Do what it says. And Jesus says something very similar in the sermon on the Mount when, when he says to people that whoever hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a man who builds his house on solid ground, right? It’s the putting into practice that leads to someone having their life on solid ground. Whoever hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice, that person’s house ends up crashing. And so the Proverbs care about the same thing. The Proverbs are wanting to shape the way that we think and the way that we live so that our lives will withstand the storms that come their way. So as, as you head into this day you might want to take a few minutes, are reflecting on where you might need a nudge. Do you find yourself tempted at times to live in your head? Mmm.
Let the Proverbs that you read make their way from your head down into your hands. Or you may be at the other end of the spectrum. You might be someone who lives through your hands. You, you might be someone of action but not always a lot of careful thought. Maybe this is a good time for you to spend some time reflecting on the things that you do and ensuring that you’re doing the right things for the right reasons. Whoever you are and whatever your natural bent is, we all want God to shape us through his word in our head and in our hands and in our heart. So grace and peace to you for today. When you have read through the rest of chapter one of Proverbs remember to make a comment on the page here to let us know what it is that God is saying to you through this book so we can be encouraged together. Have a great day.