Proverbs 8:32-36 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 8:32-36, which read,

v.32-34 - "Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, for blessed are they who keep my ways.  Heed instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.  Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts."

Solomon is instructing his sons on wisdom, wisdom that is old, older than even creation.  Solomon is drawing upon something is beyond himself and from God Himself.  This instruction of God is something that we are to take upon ourselves to reap the benefits of its sowing into our lives.

In these verses we are told to listen, keep, heed, be, do not neglect, watch daily, and wait.  We listen to others who are speaking God's wisdom to us.  We keep to the instruction given to us by God.  We heed, or take action upon, the counsel of God.  We be, take upon ourselves, the instruction of God that now defines us.  We do not neglect or set it aside.  We watch daily at His gates or we put ourselves in a place to hear from Him and we wait at His doorposts.  Again, as we have seen before, these are all action verbs that put the following of wisdom an active and not passive activity.

How well do you listen to others?  I am not very good at this at times.  I dismiss it but that is the illogical thing to do because my loving heavenly Father has given me others to help me understand Him better.  God has placed people, His family, in my life to instruct me.  But you say, "Wait a minute, you're the pastor, they are suppose to listen to you."  That is true but I also need to listen to them and learn from them.  I have to put myself in a place, gates and doorposts, to benefit from what God has provided.  Putting myself in that place is many times more mental than physical.  I need to be ready to listen and that takes submission to hear.  For me this is hard and I think maybe for others in leadership positions who are constantly giving out instead of taking in.  I need to understand that I am missing out of something God wants me to know if I don't stop and listen to godly wisdom from His family.

v.35, 36 - "For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD.  But he who sins against me injures himself; all those who hate me love death."

How do I want to live?  Do I want to be one who seeks after God and His wisdom or do I want to be one who dismisses what God says and shield myself from His instruction?  One results in life and favor and the other results in injury and death.  Again, another side by side comparison makes the obvious that much more obvious.  The stating of it here makes the option of doing what is wrong so very common that instruction is needed of the obvious to follow after.  

For me a stepping back is needed to see the whole picture.  My initial response is sometimes something that if played out leads to injury and death and so God's wisdom is needed to make my next responses those that lead to life and favor of God.  That should be our ultimate goal, not that we have favor in ourselves but favor from the One who created us and gave His Son to provide us eternal life through the salvation of the cross and the resurrection from the grave.   I am here to glorify God and not myself and in the process of following His wisdom a life will follow that would not if I followed what I wanted and not what He wanted.

May we desire God and listen to Him as He communicates His wisdom to us.  May we experience life provided by Him and put ourselves in a place to hear and heed it.  Let's pray.

"Lord, You are a great God.  Thank You for the many ways that You present Your wisdom to us.  It is my job to be in a place to hear it, at Your gates and doorposts, so I pray to be in those places that glorify You and teach of You.  Amen."

Pastor Adam