Real Hope: ProverbsSample

The Wise Choice

Proverbs is about wisdom, but it is not about finding a few pithy sayings and holding fast to them hoping that they will provide answers to every situation we encounter in our lives. The book is a gathering of wisdom of ancients that shows the consequence of choosing wisdom or choosing folly.

We would all like to be wise all the time, saying the right thing at the right moment to comfort or provide insight; to speak wisely in situations that are tense, so that there can be calmness, peace and order. We would like to be recognised as a wise person. How much would we like to have the wisdom to fix the wrongs in our lives, heal the broken relationships and see the future?

The reality is that we can’t undo what has been done and that we will keep making unwise choices. Sorry for the reality check!

The book of Proverbs shows us that the wise person fears God and knows that following Him is the wise way. It will not make us perfect, and it will challenge us to pause for thought to see what might be a better choice, because we know God and seek Him in all aspects of our lives.

Nonetheless, in the midst of this, God has acted and provided a way. As John 14:6 tells us, Jesus is ‘the way and the truth and the life’. The wise choice is to respond to Jesus and follow Him.

Written by DAVID BARKER