Wisdom - A Father’s Wise Advise

A father’s wise advise is to get wisdom; develop good judgement


“My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment, for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions. For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child. My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.”(Proverbs 4:1-6)

One of the greatest responsibilities we have as parents is to encourage our children to become wise.  Solomon says “encourage to become”. He has made the case for wisdom throughout the first three chapters and is telling how his father, David, encouraged him to seek wisdom when he was young. Who would not want the things promised by possessing wisdom? Encourage to become makes it clear that our children are not born wise. Becoming wise is a developmental process which is intended to be spearheaded by parents. When we have problems with parenting our children; this is a great scripture that gives us wise advice from our heavenly father that we need to embrace.

Solomon says don’t turn away from his teaching. He says pay attention and grow wise. The lesson here is that if children don’t pay attention to their parents that will not grow wise.  Parents must be able to give good guidance and develop good judgement. Children must listen when they are corrected and not be resistant. We are corrected by our heavenly father as we learn good judgement in giving effective guidance. This is the way to wisdom.


Solomon says, “Follow my commands and you will live.”


- Larry Walker

Monday, June 5, 2017

Trusting in the Lord - Rewards of Wisdom

 “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.” 

(Proverbs 3:1-18)


In the past weeks we have been concentrating on what the Bible has to say about wisdom. It is important to know what Almighty God has to say about this very important topic in the context of what God means when He speaks of wisdom. The Bible says; “Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom”. (Proverbs 1:5-7) 


The special description “wise” is used for 12 significant people in the Bible. They can be helpful models in our pursuit of wisdom. Joseph was a wise leader. He prepared for a major famine and helped to rule Egypt. Ref. Acts 7:10)


In the subject text we are are directed to the rewards of possessing wisdom. The emphasis is on trusting the Lord God Almighty. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will direct our paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)


The most important reward we receive, as we trust God and seek His wisdom, is that God, Himself will direct or paths. It doesn’t get any better than that! However their are other rewards that come to us as we go through our lives. How about “renewed health and vitality” v4, and “The Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights” v12, and then “Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding”v13.


Other rewards are profit better than silver, life in her right hand and riches and honor in her left. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her. Creation is the result of God’s wisdom.


Wisdom has many rewards.


- Larry Walker

Tuesday, May 23, 2017



 

The Benefits of Wisdom

I don’t think it is hard to conclude that wisdom is important to us. But consider the benefits that come to us if we are able to become wise. Many of us seek knowledge and confuse its accumulation as wisdom. Dictionaries define wisdom as the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight. 


Wisdom has been regarded as a virtue, it is a habit or disposition to perform an action with the highest degree of adequacy under any given circumstance with a limitation of error in any given action.  A university professor has said: 'It is good to be clever but better to be wise”


Wisdom is definitely important. But, more importantly is from where we receive wisdom. As always the Biblical view is the reliable one.  


“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you.” 

(Proverbs 2: 1-11) 


There it is! "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). There are many benefits that come to us from possessing wisdom. And this wisdom comes from the Lord. The Bible says, “For the Lord grants wisdom!” (v-6) It is important that we teach this to our young people.


-Larry Walker

Wednesday, May 17, 2017


Study: Wisdom for Young People, (Proverbs 1:1-7); Wisdom vs Enticement, (Proverbs 1:8- 15); Consequences of Rejecting Wisdom, (Proverbs 1:20-33)

The Consequence of Rejecting Wisdom

Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts. At the town center she makes her speech. In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand. At the busiest corner she calls out: “SimpletonsHow long will you wallow in ignorance? Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism? Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn? About face! I can revise your life. Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you; I’m ready to tell you all I know. As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear; I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me. Since you laugh at my counsel and make a joke of my advice, How can I take you seriously? I’ll turn the tables and joke about your troubles! What if the roof falls in, and your whole life goes to pieces? What if catastrophe strikes and there’s nothing to show for your life but rubble and ashes? You’ll need me then. You’ll call for me, but don’t expect an answer. No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me. Because you hated Knowledge and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God, because you wouldn’t take my advice and brushed aside all my offers to train you, well, you’ve made your bed—now lie in it; you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it? Don’t you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?  Carelessness kills; complacency is murder. First pay attention to me, and then relax. Now you can take it easy—you’re in good hands.” 

(Proverbs 1:20-33)


This word picture of wisdom, as a woman shouting out  in the streets, is a personification--a literary device to make wisdom come alive to the reader. Wisdom is the revelation of the mind of God. Make sure you don’t reject God’s offer of His wisdom to you. 


How do we prepare ourselves  to be wise? In order for us to  understand how to become wise, we need to heed wisdom calling and instructing us in the book of Proverbs. By reading about  the early ministry of Jesus the Christ we can see New Testament calls for wisdom. Paul’s second letter to Timothy says; “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and love, and of a sound mind.”(2 Timothy 1:7) Another example is James 1:5; “If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that gives to all men liberally.”


In the book of Proverbs, a simpleton, or a fool is not someone with a mental deficiency but someone with a character deficiency (such as rebellion, laziness, or anger. The fool is not stupid, but he or she is unable to tell right from wrong or good from bad.


God is more than willing to pour out His heart and make known His thoughts to us. To receive His advice we must be willing to listen, refusing to let pride stand in our way. Pride is thinking more highly of our own wisdom and desires than of God’s. If we think we know better than God or feel we have no need of God’s direction we have fallen into foolish and disastrous pride.


- Larry Walker

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Wisdom vs. Enticement

This past Sunday I had the extreme pleasure of spending most of the day, (8:00a - 7:00p), with our FBCB faith family. It started in the Commons area where a discipleship group of young men was meeting and then moving on throughout the building as various preparations were taking place for when the Church would formalize our worship at 9:30 and 11:11. There was group prayers for those who would lead in worship. The Campus Bible Communities were beginning in the Gathering rooms. Sunday was “God of the City” worship as the Church came together and and received opportunities to be the “COW”, (Church Outside the Walls). FBCB prayer-walked throughout the city as we prayed for schools, nursing homes, a hospital emergency department, sheriff’s and BPD dispatchers and other places from which we had received specific prayer requests. It was good to see our faith family go outside and be the church. Most of the rest of the day was spent on the front lawn as our faith family ate and played games until dusk. The Movie Night was a time of worship as we closed out the day with the movie testimony of the power of prayer. I couldn’t help but think how valuable is the time parents spend with their children. I want to share some more about what the Bible teaches about being on guard. We need to be alert to enticement from the evil one. Enticement is a lure. It is temptation, appeal, bait, etc. Proverbs helps us to identify enticement and how to win against this attack on our families from the evil one.


The Bible says, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who go down to the pit; we will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with spoil; throw in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse,” My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, for their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood. Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird; but they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors.” (Proverbs 1: 1-15)


Sin is enticing because it offers a quick route to prosperity and makes us feel like one of the crowd. We cannot be friendly with sin and expect our lives to remain unaffected.

 

As I reflect on this past Sunday my prayer is that as the little children grow and when the parents are faced with how to deal with societal and spiritual pressures from a world view we will turn to God’s Word for the wisdom we need to impart to our children. One last consideration. There were children of all ages on the front lawn Sunday. Attacks from the evil one occur at any age.


- Larry Walker

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Wisdom for Young People

Once upon a time; long, long ago; there was a wonderful, Godly man who served our church as Associate Pastor. It was He who led Beverly and me to Jesus when we were 19 years old. We were blessed to know him and benefit from the example of how he lived his Christian life. In our staff meeting this past week we were talking about how to be responsible in guiding what our children see on TV, movies, and electronic devices. We do all we can to guide our children and help them grow in a healthy environment. With parental controls and ratings we do the best we can to make sure our children don’t view inappropriate movies and TV shows. We take seriously our responsibility to our children.


I was reminded of the devices to which we were exposed to satisfy this very important responsibility of parenting before cell phones, pads, watches, etc. Yes, there was a time before electronics. One of these devices was the aforementioned associate pastor. We had a lot of “fellowships” when we were youngsters. An important component of our fellowships, (along with the sandwiches and chips), was very enjoyable movies. We had our eyes fixed on the screen on the stand in front of us. We didn’t have many TV’s in our homes back then and to go to the movies usually was limited to the Organ Club at The Jefferson Theatre on Saturday morning. Movies at the theatre cost 9 to 12 cents and mass transit, (the bus) cost 3 cents. Fellowship Movies were free and enjoyable, but did require some monitoring, (we were told). We did have some parental controls. As our 1950’s movies approached something questionable we would experience a black screen. Our AP would have previewed the film prior to the fellowship. He would also run the projector during the fellowship. When questionable scenes approached he would close the window on the projector case. Now that’s monitoring! I often wondered what was behind those blackouts on the screen but I never wondered about the heart of the man who caused them. He always wanted what was best for us and he used principles from God’s Word to do so.


Some of these priceless principles from Scripture are in Proverbs 1:1 to 9:18. The theme is “The Usefulness of the Proverbs”. Proverbs are practical tools for everyday life. 


Solomon the son of King David wrote: The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;To give prudence to the naive,To the youth knowledge and discretion, A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.


God wants his people to be wise. Two kinds of people portray two contrasting paths of life. The fool is the wicked, stubborn person who hates or ignores God. The wise person seeks to know and love God.


- Larry Walker

Tuesday, April 25, 2017