Prescribing Proverbs – August 3rd – RX Three
PRESCRIBING PROVERBS
August 3, 2021
A Proverb a day keeps Untruth away
Proverbs 1:1-6, ‘These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David’s son, Israel’s king—written down so we’ll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it’s going; a manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair; to teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality. There’s something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.’ (MSG)
Prescription (RX) Three: Know-It-Alls
Proverbs 3:7, Don’t think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore Him with undivided devotion and avoid everything that is wrong.’ (TPT)
Have you ever tried to have a conversation with a Know-It-All? You might as well be invisible, right, because all they can hear and see is themselves and their own thoughts, ideas, beliefs, ideals. I have wondered if it would even be noticed if I got up and walked away, as a Know-It-All typically is so zoned in on what he or she wishes to express, they seem to not be paying attention to anything around them, including someone else’s concerns.
Recently, I was (well, trying to be) in a conversation with a very opinionated person and I felt like I was snapping at flies. I’d open my lips to impart some tidbit of information, whether invaluable or useless would remain to be seen, and this person was intent on forging forward with her points, so I’d close my mouth, then open it again to try to get my words in, to no avail. Eventually, I gave up and decided I would just be polite and listen and try to smile responsibly and timely.Our Proverb today puts it in perspective for me. I wondered when I read this verse if the Lord feels about me the way I felt the other day with my Know-It-All friend. I wondered if He wishes I would just stop talking so He can download a Word to me. I wondered if He ever thinks to Himself, ‘No wonder this child hasn’t gotten further in life; she never stops to listen!’ And it made me realize that I can’t possibly see or learn anything He wants to show or teach me if I am so full of my own assumptions and findings that there’s no room for any of His. He can’t pour anything into this vessel if the vessel is full and spilling over with its own contents. However, if I listen, i.e. not know everything, and if I allow Him to fill me with the Fruit of His Spirit, then what overflows is the Fruit of the Spirit that He put inside of me: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23a).
See, we learn when we listen, and He desires to impart wisdom to His children. He is a very patient teacher; He won’t force us into a classroom of life, shove wisdom down our throats and flunk us when we fail. However, like with anything in life, there is a reward that comes from obedience and choosing right over wrong, and that reward in this lesson is wisdom. His Word says He ‘adores undivided devotion’, meaning He cherishes our attention that isn’t divided by the rumors of the world but rather focused on Him and what He has for us to gain in understanding.
I encourage you to do your own study of Proverbs as well as follow along with me! How it works: take a Proverb a day (there are 31, so perfect for the month of August) and read the chapter that corresponds with the day. Then stop on a verse that grips your attention. Focus on the verse(s) for the day as it is highly possible the Holy Spirit is speaking to you through what He helped you unearth. It’s almost like a Treasure Hunt! I will share with you this month Golden Nuggets the Holy Spirit leads me to, and I would love to have you share with me what He reveals to you in your mining excavation also!
