July 4th - Proverbs 1:20-22

Proverbs 1:20-22 Wisdom is portrayed as a woman who tries to share her wise thoughts in the middle of a busy town. She finds that her offer isn’t what people want to hear. They insist on going their own way and she warns them of the terrible implications of rejecting her wisdom. She comments that they “must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes” and says that fools are destroyed by their own complacency (Proverbs 1:31-32). They miss out on the peace which she offers to those who will follow her wise advice. This passage is full of encouragement because it affirms that wisdom can be found in the most ordinary places. You and I will bump into wisdom each day. We will hear wisdom being spoken by colleagues, family and friends. We will read it in books and hear it on the radio and television and find it on the internet. There is no question that there is a lot of wisdom around us, but the question is whether we are willing to listen to it and live by it. Because running alongside wisdom there will be other voices. In chapter 9 we will be introduced to another woman. She gets everywhere as well and her name is Folly. As we go into today the question is: “Who will I listen to?” We live in a noisy world, with access to innumerable voices. It would be easy for us to be overwhelmed by the voices of folly which would undermine our strength and pollute our thinking. But, if we are willing, we can keep listening to the voices of wisdom, which give us strength and encouragement. There are many wise voices on Premier every day. The three radio stations are just the start of it, but there is also a wide range of resources, including magazines and podcasts. Let’s choose to listen to the voice of wisdom and hear what she has to say today. QUESTION Where will you seek to find wisdom today? PRAYER Loving Father, thank you that you love to give wisdom to everyone who asks you for it. Help me to listen to your wisdom today. Amen

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