Making SpaceSample

Making Space

Throughout Proverbs and particularly the first nine chapters, Solomon tells us we have a clear choice: wisdom or foolishness. The wise know God and experience a full life, while the foolish refuse God and experience death. The wise surrender all of life to God, while the foolish surrender their lives to the fleeting things of this world. 

How do you know whether you’re living in the fear of the Lord? You’re willing to surrender everything to Him—everything. Those who fear the Lord withhold nothing from Him. In other words, they joyfully give their lives to the One who is life. 

Often when we read Proverbs, we’re looking for helpful nuggets to guide our busy lives. Many of the ways we try to conquer our chaotic lives are organization, rules, boundaries, and new technology. But Proverbs isn’t about us. It’s about the Lord. Fear of the Lord means looking to Him with reverent awe. We can’t understand wisdom apart from knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs places wisdom within the context of the fear of the Lord. 

Jesus is gracious, compassionate, hospitable, ever-present, hardworking, generous, loving, and brave. His character might be most readily expressed through His submission to the Father and Holy Spirit in every moment and aspect of His life.

Jesus faithfully pursued, listened to, and walked with God the Father and the Holy Spirit to the cross and into the resurrection. His work in the gospel displays and offers abundant life to everyone for every aspect of life. If we want to be wise, we must acknowledge that we’ve been fools who need Jesus—the wisdom of God for us. Wisdom comes to us as a gift from God. Because God saved us, called us, and chose us, the wisdom of God has come to us in Christ. 

Jesus says if you look to Him and follow Him, He will be wisdom for you. That means you’re not only forgiven for your foolishness, but you also get the Spirit of wisdom, who comes to dwell in you, giving you power and direction for a new life.