(Intro)
“Proverbs should help you choose right, and haunt you when you don’t.” I heard that quote years ago, and I still remember it, even though I don’t remember who said it. But I think that simple statement is an accurate summary of the book of Proverbs. The sayings in this book should guide us to make Godly decisions. And when we choose the wrong path, those same sayings should remind us of where we went wrong.
A proverb is a collection of concise statements that reflect a Biblical truth. They are usually gleaned from experience in our own lives or by observing others’ lives. As Dr. J. Vernon McGee stated, “A proverb is a short statement drawn from long experience.”
That long experience is the kind of wisdom forged in the fires of life. It’s the lessons we learn from our mistakes and our consequences. Solomon saw pride cause a man’s fall, a slack hand cause poverty, and a gentle answer turn away wrath. He then picked up his pen and recorded that wisdom for us all.
But knowing these truths isn’t enough. Memorizing every verse in the Bible won’t help if you just file them away as facts in your mind. These truths are much more than facts: they’re gems that should stir your heart.
God didn’t write these truths for us to read once and file away. He wrote them to be seeds of wisdom that we can carry with us and use in our daily lives. God placed them there to guide us when we face a crisis, a heated argument, or a confusing decision.
So how do we apply the truths of this book to our lives?
First, we need to use these truths to prove. God calls us to be different, set apart. When we live out the truths of Proverbs, we show that difference to the world.
Too often, we think of wisdom as something between us and God. But Proverbs reminds us that wisdom should impact our daily lives. Wisdom is meant to be tested and proved in front of the world.
Yes, choosing patience over anger during a heated discussion will bring peace. But it also demonstrates the truth of Proverbs 15:1 to the world around you.
The book challenges us to live our lives so that our actions become evidence. If we claim to know wisdom but look no different from the fool or the scoffer, we’re not living out the truths of this book.
So don’t hide these gems in your pocket. Wear them openly, proving that these words are still alive and true.
Second, we need to use these truths to grow. We often treat the book like a dictionary. We pull out the one item we need to solve a specific problem. But only looking at it through that lens misses the journey unfolding across the pages.
We’ll discuss this more in the future, but Proverbs isn’t a random collection of sayings. The book shows the journey a simple man takes to wisdom. Wisdom, personified as a lady, calls him on the journey. But along the way, he’ll have to resist the fool, the scoffer, the slothful, and the strange woman.
Proverbs is much more than a simple list of dos and don’ts. If we only open it when we’re desperate, we might escape the crisis, but we’ll never embark on the journey to wisdom.
Too often, we lock these gems away, where we can admire their brilliance, but we never use them. But growth will only happen when we take these gems out and let them become a part of who we truly are.
And third, we need to use these truths to guard. Many times, we treat this book like an emergency kit to pull out when facing a storm. But these truths should do more than just support us in a crisis. They also exist to keep us from a crisis in the first place.
This book tells us many times to avoid the strange woman. If we find ourselves in the red light district, it’s wise to remember those passages. But the wise will read those warnings now and decide there’s no reason to be in the red light district at all.
Our goal should be to set these truths as landmarks in our lives. Let wisdom define your boundaries, friendships, habits, and choices. This creates a perimeter that helps us defeat temptations before they reach us. We stop waiting with a hose to fight the fire, and instead, we remove the fuel so the fire doesn’t start in the first place.
Guarding is about establishing a value for our heart. The Tower of London doesn’t protect a pile of dirt. It protects the United Kingdom’s crown jewels. When we set a wise boundary, we declare that our purity is far too valuable to put at risk.
So as we embark on this journey through Proverbs, I challenge you to consider how you use these truths. Are you using them like a dictionary, where you go to the one item you need? Are you using them like a survival kit to get you through a crisis?
Instead, use them to prove to the world that God’s wisdom still works today. Use them to grow from simplicity to maturity. And use them to guard a boundary to stop temptation before it gets to us.
These words may have been written 3000 years ago, but they’re as relevant to us now as they were to Solomon. They can steady a shaking heart, guide a wandering foot, and protect a fragile soul.
I challenge you today. Don’t just read these words and forget about them. Don’t store them away in case of a crisis. Let them shape the path you walk every day.
Let’s pray.