Here Are My Thoughts

READ: Proverbs 9

“Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” (Proverbs 9:6)

Sometimes it’s hard to know who to listen to. There are lots of competing voices in our world. It’s easy for us to get distracted-especially when the voices that affect us negatively are so compelling.

Proverbs 9 gives us two competing positions-the Way of Wisdom, and the Way of Folly. Solomon shows us that these two voices, portrayed as women in this passage, both call out to us. They both make their case for us to join their side. And the thing I find most interesting about the way Solomon crafts these viewpoints is how similar their calls are. In vs. 4, Lady Wisdom says, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”. And then, in vs. 16, the Way of Folly echoes the exact same call. Again, it’s hard to know who to listen to. So how do we discern wisdom from foolishness? How do we come to understand which voice we are to follow? 

In vs. 10, Solomon gives us the answer by reminding us of what he said in the very beginning of Proverbs-“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” So, in turn, I’ll reiterate what I said then, as well. If you want to know for sure that you are listening to the voice of Wisdom, you must know God-a God who offers wisdom freely to all who ask. 

We all need to know that we’re listening to the right voices. I would go as far as to say that the voices we listen to determine the quality and direction of our lives. So who will you choose to follow? Wisdom or Folly? And how will you know you are listening to the right voice, when they sound so similar? The only way is to know God. Because through Him, comes wisdom.

-Brett