Godly Wisdom
“Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. [4] So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. [5] Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. [7] Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. [8] It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.”
Proverbs 4:20-22:
My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. [21] Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. [22] For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body.
Proverbs 12:18:
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 16:24-25:
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. [25] There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Proverbs 8:32-36:
"Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. [33] "Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it. [34] "Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. [35] "For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD. [36] "But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."
Proverbs 9:10-11:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. [11] For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.
It’s no secret that we live in a world of rapidly increasing economic uncertainty, anxiety, frustration, hopelessness, and despair. Ever since the age of COVID dawned on humanity, we’ve seen an increase in lawlessness, moral decay, and a plethora of relational, emotional, and mental health issues. We’ve witnessed an increase in fear of the unknown, depression, anxiety, relational distress and dysfunction, crime, a multitude of addictions, and most sadly, a rise in suicides.
At first glance, one is left to wonder will we ever recover from all this chaos? Will things ever get better? My take is, only God knows. But what I do know is what I want to point our attention to in the above verses.
Proverbs is a beautiful book of wisdom. Wisdom which God graciously bestowed upon Solomon so he may write it down in scripture for all readers throughout the ages. I see this not only as a book of wisdom but a book of hope. What then do we see in these selected passages? We see a theme of healing and life-giving. In the beginning chapters of Proverbs, we see the contrasting personification of “folly” and “wisdom”. “Folly” is portrayed as a seductive adulteress who leads those whom she entices to their destruction, and “wisdom” is portrayed as a woman of royalty that boldly calls those who will listen to the courts of righteousness and life.
Each theme has a purpose, and each has their reward. Folly gives the reward of death and despair, and wisdom gives the reward of life and hope. To simply sum these up, folly is the way of the world, found in pursuing the desires of the naturally sinful human heart. Wisdom is the way of God which is only found by the power if His Spirit through His written word.
As we reflect on this world and all it has to offer, or maybe better said, all it does not have to offer, we can be easily overcome by its enticements and its struggles. In being weighed down by those entanglements, we tend to spiral into despair, confusion, and hopelessness. The way of the world leads to sin, death, and destruction, which is obviously the opposite of healing and life.
In scripture, we see that God is the ultimate healer (Exodus 15:26, psalm 103:3). In these passages, we see that God’s word provides healing and cultivates good health. In this case, I am not speaking of physical healing, though we know God has the power to do that if He wills it, but I am instead talking about spiritual, mental, and emotional healing. This type of healing I believe provides an even greater benefit to the believer than physical healing. We know in this life that physical healing is not for everyone. We don’t always understand why God chooses to heal some and not others physically, but what God does offer to everyone who believes and trusts in Him is spiritual healing through the saving grace of His Gospel. A healing that directly impacts our emotional and mental wellbeing.
This type of healing is available to everyone through Christ’s free gift of salvation, and it is increased through spiritual maturity and sanctification. God’s word teaches us in Proverbs that through the knowledge and understanding of His word we can have healing in our soul.
What does that look like? Well, I believe it looks like a life that is at peace through turmoil because one fully trusts in God because of what His word teaches us about His character, His plans, His purpose, how He works in life’s situations, our sinful nature, and most importantly they rest in the confidence of salvation in Christ (Romans 8). A trust that supersedes what we perceive as negative because we know that God works ALL things for His good and His glory.
When we believe and trust in God’s word and are therefore shaped by it in thought, speech, and practice, we aren’t burdened by life’s challenges in the same way non-believers are. We have our hope in Christ and the work He continually does in His role as our High Priest. We have our hope in salvation. We have our hope in God’s sovereignty. And having placed our hope in God, we can weather the storms of life with an unexplainable measure of peace. A peace that calms our anxiety, clears our minds, quenches our emotions, and gives rest to our bodies. A peace that genuinely has a healing effect on us spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and in some respects physically. So, when you feel burdened by life’s struggles, run to God’s life-giving and healing word so the Spirit of God may strengthen your mind and your soul for peace in having increased your measure of wisdom, understanding, and trust in Him.
Remember…
Worldly foolishness = death
Godly wisdom = life
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life.”
