The Purpose of Proverbs is to impart wisdom for godly living.

Solomon’s fathering advice to young people and all who seek wisdom will greatly benefit from these wise words.   Discover the source of wisdom, the value of wisdom and the benefits of wisdom.   Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living.   They should call a person to action.  The verses tell how you can live in close relationship to Him and offers positive advice that helps you to make good and righteous decisions. –  notes of the Study Bible

PROVERBS 2

The title of this chapter is The Value of Wisdom.  True wisdom is centered in respect and reverence for God.  If you don’t respect God, you can not truly walk in His godly wisdom.  And His wisdom is a gift to us.  It’s not something you just automatically have.  To know the mind of God and to understand His words and His heart, you must be in relationship with Him.  You must know Him.  The Study Bible notes state, ‘true wisdom is Gods and that we cannot create it by our own efforts.’  If you choose to be rebellious and foolish, you will not find Gods wisdom, it will be hidden from you.  But if you earnestly seek it…make an effort to find it.  God will reveal it to you.  The Study Bible notes also state, ‘the pathway to wisdom is strenuous.’  This is true to me, because I believe in order to find wisdom; you have to change your ways and say no to your human desires.  That can be strenuous because we are so used to doing things our own way, it’s not always so easy to stop, not always so easy to turn from that, not always so easy to change your mind.  But I love that the genuine truth is being told, we aren’t being fooled into thinking it just happens.  We are being prepared to know that there will be an effort that we have to make in order to find Gods wisdom.

We gain wisdom through a constant process of growing.  First, we must trust and honor God.  Second, we must realize that the Bible reveals God’s wisdom to us.  Third, we must make a lifelong series of right choices.  Fourth, when we make sinful or mistaken choices, we must learn from our errors and recover. – Life Application Study Bible

Let me ask you a question, have you ever asked God for discernment?  Discernment is having the ability to judge, have discretion, know the difference between right and wrong.  Asking God to give you the ability to discern is showing Him that you want to know and use His wisdom in your life decisions.  Thinking back, you probably have made some choices that would have turned out much better had you took the time to discern the outcome first.  Use God’s truth to make wise choices day by day.  Discretion will preserve you and understanding will keep you.

Because you will come across situations and people who will want to pull you away from your walk with God and from making good and right choices.  Having discretion and discernment will help you to see that it’s not for you and keep you focused.  Are you someone who has a pattern of getting caught up in situations again and again, wondering why does this keep happening to me?  Were you using your discernment to think the matter through before you indulged?  This can happen especially when it comes to sexual and prideful matters.  The Study Bible states, two of the most difficult sins to resist are pride and sexual immorality.  Both are seductive.  ‘Pride says, I DESERVE IT and sexual desire says, I NEED IT.’  Pride appeals to the empty head, sexual enticement to the empty heart.  When you have godly wisdom, you can make good decisions in those times.

Don’t be fooled into thinking you can fight the temptations.  You will need Gods strength to resist.  We always think we have control of the situation and then it becomes bigger than us.  That is because you’ve used your human wisdom, become foolish and prideful and forgot that you need God.

I love what we are learning…stayed tuned for Chapter 3!