"The Cry for Wisdom"

PROVERBS 1:1
As we look around us and see lives falling apart and families coming unraveled, it should make us stop and ask ourselves: Why is this happening? The reason is not due to a lack of wealth, or knowledge, or because of "bad breaks." It is mostly due to a lack of wisdom, a shortage of common sense that has resulted in bad choices and warped priorities.
The reality is: Most people's lives do not come unraveled by one BIG, BAD choice, but by a progression of small, seemingly insignificant and unwise choices.
The book of Proverbs is a book about choices. In the first verse of the book we are introduced to the principle writer of the book of Proverbs. "The proverbs of Solomon..." We are told that Solomon was the son of David, king of Israel. David was the second king of Israel and Solomon was the third. The transition of power is recorded for us in the first three chapters of I Kings

I Kings 3:5-9 Therefore give to your servant an understanding heart too judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"

Three that things are foundational in lives that desire to be marked by wisdom

First we see in Solomon a reverence for God. A healthy fear of the LORD is foundational in a life that desires to live wisely. Prov. 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...!

Secondly we see Humility. Here was a person who was willing to admit, " I don't know everything." What an awesome calling, to be the king of Israel. If Solomon was to be the kind of king that God wanted him to be , he knew he would need wisdom and guidance .
If the Lord came to you and said; "Ask! What shall I give you?" What would you ask for? I think it would be safe to assume you would ask for the thing you think would meet your greatest need. So let's ask another question. What do you think your greatest need is?
Solomon realized that what he really needed were not riches, things, or for his people to think he was a wonderful king. "Lord make them like me". He knew he needed wisdom.

Thirdly Discernment - "Therefore give to your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. . .".
The ability not just to make decisions but good decisions. To be able to choose not just the good but the best. There is a skill that Proverbs will give us if we study it closely. The ability to discern between good and evil. This is very important if we are to live lives that are holy, and pleasing to God.
However there is another skill implied in this and it is the ability to discern between the better and the best, between the urgent and the important things in life. Do you have that ability? Today few people seem to be able to get a grip on what things are truly important in life. They spend their time, energy, and money not on "evil" things, but on trivial things. Good things but not the best things, urgent things but not important things. Days filled with activity and full schedules, but their lives are empty. Why? Because they lack the discernment, (i.e. understanding), and discipline, to say no to the trivial and urgent and yes to the important, lasting, and meaningful things in life.
Notice how the Lord felt about his request.
"The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing." vs 10
Each of us has a divine call on our lives. As Christians we are called to witnesses, if we are married we are called to love our spouses, if we have children we are called to be parents "who train up their children in the way they should go... " ! Do you have all the answers? Do you know it all?
What these two questions are really driving at is this; Do you have a teachable spirit? If you are struggling in any of these areas, as a witness, a spouse, or as a parent etc., may you see that what you need is not more money, a better house, a better job, or new and improved children, but like Solomon you need an understanding heart. You need wisdom to make wise choices, to set godly examples and have discernment to establish biblical priorities on a daily basis.
As you read this great book, be like Solomon, fearing the Lord and modeling a humble and teachable spirit, rejoicing that the Lord is concerned with the everyday things of your life and has given you the most practical, powerful and life changing book ever written to guide you.

2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ equipped that the man of God may be competent, for every good work.

Afraid of Bad News?

There cannot be a more disturbing sight for a parent than the first time you see your child pull out of your driveway in a car all by themselves. It’s disturbing for a number of reasons,
1. they are alone
2. they are driving YOUR CAR
3. we know first comes the car, then comes love, then comes marriage, then comes “your baby” pushing a baby carriage and on it goes.
As they move out from under our control to make their own decisions it can be a restless time for parents. As parents all of us dread that knock on the door in the middle of the night, or to pick up the phone and our child is on the other end and before any words are even said we know it’s bad news. Thankfully our God is an Awesome God, a Sovereign and Loving God. To those who fear him he gives a wonder promise in
Psalm 112:7. “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.”
God is telling us in this verse, All things work together for good, and all things includes bad news. God is at work, the God who is good and whose steadfast love endures forever gives us this peace producing promise. Hang this promise by your phone and thank Him for his grace and His powerful and purposeful love in your life as well as in the lives of your children. Trust in the Lord, we do not need to be afraid, so get some sleep. Our God is in control. Read Psalm 112:1-10

"You're Going to do What? Pro. 27:1

Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”
Most of us like to brag about our accomplishments, especially the ones we haven’t actually accomplished yet. The reality is what we think we can do (tomorrow) and what we are able or willing to do (when tomorrow gets here) are usually a long way apart. We are amazing people in our tomorrows. There are no interruptions, everything goes like we planned, people co-operate, the traffic lights always turn green when we get there. Tomorrow, it’s a wonderful place.
While we all like to boast about our tomorrows, the truth is, none of us have ever lived there. We all live in that place called today, and the problem with today is there are to many interruptions, people aren’t co-operating, nothing is going like I planned, and I’ve never seen so many red lights.
Listen to James 4:13 - 17 ”Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. … Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
Let’s think about tomorrow...
Tomorrow is a procrastinators paradise
For the procrastinator tomorrow’s schedule fills up in a hurry. We have heard the saying “never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” well the procrastinators slogan is “never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.” The problem is that when we put things off they tend to pile up. If you take five “todays” worth of work and try to cram it into one tomorrow, it doesn’t fit; at least that’s what my teachers in college kept telling me. I said “it was multi-tasking”, they said “it was a mess”. I said “it was to much work”, they said “it was to little effort”. And so on. They did not seem to care about that place I longingly and lovingly referred to as tomorrow. Imagine that!
It is interesting if you listen to most motivational speakers all they are trying to do is to get people who are spinning their wheels in yesterday or tomorrow to face the responsibilities and opportunities of today. Stop procrastinating, get out of your chair, make a decision and do something, NOW!
Tomorrow is the lazy mans refuge
Whenever the lazy man is confronted with his laziness, he always runs to his favorite hiding place - tomorrow. For the lazy person, tomorrow is a very present help in time of trouble.
Tomorrow is where we give ourselves the benefit of the doubt.
If people would only judge me based on my projected performance in my tomorrows, I wouldn’t look like such a - well, whatever.. I would love for you to see the real me. Yes, I realize I just yelled at you a few minutes ago, but today has not been a good day. What are you doing tomorrow?
Tomorrow will haunt the condemned forever
Hell is going to be full of people who were going to come to Christ tomorrow. That is why the bible always speaks of salvation with one day in mind. TODAY is the day of salvation Hebrews 4.
Tomorrow is where the heart shows it’s true colors.
The heart knows the right thing to do. How do we know that? Because of what it is promising to do tomorrow. It knows what needs to be done. That’s why James says if we “know to do good and do not do it, it is sin.” The heart knows what it should do and promises to do it tomorrow instead of today. God says that is unacceptable. Promising to do what is right tomorrow condemns us. We are giving testimony that we are are not ignorant but rather unwilling to obey God today. We deceive ourselves into believing tomorrow will be different. However, the reality is, if I am not willing to do something today, that same unwillingness, those same habit patterns follow me into tomorrow.
“Do not boast about tomorrow…” If you know what to do, do it today.
Listen to Proverbs 3:27-28 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
Reality is, I don’t do all that well in my todays. Today is hard, I need an escape. I want to give my wife hope, my children something to look forward to, I want to convince my boss not to fire me, so I boast about tomorrow……! I promise tomorrow..., I’ll do better tomorrow..., “we’ll start the day tomorrow with a song or two…” It will be great! Lets face it - there are a couple reasons the Bible says “Do not boast about tomorrow…”
1. No one knows what a day will bring forth
2. No one believes you anyway.
The wonderful truth is that God gives us grace and and strength for today not tomorrow. God has promised those who know Him a glorious future and a bright hope with Him for eternity, but He has not promised us tomorrow. So do not boast about tomorrow, but rather trust in God’s wisdom and power to accomplish what he wants us to accomplish today for His glory. It’s not what we are going to do that matters, it’s what we are doing that matters for eternity. Our tomorrows are in God’s hand, leave them there and trust Him and serve Him today.
Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, …”
Phil. 4:13 “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” TODAY.