"You Can't Miss It" Proverbs 1:20-22

I hate asking for directions. The main reason being, I have done it before and it seldom works. Local people assume way to much when they are giving strangers directions. I need more than hand signals. Sitting in the car watching and listening to the waving and pointing and mumbling, I think he said "When you leave here turn right and go past 23 stop lights then turn left, at the next intersection take a sharp right, go past 5 gas stations, when you come to the fork in the road take it. The place you are looking for will be on your right side just down a few blocks. Then you hear those 4 words you hate to hear and you hope no one else in the car heard - “you can’t miss it”. As soon as those words are out of our friends mouth there are bets being taken in the back seat that dad will miss it. And sure enough, that place I couldn’t miss, I missed it. Now that I have a GPS in the car I no longer need to ask for directions. Fortunately the voice that talks to me on my GPS has been programed to be polite, unlike those in the back seat. When I miss a turn it simply says “recalculating” which means in GPS language “you missed it stupid?”
If you have a heading in your Bible just above Proverbs 1:20 it says “The Call of Wisdom.” If I could summarize what God is telling us in vs 20 - 21 about finding wisdom it would simply be this, “you can’t miss it!”
“Wisdom cries aloud” it does not whisper
“Wisdom cries aloud in the streets” not in secluded back alleys
“In the markets” where everyone gathers on a regular basis
“In the markets she raises her voice” she wants to be heard
“At the head of the noisy streets” as people travel by
“At the head of the noisy streets she cries out” listen to me
“At the entrance of the city gates” where rulers often sit, where strangers come and go
“At the entrance of the city gates she speaks” she has something to say
All these indicate that if we want wisdom, wisdom is not playing hard to get. Wisdom is not hiding, wisdom in not obscure, wisdom is not out of reach. Wisdom is right in front of us. Then what is the problem? How do we miss it? The problem has to do with what we love and delight in more than wisdom.
How long...will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing, and fools hate knowledge. Vs 22
Wisdom is a heart issue. We have no excuse for living without God’s wisdom. But we need to remember, God does not give wisdom to the curious. He gives wisdom to the humble, obedient and hungry heart.
Hardness of heart leads to ignorance of God’s truth and wisdom. People cannot hear wisdom because they are not listening for it. They are in love with the sound of their own voice. They are in love with their sinful life styles. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Eph 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

But to the humble believer seeking to honor and glorify God in his daily life God gives this wonderful promise.

James 1:5-8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

“If any of you lacks wisdom as a parent, in your marriage, on your job, in your trial, let him ask God, who gives generously …”
Wisdom cries aloud, Wisdom cries clearly, Wisdom cries everywhere

“YOU CAN’T MISS IT”

Thank God for this wonderful promise.