“Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”Proverbs 8:32-36 NIV
After wisdom spent the major part of Proverbs 8 stating her case for herself, she then says, “listen to me.” She repeats the word “listen” two more times in the next two verses. Also, “keep my ways”, “do not ignore it”, “watching” and “waiting”. These verbal commands state the intensity with which we are to pursue wisdom – not passively, but eagerly, desperately, for we know the very words she speaks contain life and favor from the LORD.
It also carries the connotation that if we are to listen to wisdom, her instruction is clear. It is unmistakable. There is no excuse why we would not have understood her, save for our own hard hearts and the wrong desires within, “loving death” as she puts it.
Call to action: We must not turn a blind eye to the things wisdom allows us to see in our lives. Let us not be ignorant and factor wisdom’s insight in the making of our everyday decisions. God, help me in this.
Prayer: Father, let not my eyes ever shut on what you allow me to see. Give me the courage and desire to make choices that reflect my choice of You as my Savior and Lord. Amen.
Thanks for your encouraging words.