The book of Proverbs is all about the importance of wisdom and the blessings that come from finding it. Chapter 3 will help us explore this theme! When we open this book, we are looking at more than just a collection of clever sayings or ancient advice. We are looking at a guide for how to live in a way that actually works because it is the way God designed us to live.
There is a deep joy that comes when we stop fighting against the grain of the universe and start walking in the path that our Creator has laid out for us. This isn’t about being smart in the way the world thinks of it. Instead, it is about having a heart that is tuned to the truth of God and a soul that finds its rest in his sovereign grace. As we walk through these verses, feel the warmth of a Father who loves you and wants to spare you from the unnecessary pain of a foolish life.
The Value of True Wealth
The world has a lot to say about what makes a person successful or happy. From a young age we are told that if we can just get enough money, enough status, or enough stuff, then we will finally be okay. We spend our best years chasing shadows, thinking that the next purchase or the next promotion will be the one that finally settles the restlessness in our chests. However, the Bible gives us a very different set of values. It points us toward a treasure that does not decay and a profit that does not depend on the fluctuating markets of this world.
Verses 13-15 tell us that the gain from wisdom is better than silver, gold, and jewels. We might be enamored by treasure, but deeper reflection tells us that poverty with wisdom will lead us to a better state of being, while riches with foolishness will only lead to misery. Think about that for a second. We spend so much of our time working and stressing about our bank accounts. We track our investments and we worry about whether we have enough for retirement. But how much time do we spend investing in wisdom?
If you have a million dollars in your bank account, but you do not have the wisdom to know how to be a good husband or a kind neighbor, that money is eventually going to buy you a very expensive kind of loneliness. I have seen people with very little who have a joy that lights up a room because they understand the secret of contentment and the value of a clear conscience. Nothing you desire can compare with this type of person because wisdom settles the soul in a way that a new car or a bigger house never can. When we get understanding, we are getting something that does not rust, does not break, and cannot be stolen by a bad economy. It is a spiritual wealth that stays with us into eternity.
The Ways of Pleasantness
When we talk about the blessings of wisdom, we are talking about a total life transformation. Wisdom is often personified as a graceful lady who holds life and honor in her hands, offering them freely to those who are humble enough to listen. In the Bible, wisdom is not just information stored in the head, but is a skill of the heart. It is the ability to navigate the complexities of a fallen world with a steady hand and a hopeful spirit. The fatherly voice in this text is inviting us to see that the path of God is not a path of drudgery, but a path of deep, abiding delight.
We can always use our wisdom to find our way out of a problem or to seek wealth, but foolishness will only cause us to lose all we have, maybe even our life. It is a simple fact of life that people who live foolishly tend to run into trouble much faster. If you lack the wisdom to control your temper or your physical desires, you are going to burn through your resources and your health.
Wisdom, on the other hand, offers a kind of stability. It does not mean you will never get sick or never face a financial trial, but it means you won’t be the cause of your own destruction. You can’t control other people and the far reaching consequences that they bring, but you can control yourself. There is honor in a life lived well, and people notice when someone walks with integrity. There is a weightiness to a wise person. They are not easily tossed about by the winds of cultural change or the whims of their own emotions.
Joy and peace will find us when we seek wisdom, where grief and pain will result from foolishness. There is a pleasantness to doing things God’s way. When you aren’t lying to people, you do not have to have a great memory to keep your stories straight. When you aren’t cheating your neighbor, you do not have to worry about who is looking over your shoulder. That is where peace comes from. It is the quiet rest of a heart that isn’t at war with God or with other people. It is a peace that surpasses understanding because it is rooted in the sovereign care of a God who knows us and loves us.
The ways of the world may seem tempting, but it is only when we take wisdom’s advice that we find life and true blessings. The tree of life reminds us of the Garden of Eden. We lost access to that tree when we chose our own way over God’s way. But here, God tells us that through wisdom, we can find a taste of that life again. It is something we have to lay hold of and hold fast. It isn’t always easy to be wise. Sometimes it feels like the hard way. The world mocks the person who stays faithful to their spouse or the person who is honest on their taxes, but those who hold fast to wisdom are called blessed. They are the ones who find that the long road of obedience leads to a fountain of life that never runs dry.
The Design of the Creator
God is a master of wisdom. If we want to know why we should trust these proverbs, we only have to look at the world around us. The same wisdom we are told to seek is the wisdom that holds the stars in place and governs the turning of the seasons. We are not just following a set of social rules. We are aligning our lives with the very intelligence that constructed the universe. When we live wisely, we are moving in harmony with the rhythm of creation itself.
If we simply try to imagine how he created the earth, the heavens, and everything in them, we start to get an inkling of how wise God is. Sometimes I struggle even with my children’s crafts, but he created so many processes that simply work. I remember trying to help one of my kids build a balsa wood model airplane. We were able to hide most of the flaws, but God did so much better. He built the deeps and the heavens. He designed the way water evaporates and then comes back as dew to feed the plants.
How often have you seriously wondered, “Will there ever be rain again?” We might say the words, but most of us do not doubt that the process of creating rain works. We have a fundamental trust in the knowledge that God built into the physical world. If we trust his wisdom to keep the planets spinning and the rain falling, why wouldn’t we trust his wisdom for how to handle our anger, our money, or our relationships? He is the expert on how life works because he is the one who invented it. He knows the intricacies of the human heart better than we know ourselves.
When we think of all of God’s wisdom, we can see the need to grasp wisdom for ourselves. When we lose sight of this goal and get tempted by the world, all kinds of bad things start to happen. Think of the last time you were tricked by something that looked good on the surface, but had nastiness in the depths. We see this all the time. How many college students have tried the wild life and left with addictions, maybe alcohol, drugs or sex? They thought they were pursuing freedom, but they were actually walking into a cage.
When we choose wisdom from the beginning, then our lives work properly. It is like the difference between a beautiful necklace and a heavy chain. One glass of wine is delightful, but a bottle coupled with a pair of car keys can bring devastation. Wisdom gives us the discretion to know the difference. It protects our soul and becomes a beautiful thing that people see in us, an adornment of character that is much more attractive than any expensive clothes we could buy. It is a beauty that does not fade with age because it is a beauty of the spirit.
Walking in Divine Security
One of the greatest fruits of wisdom is the ability to live without constant anxiety. We live in a world that is full of things that scare us, but wisdom changes our perspective on those fears. It allows us to face the day with a sense of confidence that is not rooted in our own strength, but in the protective hand of our God. When we walk in his wisdom, we are walking on a road that has been paved by his grace.
As we walk in the security of knowing we are on God’s path, we will not fear. Fear is usually tied to a guilty conscience or a lack of trust in God’s providence. How many teenagers have fallen asleep in fear that their parents will find out about their behavior? I think most of us remember that feeling, the racing heart, the ears straining for every sound, the dread of being caught. It is the same with us as adults. We worry about our secrets or our shortcuts.
However, when we walk in the manner that God directs, there is absolutely no need to fear. There is a wonderful joy in a sweet sleep. When you lie down at night knowing you have been honest, that you have worked hard, and that you have treated people well, you can actually rest. You do not have to stay up planning your next lie or worrying about who is going to find you out. You can rest because you know you are on the path God has set, and he is the one watching over you. He is the guardian of your soul.
God is our confidence! No matter how bad things seem, he is going to win the war. The world might fall apart around us, and sudden terror might make the headlines, but for the person who trusts in the Lord, there is a foundation that does not shake. Someone might trip us, but they will not hold us fast! We do not have to live in a state of panic because our confidence isn’t in ourselves or in our own ability to stay safe. Our confidence is in him. He is the one who keeps our foot from being caught in the snares of this world.
Loving Our Neighbor
Sometimes temptation comes upon us and we might want to take revenge or try to get ahead through dishonest means, but the Bible reminds us that we need to stand firm and resist. Wisdom isn’t just about our own safety. It is about how we treat the people living right next to us. It is about being a person of integrity in a world that often rewards the opposite. God cares about how we handle our relationships and our responsibilities to others.
When we have a bad co-worker, we might want to withhold praise, but this is not the way of God. It is so easy to be petty. We think, “Well, they weren’t nice to me, so I am not going to tell the boss what a good job they did on that project.” Contrary to our desires, wisdom tells us to give what is due. If we have the power to help someone or to be fair to them, we should do it. Withholding good is a sign of a small, foolish heart. A wise person is generous with their praise and their help because they know that everything they have is a gift from God anyway. We are called to be conduits of his goodness to the world around us.
When someone needs our help, we might claim fatigue, exhaustion, or simply a desire of our own comfort. We say, “Come back tomorrow,” not because we cannot help, but because we just do not feel like it right now. We want to get back to our television show or our book, but wisdom says that if we have the resource today, we should meet the need today. Procrastinating our kindness is just another form of selfishness. It shows that we value our own convenience over the well-being of our neighbor.
Trying to get ahead can sometimes tempt us to plot evil and take a shortcut to success, but eventually we will be found out by either man or God and it won’t go well for us in the end. Consider a coworker who shares a brilliant idea with you in confidence, trusting you as a friend. If you were to take that idea and present it as your own to get a promotion, you might win the favor of your boss for a moment, but you have traded your integrity and a friendship for a fleeting gain. There is something especially nasty about hurting someone who trusts you. To dwell trustingly is a gift, and to break that trust is a deep form of foolishness. It might seem like a quick way to get what you want, but it leaves a trail of destruction that will eventually catch up to you. God sees the heart, and he knows when we are taking advantage of the innocent.
And sometimes we plot malice out of boredom. I still remember the boys in high school who delighted in feeding the sea gulls bread with hidden Alka-Seltzer. They thought it was hilarious to watch those poor birds get sick and suffer just for a laugh. It was malice for the sake of entertainment. How much worse if the nefarious behavior is against another human!
Wisdom does not go looking for a fight. It does not pick on people just because it can. A wise person uses their strength to protect and build up, not to tear down for a bored afternoon’s amusement. Our words and our actions should be used to bring life, not to cause unnecessary strife.
The Final Justice
Life isn’t a game where everyone ends up in the same place. There are two different ways to live, and they lead to two very different ends. We need to be careful about which path we are following, because the end of the road matters more than we can imagine. God is a just judge, and he will eventually set all things right.
When we manage to stand firm and avoid wicked behavior, it is so easy to become envious of those who are getting ahead through their wickedness. We see the person who cheats on their taxes or steps on people to get a promotion, and they seem to be doing great. We call out to God, and still they thrive. However, in the end, God will declare the abominable behavior for what it is and demand justice. What side do we want to be on?
The devious person might have a bigger house, but the upright are in God’s confidence. They are his friends. They know his heart. That is a joy that no man of violence can ever understand. To be in the confidence of the Almighty is a treasure that money cannot buy.
If we choose God’s ways, we will be on his side. It does not matter how fancy a house is if there is a curse on it. And it does not matter how humble a dwelling is if it has the blessing of the Lord. His blessing brings a light and a joy into a home that no amount of money can provide. It is the difference between a house and a home.
We want to be marked with the humble. The person who thinks they are too smart for God will find that God has no time for their arrogance. But for the person who says, “Lord, I do not know the way, please help me,” he gives favor and grace. This is the heart of the gospel. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
On the day of justice, do we want honor or disgrace? That is the choice we make every single day when we choose wisdom or foolishness. In our natural state, we are all fools who have wandered away from God. But through his mercy, he has provided a way back. He has given us his word and his Spirit to lead us into all truth. Let us be a people who seek after wisdom with everything we have, knowing that in her, we find the very life of God.
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think it is so easy to trust God’s wisdom in creation, like the rain and the stars, but so hard to trust it in our personal lives?
- Have you ever experienced a time when poverty with wisdom felt better than a shortcut to success?
- What is one practical way you can show good to a neighbor or co-worker this week instead of withholding it?
- When you think about sweet sleep, what are the things that usually keep you awake, and how can wisdom address them?
- How does knowing that the Lord gives favor to the humble change the way you approach your mistakes and your pride?
Reflective Prayer
Consider using these verses to pray using the ACTS method: Adoration, Confession, Thankfulness, and Supplication:
- Adoration: Praise God. Do these verses bring any specific characteristics of God to mind?
- Confession: Tell God that you are sorry for specific sins. Do these verses bring any specific sins to mind?
- Thankfulness: Show gratitude towards God. Does anything from these verses inspire gratitude?
- Supplication: Make requests for yourself and for others. Does anything from these verses inspire a prayer?
If helpful, you can use a prayer journal template.
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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
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