Advice And Success

Read Proverbs 8

Common sense and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine.

Proverbs 8:14

Proverbs 8 gives one of the richest, most vivid personifications in the Bible: the traditionally abstract concept of Wisdom presented as a woman. She describes her creation so long ago, before anything else was created, and her appointment to a timeless role for the benefit of all humankind. Yet what she offers in this verse is so needed today. Indeed, we might mistake these words for the promises on the dust jacket of a self-help book: common sense, success, insight, strength.

Many people read the Bible—or, if they are honest, comment on the Bible without having read it—and say that God is inscrutable. They think that he enjoys confusing his people, that no one can even begin to know his ways. Yet here is Wisdom offering the insights of the ages, making herself visible and accessible. She foreshadows the clear teaching and godly advice of Jesus, the ultimate teacher. We would do well to read, listen, and humble ourselves before the wisdom of God.

A WORD FOR TODAY

Wisdom doesn’t hoard her riches.

Lord, I thank you for your willingness to teach and guide me. Give me an open mind and a devoted heart.