Gain Wisdom Accept Correction

Proverbs 1:8-19

8 My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. 9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck. 10 My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! 11 They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent! 12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death. 13 Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take. 14 Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.” 15 My child, don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths. 16 They rush to commit evil deeds. They hurry to commit murder. 17 If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away. 18 But these people set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed. 19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life. (NLT)

On the path of gaining wisdom God has placed fathers and mothers as or primary guides in this process. Proverbs 1:7 cut straight to the heart of the matter by explaining all TRUE knowledge begins with reverence toward God and a healthy respect for discipline. Parents who are themselves committed to God balance the scales of wisdom: The father supplies correction and the mother offers instruction. When we, as children, ignore mama’s instruction, daddy gives us the correction and redirection we need to get us back on the path of wisdom.

My father, an extremely quiet, was an example of Godliness and discipline. One experience that stands out in my mind from my early teen years happened just after, when I was 12 or 13. In my parent’s home the evening meal always consisted of meat, potatoes, vegetables, bread and butter. There was always a butcher’s knife on the table. On this particular evening, I was being a typical, mouthy, disrespectful teen/preteen and I hear, “That’s it! I’ve had enough of this!”

The quiet, peaceful man I knew as daddy, got up, grabbed the butcher knife, and looked at me. I had never heard him yell and I certainly never seen that look before. I got up and began running through the house yelling, “Daddy don’t kill me! Please, Daddy don’t kill me! I promise I’ll be good!”

My father had no intention of killing me, but that spanking made an impression on me. When we ignore Mama’s instruction we will face daddy’s correction.

The first instruction “If sinners entice you – Turn your back on them!” These words found in verse 10 are followed by several statements they may use to tempt us into their schemes. They are just wetting our appetite for sin.

Verse 15 restates the instruction, “Don’t go along with them – Stay far from their paths!” This second warning is followed by the results of sinful behavior until we see in verse 17 sinners do not have the brains God gave a bird. Sinners get caught in their own trap. “They are trying to get themselves killed.”

At this point we run head-long into the stop sign of verse 19, “Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money – It robs them of life.” This is in contrast to John 10:10 where we learn Christ came that we may have life more abundantly. Stay off the path of the simpleminded! Gain wisdom, accept correction, and follow the path that leads to Life Eternal. Check the link below.

The Bible and a Belt