Wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. (Proverbs 2:10)
Throughout the book of Proverbs, we are confronted by “forks in the road” time and time again. Each “fork” splits into two different, distinct paths. One path leads to wisdom; the other leads to folly.
Proverbs addresses a variety of important topics throughout its 31 chapters, but no matter what topic of truth is being presented, the reader is still faced with that fork, which, when rightly chosen, will make all the difference in the world in how your life will turn out.
Proverbs does not just provide wisdom for the art of godly living; it offers strength for the weak, comfort for the challenged, counsel for the confused, hope for the hurting, and light in times of darkness. In short, it is written for people just like you and me. Learning and applying the truths contained within Proverbs takes us from where we currently are to the place God is calling us to be . . . the place where we choose the right fork in the road.
In Proverbs 2, we are given a string of action words which, when followed, will lead us to pick the right road. In verses 1 through 4, God instructs us to —
- Accept my words . . .
- Store up my commands . . .
- Turn your ear to wisdom . . .
- Apply your heart to understanding . . .
- Call out for insight . . .
- Cry aloud for understanding . . .
- Look for wisdom as for silver . . .
- Search for it as for hidden treasure . . .
We can sum up all these nuggets of wisdom in a single word: discipline. The Christian life must be marked by discipline if we are to grow and mature in our faith. Rarely do we drift into right decisions. Only through a self-disciplined approach will we begin living a life of wisdom rather than folly. Yes, it is all of grace, but that grace must be appropriated by the believer. We are to seek wisdom as if we were searching for silver or hidden treasure.
Remember, wisdom is far more than simply avoiding the path of folly and sin. Wisdom is advancing in the direction God is calling us to go, and each time we come to a fork in the road, if we will look to Jesus we will be better able to choose the faithful fork of wisdom and live a life that brings glory to God and good to others, including ourselves.
The great baseball player Yogi Berra once quipped, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” I would quickly add that we must be sure that the fork we choose is the one leading to wisdom. When you do, you can rest in the promise that wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 