WISDOM cries out in 2020

This year we were challenged by our church to start the new year out by reading one chapter of Proverbs each day. It is fascinating what God is telling us. Proverbs 1 starts out with WISDOM shouting in the streets but no one would listen.

"I called to you so often, but you wouldn't come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered. So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock when disaster overtakes you - when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you."

When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me (wisdom), they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way. (WHAT?!?!). Living our own way produces bitter fruit? Choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me - to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency (I looked up the definition of complacency, and it means: showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements). Smug means excessive pride in oneself or one's achievements.

Can you hear what God is saying? When we reject wisdom and ignore God's advice and God's correction, we will eat the BITTER FRUIT of having lived our own way. We will choke on our own schemes. Death will be the result because we are complacent. WHAT?!?! The pride and uncritical self-satisfaction in our own achievements will take us under. Oh my goodness!

Then it goes on to say, "But all who listen to Me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm."

WISDOM is shouting to us right now, "How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? Come and listen to my counsel. I will share my heart with you and make you wise.

LORD, I am asking for this new year that You would send the spirit of wisdom and the spirit of understanding and the spirit of counsel and the spirit of might and the spirit of the fear-of-the-LORD into our hearts. May we no longer eat the bitter fruit of living our own way. May we no longer choke on our own schemes. May death be far from us. But may we instead have eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to understand what wisdom is saying. Let us embrace the Words that You speak, the Words that bring life. Let us take to heart Your counsel. Let us turn at Your correction so that we can live. LORD, send out Your light and Your truth. Let them lead us, let them bring us to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN

Happy New Year everyone. Blessings to you,

​Terri Tidwell