This chapter introduces us to Wisdom (a personified aspect of God’s character), who calls out to us and longs for us to heed their voice.
“Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice… ‘…If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen… because you have ignored all my counsel… Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord… therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices… but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.’ ” (v20, 23, 24a, 25, 29, 31, 33 abr)
Has someone wiser or more experienced than yourself ever warned you not to do something? You know, the “I wouldn’t do that if I were you” type of speech? I’ve received many of those warnings, yet still proceeded to do whatever was ill-advised – of course it rarely ends well. We likely learned some lessons the ‘hard way’, and may have even heard the “I told you so” speech.
Wisdom acts a little bit like that in this chapter, crying out to anyone who will hear them, begging them to listen, and issuing warnings. Wisdom blesses those who listen (they “will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster”), and allows consequences to befall those who choose not to listen (“because you have ignored all my counsel… terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind”).
Though it sounds like Wisdom is a cure-all for life’s troubles, it isn’t – ‘bad things still happen to good people’. Yet, for those who do listen to Wisdom, those ‘bad things’ that happen are far easier weather. There will always be fire, but we have a choice: would we rather walk through the fire with God, or without Him? I suggest we heed the voice of Wisdom when we hear it, and seek it out when we don’t already hear it.
Father God, our Wise and All-Knowing Lord, we praise Your holy name. You have blessed us with so much wisdom – in Your word, through Your Word and Spirit, and through those who have been placed in our lives. May we choose to heed Wisdom’s voice, and obey Your commands, knowing that our lives will be less burdensome for doing so. Please don’t allow us to come to ruin, and save us from our own foolishness. In the name of our Wise Savior, who freed us from slavery to carelessness, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training