Elect Lady's Corner

Well, we have completed our 31 days of reading/studying the book of Proverbs for the month of May; and now we are ready for a brief summation of what Proverbs was speaking to us. I must say, you really don’t want to live life from this point on unless you have intentionally dived into the 31 chapters of Proverbs. But, when I asked Prophet Owens (my husband), what he would have entitled Proverbs as a summation after reading it, he came up with the title: “What You Need To Know Before You Go Any Further.”  

He went on to say: “Solomon dealt a lot with contrasts such as light and darkness, the wise and the foolish, what you don’t know and what you can know; what you need to know and how you can get it. Solomon wears the fool out, the adulterous woman, sluggards, etc. but he also gives us hope in the power of wisdom. So, in a fictional way, he said, if you were a stranger from another planet and you were dropped on earth with all its challenges, options, and unknowns, Proverbs would certainly be the book you would need to read.”

Also, he said if you would roll the gospels and epistles together and put them in the oven of your heart with good intentions, it would produce an indelible manna called Proverbs. The reason we could conclude with this illustration he said is because when God gave Solomon the desire of whatever He would request of Him, Solomon asked God for wisdom to lead His people. God heard Solomon’s heart and it pleased God that he asked this.

So, God said to Solomon because you have asked for wisdom, there will be no man with the wisdom I shall give you before you or after you, along with great wealth. So, we need to be very careful of what we ask God for. Again, Proverbs could be seen as a divine blueprint for living well, choosing rightly, and walking closely with God. It is not merely a collection of wise sayings; it’s a GPS to take you to destinations you could never go on your own. The central theme in Proverbs is: “The Fear of the Lord.” Everything in Proverbs flows from one foundational principle that is: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10a)

When God is in His rightful place in your life, everything else begins to fall into order i.e. your thoughts, your decisions, your relationships and your direction. There are two paths but one choice. Proverbs constantly places two roads before us: The path of wisdom that leads to life, peace, favor, and stability or the path of folly that leads to destruction, confusion, and regret. Every decision you make in life is shaping your direction. Wisdom is not automatic, but it is a choice. Wisdom is not only spiritual, but it is also practical.

It is relatable down to everyday life i.e. how you speak, how you handle money, how you treat people, how you respond to correction, how your manage emotions, and how you build relationships. It teaches that spiritual maturity shows up in practical behavior. The power of words is another strong message throughout Proverbs because your words carry life or death. What you say can build or break, heal or harm, direct or destroy. Wisdom teaches restraint, timing, and truth in speech. A wise person doesn’t just speak, they consider.

Proverbs also taught us the value of discipline that requires correction, instruction, and growth. Discipline is not punishment but it’s development. If you can’t be corrected, you can’t be elevated. Proverbs states over and over again that wisdom builds but foolishness destroys. Wisdom builds homes, relationships, and futures; while foolishness tears them all down. Sometimes it’s done slowly and other times suddenly. So, you are either building your life intentionally with wisdom or unintentionally allowing it to be shaped by poor choices.

So, I would say the greatest takeaway from the book of Proverbs is Life works best when God’s wisdom leads it. The world may celebrate popularity, power, money, and self-promotion, but Proverbs teaches that true success begins with reverence, obedience, humility, integrity, and wisdom from God. So, at the end of our Proverbs 31 journey, we find that wisdom is not just something you know, but it is something you live.