Practical Wisdom

By Scott Stake

I am really looking forward to our 5-week series on the book of Proverbs, which we'll be in during the month of July. There are so many rich truths and practical wisdom found in this book written by King Solomon, the one whom “God gave wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore” (1 Kings 4:29).  

But more than the wise content of the Proverbs, what I’ve been most struck by recently is the relational context of these writings—it’s a dad speaking to his son. Solomon begins his book in Proverbs 1:7 with the words, “Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching.” He goes on to use the word “my son” 23 times, and each time you can sense Solomon’s fatherly love and affection for his son, as well as his heart-felt instructions, warnings, and pleas for his son to walk in the way of the wise.  

As we walk through Proverbs this month, here are a few things I’m hoping and praying for all of us:

1. As parents (and grandparents), we would lovingly, patiently, and intentionally instruct our children to fear the Lord and follow His commands.

2. Our children would welcome, trust, and follow the counsel of the Lord and those whom He has sovereignly and graciously put over them.

3. Our church would grow in godly wisdom and forsake the foolishness of the world, resulting in the Lord’s blessing on our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our city, and our world.

4. Those who don’t know Christ would see the joy and freedom that comes from obeying our wise God, turn from their sin, and trust and follow Jesus (“the one who became to us wisdom from God”—1 Cor. 1:30).

5. All of us would see Proverbs as not just instruction from an earthly father to his son, but ultimately an invitation from a loving Heavenly Father to commune with His children each day.