Background Passages: Proverbs 2:3-6; Proverbs 3:3-6
Have you ever wondered who is the most often quoted American?
If you think about that question, you might respond with Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson or Dr. Martin Luther King
It might or might not surprise you that the most quoted American is actually Lawrence Peter Berra, “Yogi” to his friends. Yogi was a professional baseball catcher, coach and manager. He spent most of his Hall of Fame career with the New York Yankees. People consider him one of the greatest catchers in the game.
If Shakespeare wowed us with “the most unkindest cut of all,” Yogi mesmerized us with “We made too many wrong mistakes.” The catcher turn philosopher also gave us these gems of wisdom.
“No one goes there nowadays. It’s too crowded.”
“It’s like deja vu all over again.”
“Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.”
“Always go to other people’s funerals otherwise they won’t go to yours.”
And, my personal favorite,
“I’m not buying my kids an encyclopedia. They can walk to school like I did.”
I guess I’m just a sucker for a good quote. Maybe that’s why I was drawn to Proverbs this week as I read through my Bible. When looking for a word of practical truth, it’s a good place to start.
One survey I read said that Proverbs 3:5-6 is the most often read and quoted Proverb. It says…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.
The verse’s strength rests in its simplicity. Put your faith in God’s divine guidance. Trust him as he leads you through life. Walk in humility and do not rest solely on your judgment and your grasp of the situation. Lean on God and your direction in life will be a lot clearer.
Simple to say yet so difficult to do.
You can glean a lot about life throughout the Proverbs. In fact, Solomon, the accepted author of most of these morsels of wisdom, states clearly why he wrote these down under the inspiration of God. Read what he says in Chapter 2.
…if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:3-6)
The simple truths the writer shares are answers to our call for insight and understanding. Proverbs is written to help us discern God’s truth and his will. Our diligent quest for the wisdom that comes from our Father in heaven. As the old children’s show on television said, “The more we know, the more we grow.”
Here are a few of my favorite Proverbs and a few thoughts on each.
A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand. (Proverbs 27:15-16)
Okay, that one just makes me laugh and was written by a man who, in sync with the kingly culture of the day, had many wives. I’m guessing one of those women wasn’t his favorite.
I’ll just counter it with my personal experience found in Proverbs 31.
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good all the days of her life. (Proverbs 31:10-12)
Sticking with the family theme…
Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
I think what this verse tells us is that we should create in our children a desire to know God, to whet their appetite for the things of God. If we do that well enough, the probability of them straying from that path is small. It stresses the importance of the role parents play in guiding their children through the formative years of life.
I like how the Proverbs also speak to our relationships outside the family.
If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. (Proverbs 27:14)
It may not be a favorite, but it’s a good reminder to not call a retired person before 9 a.m. and disturb his “easing into the day” time.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
People are shaped by their relationships with other people close to them. I think this proverb speaks to the importance of companionship and friendship in our growth as a person of God. So many men and women, young and old, molded my life over the years through the friendships we developed. I continually learn from others how God desires me to live. I live in gratitude to so many.
That thought leads to another great proverb that teaches me that a humble spirit is the heart of those relationships that help us grow as people of faith.
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
Others cannot mold and shape us if we are too proud to listen to their sound advice. Humility, the essence of the spirit of Jesus, the one which we should follow as we walk “humbly before God” and our fellow man.
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)
Regarding relationships, this proverb really tells us that our words and our tone matter as we try to help each other grow in Christ, resolve conflicts and mitigate anger. Being temperate and tactful keeps issues from growing out of proportion.
These represent just a few of my favorite words of wisdom shared in Proverbs. I’m drawn to Proverbs because of the practical advice wrapped in the endless metaphors strung together in catchy phrases.
In serious study, I find the Proverbs far more than that, however. The Book of Proverbs communicates a distinct world view or set of values to which most of us can easily relate. They speak to what it means to be godly in a fallen world.
Because the book of Proverbs succeeds in giving us an idea of how God designed the world to work, abiding by these pearls of wisdom sure makes life easier. Don’t mistake the Proverbs as simply sound advice. If we use the Proverbs as a source of godly wisdom rather than human advice, they begin to speak to the heart in ways that change the way we live and relate to others.
In the general course of a life lived for the Lord, the words of Proverbs 3:3-4 seem most relevant.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and men.
What’s your favorite proverb? Share it in the comment section below.