““Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] are they who keep my ways. 33“Heed (pay attention to) instruction and be wise,  And do not ignore or neglect it. 34“Blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.35“For whoever finds me (Wisdom) finds life  And obtains favor and grace from the LORD.36“But he who fails to find me or sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love and court death.”

Proverbs 8: 32-36 AMP

As I mentioned in my previous post that wisdom is an allusion to Jesus and the Word of God. The closing words of this Proverb remind us that there is great reward in following the ways of Christ! We are told to pay attention to instruction and be wise. I am thinking immediately of the man who is building!

““So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish (stupid) man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great and complete was its fall.” 

Matthew 7:24-27 AMP

Building our lives on the Word of God is a wise and prudent move. The Word of God is our manual to living and as such, provides the way to prosper, grow, and find the way of forgiveness! I remember the very first thing I read in the Bible was the book of Proverbs. When I was done, I saw the story of three people. The wise, the naive, and the fool. Unfortunately, I saw that I had become the fool! I wanted to be the wise man who loved God, served him, and prospered in all his ways. The more time then I spent in His Word, the more conformed my life became and is still becoming a reflection of His grace! It is true that whoever finds Christ finds life!

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he isa new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].”

1 Corinthians 5:17 AMP

The key to all of this of course is finding favor, grace and freedom in Christ and His work for us on the cross! We are also warned that whoever rejects to offer of God then courts death and judgement. Dearest saint, we are called to daily watch at His doorpost, daily stand ready at His gates. The Scripture is clear,

“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth so that He may support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this; therefore, from now on you will have wars.” 

2 Chronicles 16:9 AMP

Let me encourage you not to act foolishly in this matter! Taking time daily and even moment by moment to listen for the Lord’s voice is the wisest thing you can do! 

Have a blessed day! Pastor Ken