Wise People Use Wisdom
Today, I spent most of the day at the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance Conference. I was part of a panel discussion on energy issues. I had the opportunity to meet and then have lunch with Chris Wright, the CEO of Liberty Oil Company. He has a remarkable background and has been involved in a number of formats and debates on energy issues.
Yesterday, at the lunch I attended in Lakewood, I had the opportunity to visit with Senator Norma Anderson. Norma has one of the most illustrious legislative careers of anyone that I know in Colorado. She was a constituent of mine and was supportive of my legislative service while I served in the House. Even though it has been ten years since she retired from active service, she is still involved in and is looked to for advice on key public policy issues in the state. There is probably no one who understands the operation of the state and a variety of issues more than Norma.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…Ā “Listen carefully to these words from the wise. Pay attention to what I have learned. It will be good for you to remember these words and have them ready when they are needed.Ā I will teach you these things now. I want you to trust the Lord.” Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Proverbs 22:17-19 ERV
Contained in theĀ many proverbs of Solomon is a section of special interest. The section is entitled, “Thirty Wise Sayings.” It seems to be a listing of “the proverbs of proverbs.” The preamble seems to indicate that this selection of sayings and insight were in response to an inquiry, “They will teach you things that you can know for sure to be true. Then you can give good answers to the one who sent you.” (Prov. 22:20 ERV) They also appear to be ones that Solomon says with confidence, “…you can know for sure to be true.”
It is important for us to remember…
When wise people speak, it is important to listen. Recently Vice-President Dick Chaney spoke at Colorado Christian University. These types of guests and programs take place at Universities across America. Why are they important? Because they provide an opportunity for college students to learn from the knowledge, experience and wisdom of some of our nations leaders. They can learn insight from the perspective of history shared by these individuals. These proverbs fromĀ Solomon are from the perspective of observations from life and lessons learned in his days as King. Have you ever been asked, “If you could ask one question of a great leader in business, politics or history, what would it be?” Solomon seems to be responding to that type of question, so the words he speaks are important.
We can learn from the experiences of others. Solomon says, “pay attention to what I have learned.” At times it is challenging to learn from other people’s experiences, but we need to do that as much as possible. Often a parent will want a teen to “learn from their mistakes” so they will avoid certain hardships. Invariably they observe that their children have to learn from their own mistakes. At times that is part of life. But if we are wise, we will listen, observe and learn from others. As we prepare for an assignment or position of responsibility the wise seek out the counsel of those who have been in that type of position before.
Not all lessons learned are for the present. Solomon’s advice is to “have them ready when they are needed.’ That means these proverbs and others need to be read and re-read. They need to be “kept in mind” so when the situation arises that they relate to, they can be applied. For example, the advice,Ā “Donāt promise to pay someone elseās debt” may not be a decision that will come that often. But when it does, this advice is important to remember.
Trusting the Lord is the greatest advice of all. Solomon says, “I will teach you these things now. I want you to trust the Lord.” Any wise parent knows that children need to be equipped with the specifics and the principles that will guide them through life. Even with 700 proverbs written byĀ Solomon, what he realized was most important was how to trust the Lord. Proverbs serve as wisdom from life experiences, but the Lord is the source of all wisdom.
These thirty proverbs had significant meaning for Solomon. They warrant our special attention and focus. If you don’t follow the advice of reading one chapter of Proverbs a day, reading these thirty and giving them consideration would be a good practice.