Wise Guys or Fool's Side?

TheBookclub

Online Study of the book of {Proverbs}
By Karyn Wells, RockPoint Church

Week 2

The Value of Wisdom

Read Proverbs 2…it’s short, it will only take you a few minutes.

This is a chapter of comparisons.  Standing face to face are two opposing sides:  Wisdom and Foolishness.

Most of us would certainly not side with the Fools.  We’re smarter than that . . . aren’t we?

 

 

Wise Guys                               Fools

 

But, then, we are a little afraid to stand with the Wise.  We’d like to, but we start remembering some foolish things we may have done in the past…and I’m not just talking about the teenage years that can be shrugged off with, “I was just 16 and naïve,” I’m talking about a year or two ago, maybe even a day or two ago!  We look at the Wise Guys and feel unworthy and inadequate.  We look at the Fools, and we slowly, regretfully walk towards them…standing in the back where we hopefully won’t be noticed.

It reminds me of my new cycling class.  I thought I’d like to try the class for something different to switch up my usual routine of running and Zumba.  I felt I was fit enough to do it, so I walked into the class with nothing more than a “Let’s try this!” attitude.  And then I saw the people…

I was the third chubbiest person in that room.  There were men and women on bikes, wearing sleek, body-hugging bicycle shorts, armed with multiple water bottles and towels.  The instructor looked like some Greek goddess with a bike for a throne…muscles rippling while she pedaled furiously…and this was just the warm-up!  I looked down at my long, wide-legged work-out pants and cozy hoody and quietly slipped to the back of the class with my bike.  “Oh, no!” the instructor bellowed, “There is no second row!”  I gulped.  She was talking to me!  She got off her bike and helped pull my bike into the front row…front center.  Then she helped my feet into the pedals and strapped them on tight so they wouldn’t fall off (I wasn’t sure if she meant the pedals or my feet!).  I was trapped!

And that’s how it feels for us when we reluctantly take our place on the fool’s side. 

Trapped.

Every one of us says and does things we regret and feel foolish for afterwards.  Sometimes we learn a lesson from those foolish words or actions, and then we have wisdom!

But Proverbs encourages us to get wisdom before we do something foolish!  By “getting wisdom,” we can actually prevent foolish words, foolish actions and foolish thoughts from even forming in our hearts!

Go back to chapter 2 and begin re-reading…and make a list under these headings:

(Note:  I use the New King James Version. Some words may vary slightly in other versions.)

 Chapter 2:1-9

 

IF you will…	THEN you will…	WHY you should…
Receive my ______________   Treasure my _____________   Incline your ear to _________   Apply your heart to ________   Cry out for _______________   and ____________________   Seek and search for _______	Understand the __________     Understand ______________   ___________, ___________   and ___________________   _______________________	The Lord gives __________,   __________________, and   ______________________.   He stores up ____________ for the upright.   He is a _____________ to those who walk uprightly.

 
Chapter 2:10-22

 

When You DO . . .	When You DON’T . . .
Discretion will _______________ you   Understanding will ________ you and   _____________ you from evil ways and evil people   You will be _____________ from immorality and unfaithfulness   You will walk in the way of _____________   and paths of _________________   You will ____________ in the land	You will be __________  _________ from the earth.   You will be _________________ from the land.

 

The Wise Guys and The Fools are worlds apart, aren’t they?  I know which side I want to be on!

Pray that the godly wisdom you have now keeps you from evil.  The temptations are great!  It’s so easy to slip out a few choice words when the pressure is on and then later regret the hurt they caused.  It’s so easy to watch a movie or TV show that we know isn’t edifying, just because we’re too lazy to change the channel.  It’s so hard to keep our motives pure when we really want something to happen or when we think our way is better.  Pray for more wisdom!

“Help us, Lord, to passionately pursue Wisdom with a capital W….Godly Wisdom, not worldly wisdom.  Help us to see the value of it in our lives---its preserving power and protection, its joy and peace, its rich reward.  You promised in Your Word that if anyone lacks wisdom You would give it liberally if we would just ask.  So we ask!  Give us wisdom, knowledge and understanding…that we might please you and preserve ourselves and walk on pleasant paths of righteousness all the days of our lives.  Amen!”

 

 

If you want to check your answers, scroll down to the bottom of the page!

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS

Chapter 2:1-9

If You Will . . .                                                            Then You Will . . .

Receive my words                                          understand the fear of the Lord and understanding

Treasure my commands                                understand righteousness, justice, equity, and 

Incline your ear to wisdom                                          every good path

Apply your heart to understanding

Cry out for discernment and understanding

Seek and search for wisdom as silver

 

Why You Should…

The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding

Stores up wisdom for the upright

He is a shield to those who walk uprightly

He guards the paths of justice

He preserves the way of His saints

 

Chapter 2:10-22

When You Do…

Discretion will preserve you

Understanding will keep you and deliver you from evil ways and evil people

Delivered from immorality and unfaithfulness

Walk in the way of goodness and paths of righteousness

Dwell in the land

 

When You Don’t…

Cut off from the earth

Uprooted from the land