Proverbs 24

Wisdom has moral content. It is not just about being smart. It is about being good. It is the same as following Jesus, since Jesus is the Wisdom of God who came to live and die for us. To follow Jesus is to follow wisdom.

Living your life in envy of evil people is foolish and wrong. Jesus did not fall for that trap.

Wisdom is a step by step endeavor. It is the way a godly person is built up. It brings the moral growth that leads to the fullness of what a Christian adult should be.

We need Christian adults. They are warriors for the love of the cross. They do not allow themselves to be so entangled in sin as to be of little use to the eternal purpose of Almighty God. People addicted to folly cannot rescue the weak from disaster, since they are running toward trouble all the time themselves. They lack spiritual discernment.

Those who are following the Lord's way of wisdom do stumble. But they get up again by His grace and they grow in the Lord. They fear Him and they obey governing authorities that He has established. They know who holds the key to the future and they attend to His Word.

A life of wisdom is a life in the pursuit of integrity. You cannot agree with everyone about everything and be wise. Jesus corrected the Pharisees sharply in their wrong understanding of the Law and in their rejection of the Son of Man. Paul instructs Titus not only to teach sound doctrine but to strongly correct those who contradict it. Wisdom is not just another way of being polite. Some of the things that Jesus said and did were viewed by others as very impolite.

“Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.” Some situations call for sharp and honest correction. A life of pursuing wisdom prepares a person for these moments. The Spirit of God will help him to face many situations squarely with the right words that the Lord will provide. A life of trying to please man at the cost of obeying God does not lead to that kind of victory.

Someone who learns to protect self above all else will not honor God and will not protect the weak. When it seems safe to betray a neighbor, he will find a way to repay evil with evil. When laziness is safe and secret, he may just sit.

The righteous man lives in relationship with his Father in heaven. He knows that God knows. He does what pleases his Father. That has become his eager desire. This is the house that he has learned to build, brick by brick. This is how He has received the moral furnishings for every room in that mansion of grace. Others may have imagined that a little stealing and scheming would bring more profit with far less work. But this is not the way of wisdom.