Day 98, Year 1 Receiving Godly Commands to Acquire Wisdom

“The wise of heart will receive commands, But a babbling fool will be ruined.” (Proverbs 10:8 NASB)

“By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom.” (Proverbs 13:10 NKJV)

The word “ruin” in the first verse of today, labat in Hebrew, also means “to be thrust down, thrust out, or thrown away.” In short, a babbling, foolish mouth would surely bring trouble, and even ruin. As mentioned, those who consider themselves wise would find it difficult to receive God’s wisdom, and those who love to speak foolishly might have a hard time taking God’s words of wisdom into their hearts. These people either like issuing commands or dislike receiving commands. Hence, when two proud people meet, conflict or unhealthy competition is prone to happen. Therefore, we believers might need to significantly change our attitude and speaking habits so as to receive and retain God’s wisdom successfully. This involves curbing our pride or foolishness, cultivating self-control first, then expanding our thinking to accommodate different opinions.

Generally speaking, commands often give people the feeling of coercion. It is because if they are violated, there will be consequences. Thus, commands frequently create a sense of pressure, tension, and even fear in people, and many are reluctant to accept commands. However, here we can view God’s commands from the perspective of wisdom. It is because accepting His commands means accepting His thoughts and emotions, through which we could understand His heart and mind. Receiving God’s commands is actually like climbing a ladder. Step by step, we get to know the rationale and feelings behind His instructions, comprehend why He has given such commands, what He wants us to learn, what to avoid, and what His purpose is …, thereby gaining more and more of His wisdom. So, accepting God’s commands and reflecting on them can make us wiser.

“Advise” in the second verse of today is ya’ats in Hebrew, meaning “to counsel together, consult together, deliberate, or exchange counsel,” with the meaning of “collective counsel.” Listening to God’s commands is similar to accepting counsel. It is because when we read the Bible, we understand His revelation, altogether with what people have understood and the words translated through centuries. Thus, the Bible is a collective counsel. Of course, it is good to listen to their collective opinions if the people around you truly believe in God and receive His wisdom, so as to seek personal improvement and hence solve various problems. However, if the people around you are all unbelievers, listening to their opinions would likely be harmful.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think following God’s commands and reflecting on the reasons behind them would develop your wisdom? Why?

2) Do you need to change your listening or speaking habits? If so, what would you do to bring about this change?