I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.  Then I was the craftsman at his side.  

The sea has boundaries set by the command of God.  This reminds me of Jesus and the disciples in the storm on the lake.  When the disciples woke him up to ask if he cared if they were about to die, Jesus, the Author and Creator of wind, rain and sea, He Who declared the boundaries of that body of water, stood and commanded His creation to cease its storming.  Creation obeyed Him instantly.

This same Jesus is in charge of the storms of our lives.  Never forget that He is in our boat with us.

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister, ” and call understanding your kinsman…”

Imagine being introduced to someone and having them say, ” I would like you to meet my friened, Vickie, and this is her sister, Wisdom, and also her cousin,  Understanding.”  To be known as a person of these qualities, or to be called by your life’s display of kindness, gentleness or love,  would be to fulfill the command in Matthew 5:16, “…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

Not only is this a very visual picture, but you get the impression that a man deliberately scoops fire into his lap, and then just sits there.  Making the choice to sin is much like this.  If we deliberately sin, we cannot escape the consequences of that sin in our lives,  anymore than we can avoid being burned if we put live coals in your lap.

The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of sin hold him fast.

Reading this, I find myself so grateful for the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing us the free gift of salvation.  He has made it possible for us to be freed from the cords of sin, granting us the freedom to say, “No”, to sin.

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

In a world dark with sin, black with the rejection of God, a righteous life is a light breaking forth like the dawn.  Matthew Chapter 5:14, says. ” You are the light of the world”, and 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”.  In Proverbs 4, notice the verse says it is the PATH of the righteous which is like the first gleam of dawn.  It is not what we say, but  it is the way we walk with Jesus, our actions, as we live out our Christian life that casts light on a sin-darkened world.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways aknowledge him, and he will make  your paths straight.

Very familiar verses, but when I meditated on them this time, I was encouraged by their truth.  To not lean on our own understanding can apply to very aspect of life – a sudden financial tragedy, catastrophic illness, death of a loved one, personal problems in marriage, all areas of our life. We are commanded to lean not on our own understanding of any given situation.

God, Who loves us deeply, is not surprised by the events in our lives, but has all of His resources ready and available through Christ to meet every need.  Our job is to lean on Him, and not to trust in our frail grasp of life.

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.

Knowing the true instructions – wisdom, understanding, and truth- come from God, why would we want the world’s viewpoint?  Of what good is the counsel of those who do not know God nor walk with Him?  We are the children of God.  Our counsel comes from the wisdom and beauty of His Word, His love letter to us.

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline, for understanding words of insight, for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young – let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance – for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

Who wouldn’t want to be a man or woman known to have a reputation for being insightful, just, fair and honest?  The purpose of Proverbs is to teach us those principles which will guide us as we seek to live a life of righteousness in this world.

It’s like we are beginning a course of study.  In a college handbook, it might be listed under “Humanities” 101: how to live wisely in regard to life, in regard to God and in our relationship to other men.  Resource Book: PROVERBS, Credit Hours: a lifetime.  Cost: a willingness to learn about living life God’s way, by His instruction.