The Proverbs Series: Familiar Wisdom
Walking the Wise Path to the Good Life
Dear #DailyFollower,
Introduction
I trust you’re well and enjoying the last bit of the first weekend in February.
As promised, yesterday, I began the series on Proverbs to help daily followers seeking direction and guidance on the path to the good life find what they seek in King Solomon's inspired words.
The first piece introduced us to the author and laid the foundation for finding the wisdom to access our promise of the good life.
King Solomon says this wisdom comes from reverencing God. The more we revere God, the greater the depth of wisdom we gain to walk the paths to the good life.
I asked a question in yesterday’s letter to spur meditation. I hope you spent time meditating on the text for yesterday.
Remember Joshua 1:8, AMPC. Meditation is one of the activities we must engage in to get the keys to our promised prosperous life and good success.
Throughout the series, I will share daily questions to help us kickstart meditating on God’s Word. I encourage you to engage; you’d be glad you did.
Today, we move into King Solomon's first set of inspired words, which are about teachings and instructions from parents.
The Text
Proverbs 1:8-9, EXB
8 My ·child [ son], listen to your father’s ·teaching [instruction; discipline] and do not ·forget [neglect] your mother’s ·advice [instruction].
9 [For] ·Their teaching [It] will be like ·flowers in your hair [a gracious garland on your head] or ·a necklace [beads] around your neck.
Some Thoughts
Growing up, the teachings of my father weren’t the easiest to listen to because I thought they’d limit my capacity to explore and enjoy the world. With the benefit of hindsight, I see how listening (hearing and obeying) to some “difficult to listen to” instructions and discipline has helped set me up for an honourable life.
I had times of intentional forgetfulness when neglecting my mother’s advice (or instruction) was easier because it didn’t help me achieve my ends. In many instances, these ends caused me more grief than dignity and joy—the opposite of the beauty of a gracious garland on my head or beads around my neck.
Familiar wisdom (insights from close relatives, especially parents—temporal and spiritual) often doesn’t receive the respect it deserves. In our text for today, King Solomon encourages us to do two things with familiar wisdom: to listen (hear and obey) and not to forget them. When we do, they bring beauty and honour to our lives - the first expression of a good life.
One Question To Ponder
What familiar teachings and (or) advice are you ignoring or neglecting today?
This is a reflective question to prompt meditation. The good life we desire begins with honouring the fathers and mothers in our lives, listening to their teachings, and not forgetting their advice.
Conclusion
Do you see how the good life (prosperous ways and good success) you seek lies within your power? As God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8, AMPC.
When we listen to our fathers' teachings and don’t neglect our mothers' advice, King Solomon says we gain access to a dimension of beauty and honour. He describes this dimension using the metaphor of a gracious garland on the head and beads around the head.
The verses in our text show the one dimension of a good life, which is not limited to financial prosperity and success in academics or careers.
A life that attracts admiration and honour is a good life, and it is available to all, even children. All it takes is to listen (hear and obey) and not forget familiar wisdom.
Here is one instruction that will set us on the wise path to a good life; I encourage us to follow this instruction because by doing so, we make our ways prosperous and have good success.
Yours faithfully,
John, a #DailyFollower.
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