Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
I was in high school and we were in wrestling gym class. I think I was a freshman, and I was laughing. I'm cutting up. There are about 25 guys in the room in gym class. Wrestling was one of the sports that we would participate in. The gym teacher looks at me and says, "All right, Rick, you're laughing so much. What's so funny? You're not listening."
He then says, "If Rick gets pinned three times in the next minute, everybody gets to pig pile on Rick."
When he said that, I was so scared. For the next 60 seconds, I had to make sure that I didn't get pinned at least three times. Thank goodness I didn't get pinned at all, because I do not like getting pig piled.
The Keys to Wisdom
Our verse today shows us how to be wise, how to listen, and not be a knucklehead. It's Proverbs chapter 23, verse 19. It says, "My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course."
You know why it says "Keep your heart on the right course"? Because you and I very easily can veer off the freeway of life and veer onto the wrong path—the wrong course—by bad meadow, and go all over the place, to places where we shouldn't be.
Proverbs: Small Doses of Life's Medicine
As we look at this again, Proverbs is like Twitter before Twitter. Proverbs has very key doses of life's medicine—small, pithy sayings that pack a big punch. They really embody the life of wisdom that Jesus Christ already lived. They also show us a little bit of the idea of adoption and how we are the Lord Jesus Christ's children.
Two Reasons to Listen
Very simply, in Proverbs chapter 23, verse 19, there are two reasons why we should listen so that we can avoid the pitfalls in life.
Listen for Wisdom
Number one: Listen for wisdom. Very simply in the verse: "My child, listen and be wise."
I mean, it's such a simple, straightforward concept. Just listen for wisdom. Listen and be wise.
What's the first step of wisdom? Listen. James says, "Be slow to speak, slow to anger.” Before that he says, “Be quick to listen."
Listening is something I'll have to work on my whole life. I will say this though, I've learned to listen better, and I can honestly say I enjoy people more. I hear more in-depth stories from people because maybe they actually think I'm listening—because I really am. I'm enamored by the fact that people have so many unique traits and abilities about them that God's doing in their life.
When we listen, we get to hear full-color descriptions of what God's doing in people's lives.
Listen for Direction
Number two: Listen for direction. He says right there: "Listen and be wise. Keep your heart on the right course."
Again, it seems we can go on the wrong path, so we need to listen. Did you know that we naturally drift in life? We naturally go off course. It takes specific listening, specific intention to keep us on the right path.
I love Psalm chapter 37, verse 4: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
In other words, He redirects your priorities. He redirects your mindset as your mind is saturated by the truth of Scripture. His desires become your desires so that you're on the right path.
Three Commitments
We want to listen for wisdom and listen for direction. What do we do about this?
You say, "Rick, I really, I really want to be wise." Because maybe, like I have, you've had some pitfalls that you've fallen into.
Listen to the Book
Number one: It's a commitment to listen to the Book. This Book is about God. This is the self-revelation of God, your Creator, my Creator, who made us. He wrote specifically in His Word so that we can know the right path to take. He wants us to listen to Him. Take in the Scripture. Take in the Word. Pray.
Live Out the Book
Second: Commitment to live out the Book. The Bible is not just given for information. The Bible is given for transformation.
It says that in Romans chapter 12. James says we're to be a doer of the Word, not a hearer only. It's very easy for us, especially in the United States of America, to be professional listeners, but not doers of the Word of God.
We want to live out the Book because the Bible is our moral GPS. It's our North Star.
The Person of the Book
Finally: Commitment to the Person of the Book. Colossians chapter 2, verse 9 says: "For in Christ all the fullness of God dwells in bodily form."
Jesus Christ was the epitome of wisdom lived out in life.
I love it. Sinclair Ferguson says: "The heart's true course is formed by a lifelong intake of God's truth, shaping how we weigh right and wrong in the moment."
Be Wisdom Personified
Don't be like me. Don't be just laughing when I should be listening. Be wisdom personified in Jesus Christ. He is the example for us of wisdom.
