"Getting and Maintaining Wisdom"

“Getting and Maintaining Wisdom”

 

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.  Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.   Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.  Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.   Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.       Proverbs 4:23-27

 

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. (v7) “Wisdom is the quality of being wise, good judgment based on knowledge.”  (Webster’s Dictionary)   GETTING WISDOM, is the beginning of wisdom.  The writer of Proverbs, tells the reader that they NEED to LISTEN to a Father’s INSTRUCTION; PAY ATTENTION and GAIN UNDERSTANDING.  In other words, be WISE by LISTENING, PAYING ATTENTION and GAINING UNDERSTANDING. When they have been OBEDIENT to follow those instructions they will have obtained the beginning of WISDOM.

 

Then the Writer goes on to give instructions on how they can MAINTAIN or KEEP their WISDOM.  He tells them that, “Above ALL else, GUARD your HEART, for EVERYTHING you do flows from it.”   In this passage the word HEART takes in NOT only the mental and emotional capacity, but also the VALUE SYSTEM.  What they SHOULD and SHOULD NOT do, in order to MAINTAIN WISDOM.  

 

KEEP YOUR MOUTH FREE of PERVERSITY; keeping your mouth from wicked speech, and letting the words of your mouth be ACCEPTABLE to God.  KEEP CORRUPT TALK far from your lips.  CORRUPT or DISHONEST talk should NEVER come from the mouth of the TRUE BELIEVER, the one who TRULY TRUSTS in the LORD. 

 

LET YOUR EYES LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD; fix your gaze directly before you.  Don’t be DISTRACTED, but CONTINUE on the STRAIGHT and NARROW, keeping your eyes on Jesus.  Living an UPRIGHT lifestyle, and NOT being like the Apostle Peter, who took his eyes off of Jesus, and began to sink into the sea.  If we take our eyes off of Jesus, which is a VERY UNWISE thing to do, we to sink into the sea of sinfulness.  So LET YOUR EYES LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD to the RIGHT PATH of your life.  KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS!!

 

GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT to the paths for your feet and be STEADFAST in ALL your WAYS.  The REALLY WISE thing to do here, is to let the HOLY SPIRIT lead you to the RIGHT PATH, then with PERSERVANCE and STEADFASTNESS, STAY on that path.  DO NOT turn to the RIGHT or the LEFT; KEEP YOUR FOOT FROM EVIL.  STAY ON THE STRAIGHT and NARROW! 

 

These are the things that a TRUE BELIEVER MUST do in order to GET and to MAINTAIN WISDOM.  But if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, which is NOT the WISE thing to do, you are destined to an ETERNITY in Hell, the place of UNENDING torture, torment, pain, heartache, agony, and despair.  You must do the WISEST thing you have EVER done or will do.  Come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING, your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVEING with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for YOU, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and GET WISDOM and MAINTAIN WISDOM.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!