The book of Proverbs is a guide for pursuing godly wisdom in our daily lives. In this four-week study, we will read a selection of topical proverbs covering different aspects of wisdom, from how to interact with our friends, families, and neighbors, to fearing God and keeping His commands. No matter the subject, these proverbs urge us to wrestle with and reflect on our own response to them. To help you better engage with the proverbs in this reading plan, we have provided you with a short introduction and reflection questions for each day.
When the Bible talks about fearing God, it means we should revere God as holy. Revering Him as holy is not a posture of hiding but a posture of drawing near.
Reflection Questions:
What do you think it means to fear God in a way that cultivates intimacy between you and Him?
What does “Don’t be wise in your own eyes” (Proverbs 3:7) have to do with fearing God?
When you find yourself envying sinners (Proverbs 23:17), what specifically do you envy? What does that envy reveal about what you revere?
I tend to envy the perceived freedom that other people have. Which is a huge heart issue. I don’t feel trapped in my my faith at all but there are things that I want to do sometimes that I know I can’t and these proverbs showed me that. I am working to a place where walking in the Lords will feels like complete freedom.
Yeah, these Proverbs hit me hard. I definitely envy attention and praise from other people. God, help me to surrender the superficial and seek your authentic love. Make me hunger for your life-giving fountain and teach me to walk in the ways of your wisdom in the midst of folly!
Sherry, I will pray for peace for you. I know that God has you in his hands. I pray that He will be with the doctors reading your results too.
1) I’ve always related my relationship with God to my relationship with my Dad . I’m very close to my dad . So , in everything that I do , I make sure that I respect him. I do my best to not disappoint him with my actions because I fear that I’ll make him sad . I guess that’s what god wants from us. We love and fear him enough to walk in His way. And it’s not like a « dictatorial fear « but a loving one.
2) when you’re wise in your eyes , you lose track of your sins. You start straying away from god. Example , When I start scoring good grades for exams , I tend to be lazy. I tell myself that I don’t need to study anymore. And we all know what happens at the end.
3) I envy my non believing friends who have it easy.But now and then , when I think about it , I’ve always been blessed and I shouldn’t envy them. God knows what’s best for us.
Such a good, tangible point about what we revere. I know my envy comes in the form of comparison and judgement, and the truth is that it’s social media where that often takes place and causes me to stumble.
I felt this. My envy towards others is usually also judgment according to my own knowledge.
Good point! This resonates with me, too. If I’m honest, I lean more toward criticism and judgment than envy. Didn’t really think of that until you made your point. Iron sharpening iron!
Made me realize I revere myself and my own knowledge in envying but also judging others.
I love the question posed – what does what you envy reveal about what you revere? So powerful, and so convicting when I examine myself and the things I envy people for. This is why getting in the word each day and reading truth is so important! So we dont lose sight of what truly matters.