“9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
26 Those who trust in themselves are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
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Proverbs 28 marks the end of four complete weeks of practical wisdom; we are almost at the end of this journey – for this month. Even though I have read these Proverbs hundreds of times I continue to be amazed at the practical guidance they provide for the general living of life. Whether it be for work, parenting, friendship or any other aspect of our lives, there is always something profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).
It seems like every single day of this journey I have had opportunity to apply the wisdom of the Proverbs in a situation that seemed like the Proverb was written specifically for, and have been able to explain to my family the meaning of the Proverb and why it represented true wisdom. Last night I had to have a long and emotional conversation with my kids to work through some bullying issues in our new neighbourhood. They wanted me to go talk with the parents and ensure the kids were punished, but Proverbs helped us: a person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
In Proverbs 28 we find a recap of much of the wisdom shared up to this point in the book but we also find these four verses above. The wisdom here is fairly straightforward. Even though we have this guidance provided to us by the Lord in his word, we are still so quick to fall back to relying on our own ways. It’s delusional and yet we continually do it. Thank you Lord for your patience and grace.
Verse 9 really jumped off the page at me this morning. I experience this in my own parenting and it convicts me now in my role as a child of God. I could provide many examples where my kids have turned a deaf ear to me and many more where I have turned a deaf ear to the Lord.
Father, teach me humility as both a child and as a parent.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Is there a particular Proverb that has been useful to you this month? Have you applied a proverb directly at work or at home? I would love to hear a quick recap? Share your thoughts below.