Wisdom & The Blessing of Joy – Proverbs 8:1-11

“If we abstract out Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job and disconnect them from the storyline and just make them like philosophical essays about the good life, we miss all of [the connections to Genesis]. This is the story that the hyperlinks of these books are trying to plug these books into so that you see yourself replaying the Garden of Eden in your own life.” – Tim Mackie

Why would I

“Our wants and longings and desires are at the core of our identity, the wellspring from which our actions and behaviour flow.” – James K.A. Smith

A. It changes my

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2

B. We are not as smart as

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7

“Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” Proverbs 9:8-9

“‘Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.’ But he does not know that the dead (the company of the simple) are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.” Proverbs 9:17-18

C. It provides a blessing

“The gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.” – A.W. Tozer

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:1,4-5,12-13

“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30

“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” Colossians 2:2-3

“The easiest thing in the world is to be a Christian. What is hard is to be a sinner. Being a Christian is what we were created for. The Life of faith has the support of an entire creation and the resources of a magnificent redemption. The structure of this world was created by God so we can live in it easily and happily as his children. The history we walk in has been repeatedly entered by God, most notably in Jesus Christ, first to show us and then to help us live full of faith and exuberant with purpose. In the course of Christian discipleship, we discover that without Christ we were doing it the hard way and that with Christ we are doing it the easy way. It is not Christians who have it hard, but non-Christians…Christian discipleship is a decision to walk in his ways, steadily and firmly, and then finding that the way integrates all our interests, passions and gifts, our human needs and our eternal aspirations. It is the way of life we were created for. There are endless challenges in it to keep us on the growing edge of faith; there is always the God who sticks with us to make it possible for us to persevere.” – Eugene Peterson