Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 165 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.
Proverbs [4:18]-27 Wisdom Provides Light
Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 165 of our Trek, and yesterday we reviewed verses 10-17 of the 4th chapter of Proverbs. Today we are going to remain at camp and finish our exploration of Proverbs 4. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.
We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a joy to have our grandson Kip over for the day. At 3 1/2 he is very inquisitive, full of detailed conversations, and loves to listen to Gramp’s Wisdom-Treks on his way to pre-school each morning. What are you teaching your children or grandchildren? Are you guiding them on the path of wisdom?
As with our trek of life, we have many trails that we can take each day. We will remain in camp for today, and as we reflect around the campfire let’s continue our exploration of wisdom that is found in Proverbs chapter 4. Let these truths penetrate deep into our minds so that they will change the way we think, which will change the course of our lives. In doing so, we will be able to take the wise and correct trails each day.
Proverbs [4:18]-27
Verses 18 and 19 are written in a short poem fashion and this is what they say:
18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
This is a beautiful short poem. It contrasts a good man and an evil man. Sometimes people think that everyone is the same. Some people say that everyone is good. The Bible does not say this. The Bible says that we all have turned from God. We must turn back to him. Only God can make us good.
The good man has a good life. He does not yet know everything that God wants to teach him. He has not yet received all the gifts that God will give to him. His life is like a man who walks at dawn. At dawn, there is only a little light. But the light will soon become brighter. And soon the good man will know God better.
Paul writes about this in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” Paul is writing about the time when he will see God in heaven.
The evil man has the opposite fate. He is like a man who hikes on a dark path. A trek during the dark of night is dangerous. A hiker cannot see in the darkness. Without any lights, the hiker will trip and fall. In the same way, the evil man is in great danger. He will suffer because of his evil behavior.
Many people, who are not Christians, want God in their lives. They know that they are in danger. They are like someone who travels at night. Christians should provide the light for them. We should share the light that God has given to us. God will help those who ask him. When these people first trust God, they will know little about God. In time, they will know more as they live God’s way. We won’t fully know God until we are in heaven. A path becomes brighter as the day begins. As they know more, they will trust God more.
20 My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
21 Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22 for they bring life to those who find them
and healing to their whole body.
These verses show us the subject of this passage. Each chapter of Proverbs 1-7 begins in a similar style. Here the subject is health. Wisdom is like a medicine because wisdom improves our lives and benefits every part of our bodies. Unlike medicine, wisdom does not heal our bodies. Wisdom heals our spirits. Wisdom leads us to God.
23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
Remember in the Bible, the words heart and mind can usually be interchanged. It is what we are internal. We should be careful about our thoughts. We should love good things and hate evil things.
24 Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.
James 3:1-12 explains this verse. James compares our tongues to a fire. We will look at verses 7-12 here.
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
Our words can be powerful. We can use words to say good things. But we can use words to say evil things, too. Our mouths can praise God, but they can curse other people. We must be careful about our words.
25 Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
We look forward when we follow God. We should not look away from him. We should be steadfast in our resolve to follow God. As Jesus says in Luke 9:62, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.
Again, this compares life to a journey. We will live “a rich and satisfying life” if we obey God. The wisdom trail is the best route for a journey. If we serve God, then we will help other people. We will be like a mail person who brings good news as it says in Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!”
As we reflected around our campfire today, we saw how wisdom is like a light for our paths, medicine for our soul, a guard on our hearts/minds, and a muzzle on our speech. The lessons that we can learn from each other are valuable. Encourage your friends and family to join us each day and come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy. Tomorrow we will continue at camp as we discover the wisdom nuggets contained in Proverbs Chapter 5.
That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom on Wisdom-Trek.com, or subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker, SoundCloud, Stitcher, or YouTube so the episodes will be downloaded to you automatically each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.
As we take this Trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!