Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 496 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Timely Advice Is Lovely – Proverbs 25:1-14

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 496 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails, we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the 1^st half of Chapter 25.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Our trip to Arizona was beneficial and productive. Our construction project there is coming fairly well, although inevitably there are many issues that come up that cause delays. We are hoping to have most of them resolved by the end of the year. The developers for the project desire to be able to place the townhomes on the market early in 2017.

Fortunately, the housing market in Phoenix is very strong at the moment and is projected to be one of the fastest growing housing markets in the entire US during 2017. It takes a lot of wisdom, insight, and understanding to complete a project of this size and being able to work closely with our partners in Mesa is very helpful for the success of the overall project.

Every day of life we should seek advice from those individuals who are wise. Advice provided on a timely basis is even more important. One of the nuggets that we will dig for today in verse 11 is…

Timely Advice Is Lovely

Let’s start our trek with verses 1-14.

More Proverbs of Solomon

¹ These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah.

As indicated, this chapter contains more proverbs of Solomon, which were collected through the years and then published by King Hezekiah many years afterward. These proverbs were of particular interest to someone who was the King of Judah.

² It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them.

God is all knowing, but he does not share all he knows with us, that is His privilege. God does enable us, and especially those with wisdom, such as a king to discover this information.

³ No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth, or all that goes on in the king’s mind!

Although we have made great strides and progress on discoveries of both the depths of the ocean and heights of space, there is much more that we do not know about both. In the same way, it is impossible to know the mind of a wise king, or any wise individual.

⁴ Remove the impurities from silver, and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith. ⁵ Remove the wicked from the king’s court, and his reign will be made secure by justice.

Just as silver must be refined by fire to remove the impurities, leaders must remove individuals from their organization that is causing problems. For a king or world leader, it is important that the leader’s advisers are pure and are not corrupt.

⁶ Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. ⁷ It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace.

When we have the opportunity to associate with individuals of authority we should not assume that we are of the same status or try to position ourselves into a position of authority ourselves. It is better to be humble and not seek prominence. If it is due to us, then we will be recognized when it is appropriate

⁸ Just because you’ve seen something, don’t be in a hurry to go to court. For what will you do in the end if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat?

As an observer of life events, we should take precaution that we do not make rash assumptions before we fully understand the situation. If we make false accusations, then we will be the one that looks like a fool.

⁹ When arguing with your neighbor, don’t betray another person’s secret. ¹⁰ Others may accuse you of gossip, and you will never regain your good reputation.

First, we need to be careful not to argue needlessly. If we have information about another person that is not for public consumption, then we should not repeat it regardless of the circumstance. If we do, it will lead to us becoming a gossip and ruining our reputation.

¹¹ Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.

Wise advice is important at any time, but when it is provided to us when it is most useful, then it is just like a beautiful table setting – very appropriate and valuable.

¹² To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.

In addition to receiving timely advice, if we listen to it, even if it may be critical, then it will adorn us like beautiful jewelry.

¹³ Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer. They revive the spirit of their employer.

A couple of weather metaphors are next. Just as refreshing as snow would be on a hot summer day, good news received from a trustworthy person is refreshing to the soul.

¹⁴ A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.

If you have ever experienced a severe drought, you understand how hopeful you become when you see clouds and feel the associated wind that should bring rain. When it does not come, and the clouds are blown past, the disappointment is huge. It is the same as knowing a person who has promised a gift which you need and anticipate, but they do not follow through.

Today on our Wisdom Trail we are exploring a series of Solomon’s Proverbs that were assembled by King Hezekiah. These proverbs continue to provide us with more wisdom, insight, and understanding. If you follow the precepts in Proverbs, regardless of where you are in your faith walk, your life will be rich and satisfying. Take them and plant them in your heart, so that you will reap a harvest of wisdom.

Tomorrow we will hike another short trail of Wisdom Unplugged as we discover an inspirational wisdom quote. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy these daily doses of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person when you meet with them and invite them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

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.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. 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!