Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 601 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Sharing God’s Wisdom – Proverbs 8

Hello, my friend, and welcome to Wisdom-Trek! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your Guide to Wisdom and Creating a Living Legacy. Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 601 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 Proverbs 8 from The Voice Translation, which will give us a fresh perspective on this book of timeless wisdom.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It has been an unusually cool spring for Southeast Ohio so far which is somewhat surprising since we had such a mild winter. The flowers are slow coming out, and the grass is also growing. o there is plenty of outdoor work to be completed as we have the opportunity.

Our granddaughter Hazel is responding well to the chemo treatments for leukemia, and the physicians are pleased with her early results. Next Monday, she will have more extensive treatment and testing to hone in on her progress to determine if the current course of treatments is producing the desired results.

For the next 2-3 months, Hazel will have weekly chemo treatments in Columbus on Monday’s and also have blood drawn locally on a weekly basis to monitor the results. The high levels of steroids and chemo are causing her to swell up significantly, and she is losing her precious red hair.

While we realize that these are just outward temporary manifestations of the life-saving treatments that she must go through, it is difficult for all of us to see her suffer through the treatments. We would ask you to pray for Hazel and her family, and also for us as grandparents that we would have the wisdom, insight, and understanding to make prudent choices and are able to help wherever it is needed.

As we explore Proverbs 8 today, we learn from Lady Wisdom the art of…

Sharing God’s Wisdom

· 3rd Speech from Lady Wisdom

In stark contrast to Chapter 7’s tale of evil seduction, Chapter 8 includes a beautiful poem from Lady Wisdom to the reader. While both women seek companions, they could not be more different. As the adulteress speaks from the shadows, so does Lady Wisdom from “the highest places in the city” (verse 2); the evil woman uses deceptive words, but Wisdom “speaks of unparalleled excellence and beauty”(verse 6). This contrast serves to heighten our disgust for the one and our admiration of the other.

In verses 1-3, Lady Wisdom is introduced. For the remainder of the chapter, she speaks eloquently about what she has to offer. Her monolog, however, does not take place before a captive audience. Rather, she walks the cobblestone road of life, calling out to those who have the courage to listen.

Lady Wisdom’s poetic discourse is full of feeling and force. You can’t help but fall under its sway. It is rhythmic, impassioned, and persuasive. In verses 4-21 she urges her reader to listen to the words of her mouth, for they are better than silver, gold, or jewels. Her words also bequeath honor, “I have insight, I have power,” she promises, “because of me kings wield power.” If that’s not enough, verses 22-31 rewind the tapes of history, and we see that next to the Creator stood none other but Lady Wisdom! God utilized wisdom when he built our strange and wonderful world, and she rejoiced in the work of His hands.

· Who Can Compare to Lady Wisdom?

In verses 32-36, Lady Wisdom concludes her poem. She addresses the father’s sons as her own and tells them “find me, and you will true happiness.” Are you “watching daily” at Wisdom’s doors? Listen up now as I read chapter 8 and allow her words to have full sway over you.

¹ Isn’t Lady Wisdom calling?
Listen; don’t you hear the voice of understanding crying out?
² She’s taken her stand at the highest place in the city,
at the crossroads where everyone can see her.
³ There, and at the gates, at the entrance to the city,
right in front of the city doors she cries out:

⁴ Lady Wisdom: O people! I am calling to you;
I have a message for all humanity.
⁵ You gullible people, acquire insight.
You naive ones, cultivate a heart that truly understands.
⁶ Listen, for I am about to tell you of unparalleled excellence and beauty;
what I am about to say will set things right.
⁷ I will only speak the truth;
I despise evil, so it will not pass through my lips.
⁸ Everything I say promotes justice;
not one word is crooked, and nothing is distorted.
⁹ Each and every word is straight talk to perceptive people,
upright and honest to knowledge-seekers.
¹⁰ Accept my correction as being more valuable than your prized possession,
authentic knowledge more valuable than pure gold.

¹¹ You see, no gem is more precious than Lady Wisdom—
your most extravagant desire doesn’t come close to her.

¹² Lady Wisdom: I make my home with prudence;
I obtain knowledge and sound judgment.
¹³ If you respect the Eternal, you will grow to despise evil.
I despise wretched, vile talk
and ways of pride and arrogance.
¹⁴ Good counsel is mine, and also true wisdom.
I am understanding, and strength belongs to me.
¹⁵ It’s because of me that kings wield power
and authorities decree what is right.
¹⁶ It’s because of me that leaders and their agents govern
and all judge according to what is right.
¹⁷ I love those who love me;
those who search hard for me will find me.
¹⁸ Riches and honor are the benefit of following me;
so are lasting wealth and justice.
¹⁹ My reward is better than gold, even the purest gold;
and my profit is greater than the highest quality silver.
²⁰ I follow the way of right living.
Follow me along the path to find justice;
²¹ I’m ready to meet those who love me, bestow true riches upon them,
and fill up their lives until their treasuries overflow.
²² The Eternal created me; it happened when His work was beginning,
one of His first acts long ago.
²³ Before time He established me,
before the earth saw its first sunrise.
²⁴ I was born before the deep existed,
before any springs poured out their water,
²⁵ Before the mountains were placed on their foundations,
before the hills rolled across the land—
yes, before all this, I was brought forth.
²⁶ When the earth was yet unformed and the fields were not yet nestled beneath the wind—
even before the first dust of the earth—
²⁷ When He created the heavens, I was there.
When He drew a circle in the deep, dividing the oceans and the sky, I was there.
²⁸ I was there when He established the sky.
I was there when the springs in the deep were fortified;
²⁹ I witnessed Him lay down the shore as a boundary
and put limits on the water
And determine the foundations of the earth.
³⁰ All this time I was close beside Him, a master craftsman.
Every day I was His delightful companion,
celebrating every minute in His presence,
³¹ Elated by the world He was making and all its fine creatures;
I was especially pleased with humanity.

³² So now listen to me, my children:
those who live by my ways will find true happiness.
³³ Pay attention to my guidance, dare to be wise,
and don’t disregard my teachings.
³⁴ The one who listens to me,
who carefully seeks me in everyday things
and delays action until my way is apparent, that one will find true happiness.
³⁵ For when he recognizes and follows me, he finds a peaceful and satisfying life and receives favor from the Eternal.
³⁶ But heed my warning: the one who goes against me will only hurt himself,
for all who despise me are playing with fire and courting death. 

That will conclude our exploration of Proverbs 8. We need to understand how valuable lady wisdom is to our lives. She was before there was anything else made. Next week we will continue with Chapter 9, and each week we will explore a full chapter in Proverbs. I hope that you will join us each week so that you can gain wisdom, insight, and understanding for yourself.

All of the Proverbs provide us with rich wisdom, insight, and understanding on a myriad of life issues. Regardless of where you are in your faith walk, if the precepts in Proverbs are followed, your life will be rich and satisfying. I encourage you to take them and plant the seeds of wisdom in your heart so that you will reap a harvest of wisdom throughout your life.

Tomorrow we will hike another short trail of Wisdom Unplugged where we will 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. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks or read the daily journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. You can also subscribe on iTunes and Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded 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!