Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 591 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Don’t Be a Fool! – Proverbs 6

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 591 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 6 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. What a difference a week can make in our lives. I was scheduled to travel to Mesa, Arizona, last week to work on our construction project there. The day before I was to leave our lives changed forever.

A little over a week ago, Hazel, our 2 ½-year-old, red-headed, spunky grandchild who is so full of life was taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. A week ago on Saturday, we found out that our sweet little Hazel was diagnosed with pre-b acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Of course, our hearts are broken, and it rocked our foundation to the very core. Since it was detected early, and she is young, the prognosis for recovery is good. But the thought of Hazel having to suffer through two years of chemo treatments is difficult to grasp and consider. It certainly will be a major change in our lives and especially in the lives of her parents Elizabeth and Nat Miller and Hazel’s three older siblings Paul, Gideon, and Aurora. It is hard to process, especially for one so young, but we are certain that God is in control of this situation as He is in all of our lives. We will be much more involved with Elizabeth, Nat, and the grandkid’s lives as we assist and we all adjust to a life that is no longer what our normal was.

Fortunately, Nat’s parents also live locally and are very involved with the grandkids. We would ask you to pray for Hazel and her tribe, and also for us as grandparents that we would have the wisdom, insight, and understanding to make prudent choices and be able to help wherever it is needed.

As we explore Proverbs 6 today, Solomon instructs us to be wise. Solomon puts it bluntly when he says…

Don’t Be a Fool!

· 9th Speech from Father to Son

Chapter 6 is the father’s ninth speech, and there’s a trove of wisdom gold in here. As you listen to it, look for words such as “snare,” “caught,” “hunter,” “fowler,” “robber,” “capture,” and “thief.” According to the father, there are four hunters out there looking to ambush your soul and rob it of the good life.

· Beware of:

1. Debt (verses 1-5)

The father warns his son of the dangers of financial liability, even if it’s to help out a friend. Stepping into debt is like stepping into a trap. Don’t sign your name, he says. If you do, get yourself out of the situation with dogged persistence (“to the point of exhaustion”) and escape like a gazelle or a bird (two animals that exhibit swift speed).

2. Laziness (verses 6-11)

Here the father tells the son that “poverty will come upon him like a robber” if he doesn’t learn to work hard. “Check out the ants!” he says, pointing out the diligent way these insects store provisions for their future. Solomon, as 1 Kings [4:33] indicates, was a skilled zoologist and drew many lessons from the world of animals.

3. Gossip (verses 12-19)

In these verses, the topic switches from the “sluggard” to the “slanderer.” Both are deemed to be worthless people, but the latter receives the father’s harshest criticism. Verses 16-19 catalog a list of things that the Lord hates, culminating with someone who creates relational disharmony.

4. Lust (verse 20-35)

This last warning takes the form of a speech. Once again, we encounter the adulteress. This woman will hunt you down, the father says, and capture her prey with her eyelashes. Don’t be fooled, for there will only be pain from engaging with her. In other words, the father asks a rhetorical question, “Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?”

The uniting theme of this chapter is the father’s encouragement to maintain a healthy distance from these sly hunters. To give in to them is to forsake freedom and give way to calamity. What temptations are you prey to today? Surrender them to God with a humble heart and remember what the father said, “Correction and instruction are the way to life.”

Listen up now and pay attention as I share with you Proverbs 6.

¹ My son, if you will risk your family’s future to put up collateral for the debts of an acquaintance, if you seal a commitment with a handshake to someone without first knowing the value of his word.
² Then your words may well be the trap that snares you, and your promise may seal your fate.  You can’t be sure to whom you hitched your future.
³ So, my son—save yourself! Here’s what you need to do:
go to that person who became your master with a handshake,
humble yourself, and plead your case.
⁴ Do not sleep; don’t even rest your eyes until you deal with this.
⁵ Get out as quickly as possible, as a gazelle runs from the hand of the hunter,
as a bird takes off from the grip of the fowler.

⁶ Take a lesson from the ant, you who love leisure and ease.
Observe how it works, and dare to be just as wise.
⁷ It has no boss, no one laying down the law or telling it what to do,
⁸ Yet it gathers its food through summer and takes what it needs from the harvest.
⁹ How long do you plan to lounge your life away, you lazy fool?
Will you ever get out of bed?
¹⁰ You say, “A little sleep, a little rest, a few more minutes, a nice little nap.”
¹¹ But soon poverty will be on top of you like a robber; need will assault you like a well-armed warrior.

¹² Someone who struts around taking advantage of unsuspecting souls
and deceiving others is to be avoided.
¹³ With a wink of his eye, a quick shuffle of his feet, and a slight gesture with his hand, he signals his roguish treachery.
¹⁴ With a warped mind and twisted heart, he constantly looks for his own gain at others’ expense, causing friction everywhere he goes.
¹⁵ But you watch: his actions will bring sudden disaster! In an instant, his life will be shattered, and there will be nothing to save him.

¹⁶ Take note, there are six things the Eternal hates; no, make it seven He abhors:
¹⁷ Eyes that look down on others, a tongue that can’t be trusted, hands that shed innocent blood.
¹⁸ A heart that conceives evil plans,  feet that sprint toward evil.
¹⁹ A false witness who breathes out lies,  and anyone who stirs up trouble among the faithful.

 ²⁰ So, my son, follow your father’s direction, and don’t forget what your mother taught you—
²¹ Keep their teachings close to your heart; engrave them on a pendant, and hang it around your neck.
²² Their instruction will guide you along your journey, guard you when you sleep, and address you when you wake in the morning.
²³ For their direction is a lamp; their instruction will light your path, and their discipline will correct your missteps, sending you down the right path of life.
²⁴ They will keep you far from the corrupted woman, away from the smooth talk of a seductive woman.
²⁵ Do not lose yourself in desire for her beauty or let her win you over with her painted eyes,
²⁶ For you can buy a harlot with a loaf of bread, but sex with another man’s wife will cost you your life.
²⁷ Can you carry fire right next to your body and keep your clothes from burning?
²⁸ Can you walk over fiery coals and keep your feet from blistering?
²⁹ Take another man’s wife, and you will find out—whoever touches her will be found guilty.
³⁰ People don’t despise a thief who only steals to fill his hunger;
³¹ Still if they catch him, he must repay seven times over— he could end up losing everything he owns!
³² By contrast only a fool would commit adultery since by his action he loses not only his possessions but also his own life.
³³ He will suffer injury and be disgraced; dishonor will leave a permanent mark on his life.
³⁴ For jealousy sparks a husband’s rage— when he gets his revenge, he’ll show no mercy.
³⁵ He will not be paid off or appeased; no bribe or gift will set things right.

That will conclude our exploration of Proverbs 6. There is certainly a lot to ponder here. Next week we will continue with Chapter 7, 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 you follow the precepts in Proverbs, 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!