The Rewards of Wisdom

Proverbs 3; I die daily devotional.

¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.  ¹⁷  Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. ¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.

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In my experience, the ways of wisdom are pleasant when learning to understand the nature of God by His Word. We can experience the meaning of pleasantness when walking with God in the cool of the morning, seeing the birds in the trees awake and alive for the joy set before them singing a song of praise to God (at least that’s my interpretation of their sound when chirping about the making of a melody). Although my lips may not move, my heart joins them as a hum to break my silence. The interpretation of my hum is an agreement with the encompassing sound of worship to God, a choice given me through the pleasantness of wisdom.

What is your experience to the pleasantness of wisdom?

Peace—is such a remarkable experience. I’m so thankful for peace! Even when on the most darkest of paths, if wisdom is my constant reward, peace is with me. What is there to fear if God is with us, nothing! To believe in God through faith in Jesus is the constant reward of wisdom in the innermost parts of the soul. We can experience peace in the face of temptations and the most difficult of tests when we listen to the rewards of wisdom. There is power in this truth, but the discipline to acquire it is difficult to bear because this worlds hates this wisdom. The world hates what wisdom means; believe in name of Jesus for salvation. No matter what paths we find ourselves on, without faith in Jesus, it’s impossible to please God. To have peace means to share the good news of the gospel. To have wisdom means to live a life that testifies to your belief in the gospel.

Do your paths reveal the peace of the gospel?

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RESOURCE

Proverbs 3 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org
¹ My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; ² For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. ³ Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴ So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. ⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. ⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. ⁸ It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. ⁹ Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; ¹⁰ So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. ¹¹ My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, ¹² For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father  corrects the son in whom he delights. ¹³ How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. ¹⁴ For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. ¹⁵ She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. ¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. ¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. ¹⁹ The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. ²⁰ By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. ²¹ My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, ²² So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. ²³ Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. ²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. ²⁵ Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; ²⁶ For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. ²⁷ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. ²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it, ”When you have it with you. ²⁹ Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. ³⁰ Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. ³¹ Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. ³² For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright. ³³ The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. ³⁴ Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. ³⁵ The wise will inherit honor, But fools  display dishonor.

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COMMENTARY

Chapter 3

Matthew Henry (P3-V17) Commentary
2. It is a true happiness; for it is inclusive of, and equivalent to, all those things which are supposed to make men happy, v. 16, 17. Wisdom is here represented as a bright and bountiful queen, reaching forth gifts to her faithful and loving subjects, and offering them to all that will submit to her government.

• (1.) Is length of days a blessing? Yes, the most valuable; life includes all good, and therefore she offers that in her right hand. Religion puts us into the best methods of prolonging life, entitles us to the promises of it, and, though our days on earth should be no more than our neighbour’s, yet it will secure to us everlasting life in a better world.
• (2.) Are riches and honour accounted blessings? They are so, and them she reaches out with her left hand. For, as she is ready to embrace those that submit to her with both arms, so she is ready to give out to them with both hands. They shall have the wealth of this world as far as Infinite Wisdom sees good for them; while the true riches, by which men are rich towards God, are secured to them. Nor is there any honour, by birth or preferment, comparable to that which attends religion; it makes the righteous more excellent than his neighbour, recommends men to God, commands respect and veneration with all the sober part of mankind, and will in the other world make those that are now buried in obscurity to shine forth as the sun.
• (3.) Is pleasure courted as much as any thing? It is so, and it is certain that true piety has in it the greatest true pleasure. Her ways are ways of pleasantness; the ways in which she has directed us to walk are such as we shall find abundance of delight and satisfaction in. All the enjoyments and entertainments of sense are not comparable to the pleasure which gracious souls have in communion with God and doing good. That which is the only right way to bring us to our journey’s end we must walk in, fair or foul, pleasant or unpleasant; but the way of religion, as it is the right way, so it is a pleasant way; it is smooth and clean, and strewed with roses: All her paths are peace. There is not only peace in the end, but peace in the way; not only in the way of religion in general, but in the particular paths of that way, in all her paths, all the several acts, instances, and duties of it. One does not embitter what the other sweetens, as it is with the allays of this world; but they are all peace, not only sweet, but safe. The saints enter into peace on this side heaven, and enjoy a present sabbatism.