Proverbs is one of those books that doesn't get read enough, I think. I can't speak for everyone, but I always think, I should read from this section of the Bible. After all, it is full of advice on daily living. I constantly cling to the verse James 1:5 and pray, "Lord, I lack wisdom, and I know I should ask You, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to me." I wonder if God ever says, "I gave you a book in the Bible with words of wisdom...read it lately?"
Well, I have decided to read a chapter a day, and I am starting from the end and working backwards. Why? Not sure. I am one of those people who sets out to read something, then hits a plateau, never getting to the end. So, why not start at the end and read the things I have always missed? Anyways, enough of my rambling musings. Let's get to the part relevant to the title which is why you are probably reading this in the first place! :-)
This chapter is actually not written by King Solomon. It is my a little-known man named Agur. He was a humble man who declared that he was not all that wise. Verse 1-3, “I am weary, God, but I can prevail. Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One." Despite what Agur says, I believe he must have loved and sought after God with all his heart, soul & mind because his words in this chapter are greatly inspired. Read it for yourselves. These are just excerpts that filled my heart today.
By the way, a hyrax is "a small herbivorous mammal with a compact body and a very short tail, found in arid country in Africa and Arabia." (It will make sense by the end:-)
Visions of God in His Power
"Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!"
~ Verse 4 ~
Words to Live By
“Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."
~ Verses 7-9 ~
Observing the World with Delighted Interest
“There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:
the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a young woman."
~ Verses 18 & 19 ~
Learning from Nature
“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:
Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;
locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;
a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces."
~ Verses 24-28 ~
 |
| Hyrax |
