Loving Advice

As our church has been studying through the book of Proverbs, you can't help but be amazed at the rich godly advice it contains. In my reading, I've been noticing an all too familiar theme in how it is written. There are many subjects that have been covered so far (wisdom, knowledge, discretion and folly certainly come to mind). The common theme I see is in the tone of how this godly advice is dispensed.

Check out these verses in just the first eight chapters of Proverbs--1:8, 1:10, 2:1, 3:1, 3:11, 3:21, 4:1, 4:3, 4:10, 4:20, 5:1, 5:7, 6:1, 6:20, 7:1, 7:24 and 8:32. These verses show that the advice here is being passed along from a loving Father to his treasured son. While the advice is often pointed and direct, there isn't a hint of sternness in the voice of the Father. There is nothing dictatorial or condescending in how the advice is given. It is a voice from someone who cares deeply; filled with wisdom, knowledge and experience from a life well lived. It is a voice that desires only the best for his son. It is a voice from someone who not only wants to spare his son the ill consequences of wrong choices but would also be feeling the pain and anguish of those choices right along with him.

There may be some of us who have rarely if ever heard loving advice dispensed in such a manner. Our biological fathers, who all are products of the Fall, may or may not be godly men who walked with the Lord or had a nurturing spirit in the way they instructed us. Whatever the case, it is critical that we as God's men know that our Heavenly Father desires nothing but the best for us and His desire is to give us the wisdom we need to avoid the snares of the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

Once again, in Proverbs 9:10, we see that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom but we also see that knowledge of the Holy One is insight. It is clearly God's desire to pass along wisdom to us so that we can gain knowledge and insight in living righteously. From a Father who loves his child deeply.