Considering Proverbs 8:32-36

³² Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.

³³ Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

³⁴ Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

³⁵ For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.

³⁶ But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

How do we find wisdom of the Lord so that we can listen and keep His ways? I think this depends on the person, but one thing I think applies to all is simply living life. As we live in this world, we should grow in wisdom, especially if we are Christians.

We can also grow in wisdom through reading scripture, sincerely considering the teachings within scripture, and seeking Jesus so that we can apply these lessons to our life.

Sometimes we grow in wisdom through making foolish mistakes, having our errors made known to us, and humbly seeking the Lord for redirection.

We are all fools in this world.

The only person to walk the earth with the full wisdom of God is Jesus Christ, and there will be no other like Him.

He does give of Himself to us if we seek Him, and He will reward us according to our need so that we can serve Him faithfully according to His will.

From the perspective of one honest fool, I know that Jesus provides us with understanding if we ask Him, and most importantly, if we are willing to lay aside the things we place above Him including our belief biases, fear of what others will think or do to us, and the desire to be someone great or important.

 If we are seeking Jesus for Jesus’s sake, He will show us much—and though I might be a sincere fool—I do believe that what Jesus shows us will be contrary to what the world wants to hear. If we want to find wisdom, we have to be willing to be made a fool. As it is written, “the wisdom of God is foolishness to man.”

As someone who is both a fool in this world and a fool when compared to all there is to gain in the wisdom of Christ, I do know this much: the wisdom of Jesus should bring truth and life, and those who keep the ways of truth and life have found favor of the Lord.

As Christians, we have so much favor of the Lord. We have Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. We have so much favor of God that He raises us up as sons. We have so much favor of the God that the Lord will raise us from the dead at His coming and we will reign with Him eternally. There is no earthly wisdom that is worth forsaking the wisdom and riches of the Eternal Kingdom of God.

This world will make you feel so foolish, and who cares? I’d like to say that I do not care, and sometimes I have said that. This is a defense mechanism that I have to watch out for, because this leads to callousness and pride.

In reality, I do care. I just cannot care more about what people think or feel than what is right in the sight of my Lord. It is hard to stand up for the things of life and truth in a world of destruction and lies, but we are not alone. We have Jesus always with us, and our brethren are with us as well. Even if we feel all alone, we can know that we are not.

I know what it is like to feel in comradery with my brethren in seeking Jesus and I know what it is like to feel alone. I’ve always had a problem with letting people I care about feel alone or lost, even when trouble was coming for them.

I don’t say this to brag of some virtue in me, because I have none. I am a fool and a coward. However, according to the measure that Christ is in me, I will not leave my brethren alone to deal with the confusion of this world, the chastisement of God, or the hatred of this world towards those who keep the ways of Jesus.

It is true that we do not all receive chastisement, but I believe that those who do not should face it anyway for the sake of our brethren.

If you had a young brother who was behaving in a manner that would get him into big trouble, would you not warn him? If you had a young brother who was in big trouble, would you not risk your own comfort to comfort him so that he does not overly despair and think that our father has thrown him away?

I am aware that my ministry is one that is speaking to many wolves, hoping to find a sheep or two that is deafened by their howls. I don’t expect to be received well. My ministry is not to the sincere, but the insincere who need to grow. I do want to encourage the sincere also, but I have not walked long in the faith and there are elders better suited for that.

I know there are teachings that bar people from hearing me, like the rapture and the idea that God would not chastise us because we wear the blood of Jesus. These teachings are not true, and I will provide more information if you want it.

Maybe it is vanity to write of myself at all, but I think it helps those who read my words if they understand where I am coming from. I have read the scriptures, I think on them all the time, and I pray about the issues that my brethren face now and to come. If I am a fool in this, I am a sincere fool and I don’t neglect the possibility.

The conclusions I come to can be backed up by many scriptures. They don’t come out of thin air. Yet, I know how easy it is for people to create false ideas with scripture, and I know that quoting scripture can be off putting for some. If you want scripture related to anything I write, please ask. I love to talk about the word.

Enough of this. I’m getting on my own nerves. 😊 I just want those who read my words to know that I am for you, I care for you, and I want to help. If you think I am misled, I would greatly appreciate the same kindnesses.

If we are following things that bring deceit and death, then we need to turn from these things and seek Jesus. He will show us the way. He will not leave us, so we should trust in Him. He is merciful towards our foolishness, our faithlessness, and all manner of sin and all the more if we repent and seek Him with honesty and humility.

There is no shame in being a fool before the Lord, because Jesus alone can make us wise. There is no shame in being a fool in this world, because that is Life Everlasting.