If you’ve been following our reading plan, we just finished the first 9 chapters of Proverbs on Sunday and are now hitting a few highlights from 1-2 Kings.

Perhaps you are wondering – why Proverbs? Why these random chapters in the Kings? At the beginning of the year, we made a plan, but it is God’s purposes that will stand (Prov. 19:21). And in His beautiful sovereignty, He planned for us to be reading Proverbs as our society faces panic and a pandemic unlike anything we have seen.

So until we get back together, here’s a few thoughts from our Proverbs reading:

We need wisdom.

There are many things we could be praying for right now for our lives, but perhaps one of the best things to ask God for is WISDOM. Do we cancel our trip or not? How can I work from home with all these distractions? How can we make it financially in these times?

We have endless questions, but thankfully the Bible contains endless wisdom, especially so in these “Wisdom Books” like Proverbs. So drench yourself in this “wisdom from above” (James 3:17), and you can hear “words of insight” (1:2) regarding how to work diligently, even from home, or “receive instruction in wise dealing” (1:3) with those who are grumpy in the grocery store, or “obtain guidance” for whether or not to cancel future trips (1:5).

We all feel the lack of wisdom right now, but the good news is that it’s available to all of us (James 1:5)!

We need wisdom for our family.

Perhaps no area of our lives is more disrupted than our families. How do we keep these kids occupied? How do we support our older parents without putting them at risk? How do we teach our children the truth of God when there’s no Children’s Church or Truth Trackers?

One fascinating aspect of Proverbs is that it is written to the next generation. Solomon is writing here to “my son” (vs. 8, 10), likely his heir Rehoboam, giving practical guidance on how life generally works.

One danger for parents from this book, though, is to think if they train their children properly according to Proverbs, they will turn out perfectly. This comes from a misapplication of some of the sayings of Proverbs (for instance, 22:6) without understanding that these are general principles of how life works, not guarantees or promises. Next to the book of Proverbs is a giant asterisk that leads you to the books of Job and Ecclesiastes, which teach us that sometimes those who do right suffer.

We also have to remember that Solomon’s own son Rehoboam did not heed the wisdom of this book and caused the division of the kingdom (1 Kings 12 from our reading). And even Solomon, after writing about the dangers of immorality (Proverbs 5-7), took on many wives who turned his heart toward idolatry and away from God and His wisdom (1 Kings 11, also in our reading).

These are great lessons and warnings for our families, but do not let their failure dissuade you from a deep study of this book. It in inspired by God to help you live life with your family. Consider using it in your family devotions during this season.

We need wisdom for our government.

An interesting aspect of “Lady Wisdom” in chapter 8 is that she is tied to good governing (vs. 15-16). And boy, do our government leaders need wisdom right now! Let this be a call for prayer for each leader – mayor, governor, president, Congress – to embrace Lady Wisdom during these troubling times.

We need God!

Don’t think that wisdom is just something practical that anyone can do if they’re smart enough or skilled enough. No, Proverbs makes clear up front and all throughout that wisdom can only be found in a relationship with God – specifically, “fearing” and “knowing” Him (1:7, 2:5, 9:10).

In fact, Proverbs warns against any wisdom of our own making (3:7). So ultimately, though we need wisdom desperately, we need God above all! If you don’t know Him, seek Christ and find in Him all treasures of wisdom (Col. 2:3). If you know Him, ask Him daily to reveal more of Himself and more of His wisdom.

In God’s providence, we have not been able to continue meeting as Sunday Classes to go over this book together, but we look forward to getting back together to continue our Old Testament Overview series. Until then, my challenge is to continue in our reading plan and perhaps add some additional reading with your family through a book like Proverbs.

After all, Lady Wisdom is not quarantined – she calls loudly from the streets (1:20)! Listen to her during this season.