3 Proverbs That Will Make You Wiser

We would be all the wiser if we followed what these three proverbs say. Which proverbs would you suggest we follow for godly wisdom?

Proverbs 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

Just as bad company corrupts good character (1 Cor 15:33), so too does walking with those who have wisdom make one wiser. I have an older mentor who corrects me where I need it and shows me from his experience what I need to learn. If I am to gain any wisdom, I must be in the Scriptures on a daily basis, and when I am in contact with my mentor on a regular basis, I can learn from his experiences in life and gain wisdom from his insight into what he has learned in life. Like me, he has learned things the hard way, but if I keep company with those who are biblically wise, I can then gain understanding from them, as iron sharpens iron (Prov 27:17), and I need that because rust never sleeps. On the contrary, if I walk with fools, there is every reason to believe that I will act foolishly and make foolish decisions.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

More times than I would like to acknowledge, I have leaned on my own understanding, only to fall because I can’t lean on something that’s not really solid. God’s truth is rock solid, and if I acknowledge God–and this means obedience to His commandments (Prov 3:1)–then I will likely live a longer life (Prov 3:2) and will have God’s favor (Prov 3:4). Why would I ever want to be wise in my own eyes (Prov 3:7) when the fear of the Lord is the true beginning of godly wisdom (Prov 9:10), but where there is no fear of God, there is no godly wisdom. It’s as simple as that. If I lean on God’s Word, I am not leaning on my own understanding, and this will make my path much straighter than if I try to go it alone. On the other hand, what seems right to my human mind can lead to death (Prov 14:12), so I am always better off trusting the Lord (Prov 3:5).

Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”

One of the most prominent reasons I have to give counsel to others is because of their lack of time spent in the Word of God. That’s too bad because there is such wisdom in the Bible. The Word of God changes us, renews our mind, and can make us know God more intimately. Every single Word of God is true (Psalm 119:16), and this is repeated over and over again by Jesus, Who testifies that God’s Word is truth and that our sanctification takes place through His Word (John 17:17). God is a shield to those who take refuge in Him, but He warns us that we had better not add to His words because He will rebuke us if we do. This means that we shouldn’t try to embellish His words (Scripture) with our own ideas, thoughts, and words because every single word of God is true. If we add to it, we water it down and make it of little or no effect.

Conclusion

I believe there are 31 chapters of Proverbs so that we’ll have at least one chapter a day for every day of the month, and what better way to gain godly wisdom than abiding on a daily basis in His Word, for if you do, the effect is you will be made all the wiser. That’s a good goal to have, isn’t it?