Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
- Proverbs 22:17-18
A curious term is used to convey the initial thought in this scripture. Bow Down, means to incline our ears or listen intently. I like another view of bow down. How often do we dismiss wise scriptures like this? You may not think you do, but if you don’t implement them, then you have rejected them. You are not alone!
How often do we read them, and agree with them, but employ minimal action within ourselves regarding the ‘doing’ part? There are two parts to scripture, like any other area of education — reading and doing! And the Bible is our education tool (2 Timothy 3:16)
Many scriptures, like this one, hold within them the wisdom of the wise. Solomon wrote this Proverb and had rulers of nations sit at his feet to hear wisdom such as this. It would be prudent of us also to hear his words.
In this passage, he speaks to us as to his son (or daughter), recommending we Bow Down our ear — remove our lofty pride in ignoring it, as we so often do — and hear (see with our heart) the wisdom of this passage.
Think about how many of life’s issues would dissolve if our lips were fit-for-purpose before each discussion? I have mentioned before that there are two responses within us in conversations. The first one is the reaction, and is generally humanistic, fuelling the fire of argument. The second one, where we wait for the Holy Spirit to help us respond, is more the considered and spiritual approach. This one ensures the extinguishing of any potential fire before it starts.
Today’s Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the multitude of wisdom coming from Solomon’s words. Help me to spend less time skimming over his proverbs and more time putting them into practice.
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