Pearls of Wisdom: Avoid Calamity

                                                                                         

Proverbs 1:24-27

²⁴Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;  ²⁵But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:  ²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;  ²⁷When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

Have you ever told your kids to stop running in the house but they didn’t listen and eventually ended up with a knot on their heads?  I can vividly see my little boys running through our house as I write this. They are so full of energy, especially little Christian.  I’m always saying, “Walk Christian!” And he is always anxious to get where he is going and even despite his best efforts to walk, it’s still more like a trot-on-the-verge-of-running.  Now, it never fails that at some point after I’ve told him to stop running, one of two things happens.  Either I will discipline him for running or I will see him coming towards me, eyes wet with tears, hand to his head, face saddened, looking for comfort because…you guessed it….he hurt himself running.   Either way, whether it is discipline or accident, the result of doing something that I’ve warned him not to do was uncomfortable.  Had he listened to me when I initially gave him instruction, he would have avoided the destruction that resulted from his disobedience.

Have you ever gone to God, eyes wet with tears, hand to your head, face saddened looking for comfort because of the calamity that was caused by your refusal to heed wisdom?

I cannot count the number of times I’ve cried for God to rescue me from a situation that I created.  I can remember some personal choices in my life that were in direct disregard of wisdom and, as the passage suggests, the result was destruction, distress and anguish!  For example, I remember my mother vividly telling me not to "shack up" with a man.  At the time, I thought she was just being old fashion.  So did I listen? No. Was the result destructive? Oh my gosh, YES! Oh how I wish I had listened!! I would have avoided the devastation that my decision inevitably produced.  So as I sit and think about several other decisions that turned out the same way, I'm reminded in this stage of my life to always seek wisdom and do my very best to follow wisdom's instruction.  I'm careful to get the input of my husband and at times, a close friend whenever I'm unclear about a decision and especially when my flesh is speaking louder than usual.  Because I've learned that whenever I choose to set wisdom's counsel at nought, calamity follows.  And it never fails that no matter how much I cry and beg for comfort from my calamity, although God covers me with His grace, He always allows me to feel the consequences of my behavior so that I will learn the lesson that He tried to teach me beforehand:  my relationship with Him is the safest place on earth. 

Pearls to Ponder

How well do you trace your situations and circumstances to your disregard of prior instruction and wisdom from God? What things are you dealing with today that could have turned out differently had you listened to wisdom?  What things can you do differently in your life if you apply the principles of wisdom?

Pearls to treasure

Deuteronomy 4:38-10 Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.