February 4

Feb 4 - Today from Proverbs 4 we look at verses 3, 4 and 7
"When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."

Solomon wrote this section of proverbs. Here he is remembering when he was a boy, the son of King David. Solomon's father was a common shepherd boy, called of God to lead a nation. From his call to his coronation, David attended a school of mockery, hardship, persecution and betrayal for many years. During those years God was fashioning a man after His own heart. This remarkable king of Israel established the eternal throne of the Messiah. He wrote most of the Psalms, which were fully inspired by God and yet reflected the deep emotions of a man so incredibly transparent and honest with the God he loved with such a great passion. King David made some huge mistakes in his life, but he trusted in the overwhelming mercy of God and experienced the transcendent power of His grace each time. I am not convinced that there is another man in the entire Old Testament who knew God more intimately than did King David.
David obviously knew that God's choice of his successor to the throne was to be his son Solomon (1 Kings 1:29). Soon after Solomon's coronation, his father David gave him a solemn charge to keep to God's ways as set forth in the holy scriptures (1 Kings 2:2-4). But, it is obvious that this isn't the first time David spoke to his son about the superior qualities of wisdom. Here in this chapter of Proverbs, Solomon reflects on how his father, King David, taught and impressed upon him the value of wisdom when he was still a 'tender' child. Not just once, but often. Often enough so that even now as an adult, Solomon can still quote his father's words. I am sure that besides instructing his son on the value of wisdom, David shared with Solomon many stories of his struggles and triumphs. David had no lack of personal life illustrations to use in his teachings. Surely Solomon was in awe of his father, and his father's instruction and example left a deep impression upon him. How much of an impression? Imagine yourself a very young man, and you have just ascended to the throne of a powerful nation. Then one night the sovereign God of the universe pays you a visit and says to you, "Ask whatever you wish of me." What would you say? Seriously. The sovereign God of the universe offering you whatever you wished for. I'm not all together sure what I would ask of Him as a middle-aged man, but as a young man barely out of adolescence I would never have asked simply for wisdom. I doubt that I even understood what wisdom was. I didn't have a clue as to the value of it. Solomon did - his daddy 'drummed it into his head'. There was little hesitancy on Solomon's part as to his answer, "Give your servant a discerning heart." (1 Kings 3:9). What kid do you know would ask for that if they only had one wish? Are we teaching our children that 'wisdom is supreme'? To get it at all cost?
Or are we teaching them that prosperity is supreme? Power is supreme? Pleasure is supreme? Winning is supreme? What are we teaching our children - as parents? As the church? They learn not only through our teaching, but much more by our example. How many of the lessons we teach them can we offer personal life experiences to illustrate the lessons? Or do our personal examples betray what we really deem as supreme in life? These are tough questions. Questions we must ask ourselves if we are to see the next generation take up the true cause of Christ, and keep the throne of His Kingdom established through their own hearts.
Solomon gives his daddy a lot of credit for his own reputation as the wisest man who ever lived. What credit will our children give us?