Why Proverbs?

Chapter One of Proverbs says that the purpose of the book is for 'attaining wisdom and discipline.' I've read Proverbs off and on since my teens... after all it's supposed to have been written by the wisest man who ever lived.

In a sense, as I read them in my younger years, I was standing alongside, reading and somewhat smugly agreeing, "Oh yes, this is wise. I agree." About ten years ago, I finally realized that I was lacking in wisdom and discipline, and began taking a different approach to reading Proverbs. Instead of standing alongside and reading with a critic's interest, I asked God to use it to change me, and began reading with an eye more critical to myself than the text.

What a difference it made! Very soon, I realized that many of the passages about 'the fool' (and there are a lot) were actually describing me. The first one to open my eyes was today's proverb below. These weren't pleasant revelations, but it was the beginning of a real change for the better in my life and primarily in me.

So, I'm going to continue sharing some of the wisdom in Proverbs each day.