Day 160 – Proverbs 19-21

Talking Points

• Over and over in Proverbs, we find the call to get wisdom, seek wisdom, possess wisdom. The reality of this call is that wisdom is evidently not something we naturally possess. Instead, it is something we must diligently acquire. Today, our source of wisdom is God’s Word. We cannot grow in Godly wisdom apart form considerable amounts of time spent in the Bible. “It is not good for a person to be without knowledge” (19:21).
• Walking in Godly wisdom produces kindness, mercy, integrity, honesty, and peace. It makes perfect sense that, as one would operate with God’s wisdom, they would start to reflect His character.
• God’s wisdom leads people away from rash actions or anger. We are to be merciful and exhibit calm restraint, trusting Him to carry out His perfect justice. Where the world would say, “Take your revenge and set things right,” God tells us to turn it over to Him. “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the LORD and He will save” (20:22).

Thoughts

The world is changing — rapidly. Estimates say that, before 1900, the information available for humans to know doubled approximately every 100 years. By 1945, it was doubling every 25 years, and every year by 1982. IBM estimates that in 2020, the volume of information now doubles every 12 hours. We exist in an avalanche of information!

Part of that incredible phenomenon reveals that things we once held as true now quickly become outdated and proven to be false. One modern scientist says, “Everything we know has an expiration date,” and, “Over time, one group of facts replaces another.”

So, what about the Bible? How is it standing up under the scrutiny of continual new and improved information? Is it becoming outdated? Irrelevant? Like textbooks, does the Bible need an updated edition?

Here’s the truth we need to embrace and get loud about: God’s Word will stand! It is the only thing that won’t need updating. It is the Truth. It can’t become outdated. It is always relevant, because it is timeless like its Author.

My favorite part of this is that where the avalanche of new information is revealing the weakness in trusting in the world, it is only confirming the amazing confidence we can have in God’s Word. Now, every 12 hours, we have twice as much information confirming what God said thousands of years ago. “The counsel of the LORD will stand” (19:21).

(R. Buckmaster Fuller – “Knowledge Doubling Curve”)