LOOK FOR WISDOM EVERYDAY

Passage: Proverbs 8:22-36

Key verse: 34

NIV

22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[a][b]
    before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;(A)
25 before the mountains were settled in place,(B)
    before the hills, I was given birth,(C)
26 before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.(D)
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,(E)
    when he marked out the horizon(F) on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above(G)
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,(H)
29 when he gave the sea its boundary(I)
    so the waters would not overstep his command,(J)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.(K)
30     Then I was constantly[c] at his side.(L)
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.(M)

32 “Now then, my children, listen(N) to me;
    blessed are(O) those who keep my ways.(P)
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen(Q) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me(R) find life(S)
    and receive favor from the Lord.(T)
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;(U)
    all who hate me love death.”(V)

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Footnotes
  1. Proverbs 8:22 Or way; or dominion
  2. Proverbs 8:22 Or The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work; or The Lord brought me forth at the beginning of his work
  3. Proverbs 8:30 Or was the artisan; or was a little child

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

22 (A)“The Lord (B)possessed[a] me at the beginning of his work,[b]
    the first of his acts (C)of old.
23 Ages ago I was (D)set up,
    at the first, (E)before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no (F)depths I was (G)brought forth,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains (H)had been shaped,
    (I)before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
    or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he (J)established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew (K)a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he (L)made firm the skies above,
    when he established[c] the fountains of the deep,
29 when he (M)assigned to the sea its (N)limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out (O)the foundations of the earth,
30     then (P)I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his[d] (Q)delight,
    rejoicing before him always,
31 (R)rejoicing in his (S)inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of man.

32 “And now, (T)O sons, listen to me:
    (U)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 (V)Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.
34 (W)Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.
35 For (X)whoever finds me (Y)finds life
    and (Z)obtains favor from the Lord,
36 but he who fails to find me (AA)injures himself;
    all who (AB)hate me (AC)love death.”

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Footnotes
  1. Proverbs 8:22 Or fathered; Septuagint created
  2. Proverbs 8:22 Hebrew way
  3. Proverbs 8:28 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  4. Proverbs 8:30 Or daily filled with

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Wisdom was there (22-31) Wisdom was with God at the very beginning. Before there was water, mountains or hills, wisdom was given birth. Wisdom was there when God created the heavens and the earth. God created the heavens and the earth by his word of wisdom. This wisdom points to Jesus the Word (Jn 1:1,2). These poetic descriptions of wisdom show us that true wisdom is timeless. Godly wisdom rejoices in God's presence and delights to direct man's way. 2. Find wisdom, find life (32-36) Wisdom invites us to listen to her instructions. We are blessed when we keep the way wisdom directs. When we find wisdom, we have life but if we fail to find wisdom, we only harm ourselves. Therefore, we must seek wisdom everyday. Wisdom does not force her way into our lives. We must watch daily at the doors of wisdom, waiting at the doorway for instruction. The spiritual disciplines of daily prayer and daily Bible reading and study are ways we can wait for God to speak his wisdom into our lives. Lord, though many things distract us, help me to seek your wisdom everyday so that I may be

Prayer: blessed and a blessing for others.

One Word: Seek daily wisdom from God