proverbs and promises

because i am irresponsible, i had to read the whole book of proverbs in a single day. it's a long book, and it's packt like sardines in a crushed tin box with wisdom, very heavy, and slow to work thru. i couldn't get over how many times the wise man and the fool are contrasted for a simple thing like rebuke and correction, proverbs 12:1 is great: "whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid". and the story goes, and this is told to the reader many times in many ways. i can't help but think of people who hate being corrected, and they are the people who live the worst lives. it's sad. it reflects G-d's design in ourselves for the need to community and growing and teaching and rebuking and correcting in the community. this is such an important theme in this book that being corrected is a good thing, and that the wise person accepts this and values it, but the fool hates being told what is the what. this of course begs the question, am i wise or the fool? i wish i knew. i think i have it all figured it sometimes, and i know that that is arrogant, but if anything, bible college (and perhaps my pride as well) has made me critical, and this is good, because the truth is hard to find and it's something that should be sought after and we must be discerning about it, but i don't know if i hate correction. i know people that do, and they live like someone who would has little clue about how to live life. it's be come apparent from reading these things that we must be open to correction, and willing to see our error, and not embittered, but humble in all things seeking godly wisdom.

on another note, i was reading rick warrens "the purpose driven church", and he quoted a proverb, and said "what a promise". no. no. no. proverbs are not promises. the book of proverbs is not a book of promises. if the book of proverbs was in fact a book of promises, the title of the book would then be "promises", however, this is not the title and not the intent of the book. proverbs are insights to wisdom that is most often true, but not absolute truth and not a money back guarantee. if you live by the wisdom in the book of proverbs, your life will be much better, but not perfect. the wise will not always prevail over the fool, nor the righteous over the wicked. if you train up a child in the way he should go, and he depart from it, then you aren't (necessarily) a bad parent, but most likely, if you train him in this manor, things will be legit. this is now one of my favorite books, and i used to not like it, but i was taught what a proverb is, and that's helped a lot.

more than most things these days, i want to know G-d. it's been awhile in coming, but i think i really want this. the wisdom in this book is good, and it teaches how to live life well, but it's not G-d swearing to do things for you. i don't think we can jump thru hoops to get G-d to do our will, he is better than that. we need to learn to bring him glory. i think one way of doing that is living the way he designed us to live.

this is wiser than i'd ever have thought of myself:

two things i asked of you,
do not refuse me before i die:
keep deception and lies far from me,
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is my portion,
that i may not be full and deny you and say,
"who is the LORD?"
or that i not be in want and steal,
and profane the name of my G-d.
30:7-9