Wise Building

For Thursday, November 3, 2005
Proverbs 14:1

The wisest of women builds her house,
but folly with her own hands tears it down.

Though the proverb may be contrasting two persons, one who is wise and another who is foolish, it can be describing a person who starts off wise and later turns foolish. Solomon himself is an example. By wisdom, he built Israel to its greatest height; and, yet, in foolishness he prepared its downfall. By wisdom, he honored God with the Temple and his own devotion; by foolishness he brought in idol worship through his many wives. By wisdom, he built cities and made Israel strong; by foolishness, he over taxed and over worked his people, leading to revolt after his death.

Many a woman and a man has achieved great deeds and built up wealth because of wise strategy and decision making. Yet, their very success led them astray to trusting too much in their ability and to wanting too much. If a person is not satisfied with God, nothing else will satisfy and eventually she will overstep her limited wisdom. Then the house she built will fall down.

Wisdom is the fear of God applied. Remove the fear of God, then wisdom becomes mere cleverness. And there is nothing like cleverness to pump ones pride, which then makes one blind. Then comes the downfall.

Lord, give to me true wisdom - to fear you and to live in that light. Grant me such wisdom today with the decisions I must make and the actions I must take. Amen.