Proverbs 9:6 [ESV] Leave your simple ways and live, and walk in the way of insight.
Busyness can be a trap. I find that I can hide in busyness – note not business. I defend my choices to not do certain things, or to do certain things, justifying these choices as a result of a response to busyness. They are usually not all that healthy, and would not be a good principle for life, but as my thinking and emotions are all wrapped up in the stress of constant busyness, they seem like wisdom to me at the time.
They are selfish, self-centred, and self-enhancing, but not in a healthy way. So when I think about leaving my simple ways, my first choice needs to be to leave my addiction to “busyness” that allows me to justify poor and selfish choices as if they were wisdom. Only when I choose to leave that style, is there scope for me to turn and walk in the way of insight – and then I wonder why I did not do this year’s ago.
KNOWLEDGE
There are habits, choices and patterns in life that may not initially seem all that bad, they don’t seem to carry any threat, or lead to any immediate damage of harm. Yet, these simple ways are often the source of long-lasting damage. They are not aligned with God’s way, they don’t bring health to us, or real hope to others.
So if there is a call to leave our simple ways, there must be another path to walk on? And here, it is given a name – a path of insight – or in the LXX “knowledge and understanding”. And we can see from the NT that this way of life may not seem to lead to life, to our understanding, yet when practiced it leads to an abundant sense of life and vigour. What about me, will I check out my habits and my ways, and allow God through the Holy Spirit to inform my choices each day?
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word used for “live” is pronounced as “hayah” in Hebrew, and carried the meaning of to live, or to recover, or to revive.
The LXX reads verse six as follows – “Cease folly and you shall live. And seek intelligence! That you should spend life and keep straight by knowledge and understanding”.
The word used for “you shall live” is ζήσεσθε [zesestai] – which we see in Scriptures such as John 11:25 [ESV] I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yest shall LIVE – ζήσεται [zesetai] – which carries the meaning of a life full of hope and vigour.
WISDOM – choose the right path, even when it is the one less travelled.
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Responsibility as a Gallup Strength can bring a strong yes to all the right things, and will see them through with honour and integrity. Take time to review and reflect of where your “yes” goes and learn from these hindsight’s, and allow them to equip our foresights.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – Abandon, reject and desert the naïve, and your easily deceived ways, and recover, revive and stay alive, and be guided onto the road, the pathway, the way of life, of understanding, discernment, wisdom and insight.
Leave – Abandon, reject, and desert
your simple ways – the naïve, and your easily deceived ways,
and live – and recover, revive, and stay alive,
and walk – and be guided
in the way of – onto the road, the pathway, the way of life,
insight – of understanding, discernment, wisdom and insight.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to stay close to your ways each day, to be intentional with my choices.
To chat to me as a professional coach/mentor – allan@theallankey.com
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