The Path of Wisdom
Uncommon Sense: Wisdom from Proverbs
July 15, 2018
A few weeks ago my family and I went for a hike to see the McDowell Creek Falls down near Sweet Home. It’s a short hike through beautifully timbered forest that crossed McDowell Creek several times. It’s incredibly picturesque and the weather was perfect. Still, it was not without its challenges. The short hike was also on fairly steep terrain. At one junction in the trail we could either turn left toward the creek on a flat trail or turn right and head up several flights of stairs. We paused for a few moments looking at the stairs, then at the flat trail, then back at the stairs that continued upward as far you could see, and then back at the flat trail again. We knew from the map in the parking lot that this was a loop, but that was really all we knew. We weren’t sure if the flat trail to the left would eventually lead to steeper terrain and more stairs. We also didn’t know if the stairs we could see on the path to our right would continue on forever or would come to an end just around the corner. You might be able to guess which path we chose. Faced with the unknown, we decided to take the flat path to our left based on the few yards we could see in both directions. We chose the easy route…and it paid off. We spent the next 30 minutes climbing a more gently sloped path with only a few sets of stairs in some sections. We hiked next to the inviting view and sounds of the clear water rushing down McDowell Creek.
I’d like to say that my many years of hiking and hunting had given me the trail wisdom necessary to make this left turn. I’d like to say that my mountaineering and navigating skills led me to intuitively know the right path to take, and the pleasant hike that followed was a sure thing from the moment the junction came into view. I’d like to say that, but the truth is, we were fortunate. While we are experienced hikers and have sufficient navigational skills, we didn’t have a compass or the knowledge of the terrain to assist us in our decision. See, we lacked the knowledge and understanding of the terrain to make a wise decision, and only by being fortunate did we experience the blessings of the easier path.
Life is filled with these junctions where two different paths present themselves and you have limited knowledge about which path to take. The difference is that, in life, the consequences for taking the wrong path are usually more difficult and painful. The Proverbs present Wisdom as a path of life that leads to many blessings and benefits. The Path of Wisdom is a life of embracing God’s understanding and knowledge. The promise of the Proverbs is that by walking the Path of Wisdom you can navigate life’s junctions and decisions with confidence and assurance.
Two weeks ago Pastor Chris started our series in Proverbs by looking at how Proverbs characterizes and defines Wisdom. This week, we continue our study by looking at the Path of Wisdom to discover the source of Wisdom and what Wisdom does in our life.
- Kap Otten