More important than any skill, trade, or talent, fearing the Lord is the gateway and guardrail of Wisdom’s Way. Those traveling the roadway enter through fearing the Lord and are kept on the path through the fear of the Lord. Everything else is secondary in this life compared to godliness. Eventually, everyone will know this. Until then, God uses our lives to display his work in us as he often carries us along Wisdom’s Pathway as he Patterns us after the Proverbs.

Wisdom’s Pathway is often uphill. When those moments of opportunity to be wise come, we have the assurance of trusting in the Lord with all of our hearts knowing that he whose words always prove true, who is a shield to those who take refuge in him, will make a crooked path straight. He calls us to walk and trust in him.

We see the widespread effects of those inhabitants of a city dedicated to acting foolishly. A pattern is developing. Unrestrained foolishness leads to destruction while the wise know how to hold back and flourish.

The rhythm of Proverbs 3:5-6 continues to carry us as we see here in these verses. Trusting in the Lord means enrichment. Trusting in the Lord means his directing our steps on Wisdom’s Way. The Pathway of Wisdom is a straight path that leads to deliverance.

Wisdom enables us to distinguish what truly matters. Ensure you are tending and keeping what will last forever. Wisdom’s perspective provides serenity. There is an endless joy when a heart aligns its ways with seeking God’s ways. Seeking God’s ways means trusting in him with all of our hearts, forever.

There is security in righteousness. Righteousness reveals itself in wise speech. A wise heart produces wise speech. The fruit of a foolish heart bears on the lips. May God let our speech be seasoned wisely to reveal our righteous pursuit down Wisdom’s Pathway.

Good news from a far country refreshes souls. The news followers of Jesus have is a refreshing message from a far country. The only soothing of a soul comes from this message God has given of salvation through Christ alone.

Our commission is to go to the perishing and rescue them through wise sayings. The heart of the wise saying of the Proverbs is to trust in the Lord with all your heart. Trusting God is at the heart of life. We are culpable if we see someone perishing and do nothing about it.

A wise warning against alcohol and drunkenness. Those who ask is it right to drink should consider the Proverbs and ask a different question. The Proverbs, again and again, warn about the dangers of beverage alcohol. Ask not, is it right to drink? Ask instead, is it wise to drink? The Proverbs is clear, drinking is a road marker on the pathway of folly. Wisdom calls us to avoid it.

Those closest to us should have the greatest benefit of our pursuing wisdom, especially those God has entrusted to our care – our children. Proverbs is a practical model of Deuteronomy 6 which encourages fathers and mothers to teach their children the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The point of this proverb is to show our children Wisdom’s Pathway and walk with them hand in hand leading them as they encounter the pitfalls and joys along the pathway. Our study of the Proverbs gives us road markers of the way we are to train our children to go.

Our wisest is foolishness to him. Our strongest is weakness. Any success we can amass comes from his good pleasure.

Our own judgment of ourselves is fraught with a narrowed focus, therefore we need something else to guide our steps other than our own ways. Thus the importance of revelation. Revelation is God’s voice piercing through the darkness saying, “This is the way walk in it.” Further, from verse 9 we also see the importance of redemption. Only the blood of Jesus can wash away all our sins.