THE WISDOM OF THE PROVERBS.

The Book of Proverbs contains many valuable lessons for everyone. Over thousands of years, it has taught billions of people how to live their lives and how to improve their lives as well. It is packed with life lessons and insights that are still very valuable to our lives in the world of today.
The very beginning of Wisdom is fearing the Lord. This fear is not the kind of fear of being struck dead but one reverential fear, respect of His Laws, and deep admiration of His Glory. To have this fear we must continually abide in His Word, the Scripture. The more we know about God the more we learn to fear Him. Where there is no fear there is no Wisdom.
Wisdom is the ability to discern which aspects of knowledge are true, right, lasting, and applicable to our personal life. Knowledge is made of about facts and ideas that we acquire through investigation, observation or experience. Insight is a truer understanding, and the deepest and clearest perception of life . It grasp the underlying nature of knowledge, and the essence of wisdom. Proverbs 2 says: "Indeed if you Call Out For Insight, Cry Aloud For Understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for gold, then you will Understand the Fear of the Lord and Find Knowledge of God" (3-5).
Some Scriptural verses tell us how things were wrong when every man did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25). The idea of Trusting God is trusting in What He Says and what He says is often contrary to what humans believe. Proverbs 16:20 says: "Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who Trust In The Lord." The more we lean on our own ideas we are showing a lack of Trust in God. Our own understanding lead us to a hard fall and eventually to an eternal death.
The greatest way to build discernment is to lean in God's Words for it has power to discern what is the best path to take. It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Dark paths lead us to death.
David knew this kind of power and that is why he wrote "The Law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The Statutes of the Lord are Trustworthy, making wise the simple"(Psalm 19:7).
It is not a coincidence that there is so much Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs. It has 31 chapters that are there waiting to be read and become part of our deep thinking. They reveal God's perspective on our daily life, increasing our power of observation and the effect that they bring is to gain Wisdom day by day. They comments extensively on relationships, mentioning more than 180 different kinds of people. Each of them may speak about our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even our enemies.
Some Proverbs refer to behavioral patterns that God either applauds or condemn pinpointing the behavior that God wants us to implement or curb. Other Proverbs describe the positive or negative consequences of a particular course of action motivating us to discard unwise behaviors. For example, Proverbs 15:25 warns us about the damaging consequences of pride: "The Lord tears down the proud man's house." Also Proverbs 16:18 says: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before fall."
Over 100 verses in the Book of Proverbs talk about the tongue describing conversational sins. When we provide an apt answer or a timely word, it is because we adopted a listening posture before we talk.
Spend time meditating on each one of the chapters and commit to your memory verses that challenged you the most or left the biggest impression in your conscience. For example, if you have a tendency of being rude in your conversational manners remember Proverbs 1:15 that says: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 14:30 says as well: "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."
Applying Truth from Proverbs to stimulate the growing of your personal character in your walk with God, remember them as practical tools to enhance your vision and not a legalistic straightjacket. Think of it as a kaleidoscopic approach that enables us to see many facets of Truth in each of the chapters and soak deeply on the Wisdom of this practical Book of Proverbs.