Proverbs 19:8: He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.
Insight
Wisdom translates (lit., “heart”) which here means “sense” (rendered “understanding” in 15:32). Living sensibly shows that a person loves his … soul. This does not refer to vanity or narcissism but to genuine concern for one’s destiny. Cherishes is literally, “keeps, guards, or preserves.” To keep watch over one’s understanding results in benefits to one’s soul; he prospers spiritually and emotionally (as well as materially). 1
Application
In 1 Peter 3:10 we find the perfect application for a marriage relationship. If spouses would get His wisdom before speaking their words, there would be far more joy in the home. “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.”
Start new today. Ask for God’s forgiveness for your careless and harsh words. Ask your spouse and children for forgiveness. Then ask God, as each new day begins, for His wisdom and understanding before you speak.
Motivation
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21
The wisest thing to do is to get the Wisdom of God, and to let go of the wisdom of the world. – TWEET IT
Prayer
Father, teach me how to wait upon You for Your guiding wisdom.
1. Bridges, C. (2001). Proverbs. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
