She Warned Us

"Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefor they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices." Proverbs 1:29-31

"I told you so!" Have you ever used those words, or a paraphrase of them? If you haven't, I'm sure that you've heard them. As a teacher, I let me students sit on chairs, stability balls, cushions, etc. so they are comfortable and ready to learn. But I warn them of the ways not to sit on them. Don't tilt back on two legs of the chair, or forward. Don't try to sit crossed leg on the ball. Don't sit for too long with your legs bent under you on the cushion. Why do I tell them these things? Because every year someone falls. I have the student will tilted forward on two legs of the chair an end up with his chin hitting the desk when the legs didn't hold him. I've had the stability ball daredevils who try contortionists positions on the ball, just to have it roll out from under them. There is always at least one, who sat too long with their legs bent who complains of the pain of trying to get the blood flowing and the creaks out of their legs. Listen, I've had kids fall out of the chairs for no apparent reasons. It seemed that gravity just gave them an extra pull to make everyone first react with shock and then to give us a good laugh. Almost all of these instances end with something like, "you should have believed me when I told you that would happen."

Wisdom has promised a, "I told you so!" to those who refuse to listen. In the verses preceding these that calamity will fall on them and they will call for her but won't find her. Remember, she hasn't quietly stood off to the side and said, "now, I don't think that is a good idea." No, she calls out in the street and tells anyone who has the fear of the Lord, to listen, turn from their ways, and they will have knowledge and become wise.

At some point, I had to just watch the kid sit up on his toes with the chair tilted on two, or even one leg, and let him or her fall. Why? Not because I am mean or get any thrill from watching them cause themselves injury, but rather because some won't learn not to until they do and feel the consequences of trying to defy gravity. We can't continue to try to defy Wisdom and expect no consequences. She has called out, warned them to listen, but at some point people need to eat the fruit of doing things their own way.

The decision for us is simple, but not easy. It's simple because Wisdom is telling us what is good and right. All we have to do is listen. It is not easy, because hers is not the only voice we hear. There is our own voices of pride and doubt that we listen to. There is the voice of others who think they are wise, or know they are foolish and don't care. We hear them too. Satan would like nothing better than for us to listen to him and his lies. He would much rather see us left to our own devices. It's not easy to listen and follow the words of Wisdom, because of the other voices we hear. My prayer is that God will help me to know His voice, whether it's the still small voice or the one calling in the streets. Help me to distinguish between the thoughts of what I want and what He is directing me to do. Help me to ignore the fear. Help me stop second, and third, and sometimes more, guessing what I heard that came from Wisdom. Let me choose to fear the Lord, and listen and have His spirit poured out to me.