Proverbs 1:1-7,22

Good morning, y'all! :D
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Proverbs 1:1-7, 22
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion—a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
"How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge."

We were talking about these verses at the "young people e-group" meeting last night. Pastor Joe said that the word for "simple" and "simplicity" in verse 22 were the same word, and that it literally meant "open or roomy". His point was that people who want to be "open-minded" are really being "simple" or foolish. Well, of course I couldn't just take his word for the definition of the word; I had to check it out myself when I got home. J So, here's what Strong's has to say: "simple"=silly (i.e., seducible); from 6601 [to open; i.e. be (causatively, make) roomy] ". So he was right. And the conclusion is a good one. Those who are so concerned with being "open-minded" are easily led astray because most of the time, they'll just swallow whatever you tell them without filtering it through anything. That's foolish!! I'm reminded of my favorite open-mindedness quote; I think it's Mark Lowry who says, "Don't be so open-minded your brains fall out."
However, there's a bit of a flip-side to this coin. In verse 5, it says that "a wise man will hear and increase learning". Even wise men are continually learning more. In fact, one of the greatest earmarks of wisdom is the knowledge that you don't really know much of what there is to know. So, then, I guess they are "open-minded" in the sense that they're open to learning more. But I think the better word for this is "teachable". There is a difference between being teachable—willing to learn—and just accepting everything anyone says. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. They are not willing to learn, to search out answers and grow in wisdom. They can be "fact-aholics", stuffing their heads full of knowledge, but without the fear of the Lord all that knowledge means nothing.
So—will you be teachable, or "open-minded"?

Father, help me to keep a teachable heart, always willing to learn and grow in wisdom, yet committed to filtering everything through Your word to ensure that it is truth.

May the Lord bless you richly with a wise and teachable heart!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website