Proverbs Chapter 2: verses 1-11 (NIV)
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding —
indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
It was verses 9-11 of this chapter in Proverbs which particularly resonated with me, however the whole of today’s reading in Proverbs really needs to be taken together so that it can be seen in context, so I have included all 11 verses. The saying, “Discretion is the greater part of valour” came into my head as I pondered on these scriptures. It’s a saying that I had heard but never given much thought to. I looked it up on the internet and discovered that it comes from one of Shakespeare’s works -Henry IV Part 1, which was not one I am familiar with as we only looked at “The Merchant of Venice” and “Macbeth” when I did my Higher English many moons ago.
Discretion and understanding were the two key words that jumped out to me from this proverb but I think the use of the word valour as used by Shakespeare is important too. Discretion can be defined as showing discernment and good judgment, whilst valour means to show courage in the face of danger. It is often for valour that soldiers receive medals following acts of bravery in times of conflict.
However, in the context of the scriptures here, we see that the importance of listening and responding to God’s words, and indeed seeking to know His mind on how we live, means that by doing so we, as His ambassadors will be able to act with valour, in a way that is just, right and will bring glory to God. What though does it mean when we say that discretion is the greater part of valour. It means thinking before we speak, or knowing when to bite our lip and say nothing, when we would love to give someone a piece of our mind. It means walking in step with the Holy Spirit and allowing ourselves to be led by Him, rather than rushing off to try and work things out by ourselves. We read in these verses that knowledge will be pleasant to our soul. We know that when we do the right thing, no matter what it costs us, or how difficult it is, we have that sense of peace and rightness in our soul. But we don’t, indeed can’t, do this by ourselves and that’s why we need to take our directions from the Lord.
Dear Lord,Thank You that if we set our hearts and minds to not only seek your words, but accept them and act on them, we will not go wrong and You will keep us on the right road. Any of us can act with discretion and valour when we take our instructions from You, because You never make mistakes. Thank You for being my shield and guide. Keep my ears open and my heart soft do that I will act on Your words and not disregard them. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.