An Investment Worth It and a Foundation that Guarantees Success

Probing Proverbs 9:9-10 Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.   Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Wisdom warns us previously that it is a waste of time to continue to help those that refuse the help. Now Wisdom gives us the encouraging Truth about those that are worth investing in. Remember – this is not speaking to the “value” of a person. All human beings are valuable to God and should be to us. Anyone can be molded into a great person if they will allow it. Wisdom is addressing our input of time and effort, and is making it clear that some individuals will just waste our time. However, the people being spoken of here, by their response, make it clear that time and effort spent on them will be rewarding and encouraging. 

In both cases the point is made that our little investment will produce even more of the same. A wise person takes the instruction we give and after processing it, has even more wisdom. The righteous person takes the teaching they get and squeezes all the knowledge they can from it. Sadly, many times we allow ourselves to be dominated by those that want the attention, yet refuse to maximize the wisdom that is being shared. Wisdom is exhorting us to evaluate those that we invest our time with. We are not judging, rather discerning what they do with our effort. That is proper stewardship and will enable us to maximize our time spent in discipleship. 

After encouraging us to invest wisely, Wisdom lays out the foundations and their outcome when it comes to knowledge. “Fear” means exactly what the word should convey, not just reverence…but knee knocking dread. The only healthy fear of the Lord is an honest one. Respect and reverence yes, but understanding that the Lord is the only One that can destroy both body and spirit eternally should give us a sobering reality of Who God is. This is why it is the foundation of wisdom. Until a person recognizes Who God is, nothing else in life has the proper perspective. Think of all the famous and powerful people that denied God. On that day of judgment what will their titles or accomplishments mean? Fearing God leads a person to live a life that will stand judgment on that day. The second foundation is learning about that God. The more you know Him, the more sound your judgment will be, because your judgment incorporates what He considers important, right and wrong. 

When we allow Wisdom to lay those two foundations, the potential for our life is unlimited! What can a person not accomplish if God is a vital part of their thoughts, desires and plans?