penThese are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah: Proverbs 25:1 NIV

In college you find out quickly if you are a morning person or not. I liked the mornings, so I chose 8:00 am classes most semesters. I overslept for one of the early morning discipleship meetings because I was out too late the night before.  One of the student leaders, Alf Rhea, had a comment for my excuses. “You can’t hoot with the owls at night, if you want to soar with the eagles in the day.” The quote stuck with me for life.

I am not sure why King Hezekiah went looking for more proverbs from King Solomon. It seems like the first 24 chapters would keep a King quite busy. We, however, are benefiting from his desire to honor the wisdom from the past. 

Thoughts about gleaning wisdom sayings

  • Crediting your source is honorable – Today’s verse cites Solomon as the author of the following verses. As we get older, I hear phrases like these more often. “Mama used to say.” “Daddy always said.” Crediting your source shows an honor to the person. It also creates a link to past generations and their own wisdom.
  • Use the truth of Scripture to filter the wisdom – Not every short quip is sound biblical truth. Many people get stuck under the weight of an unscriptural thought. It’s NOT a biblical truth that “God helps those who help themselves.” Rather, God helps us because we are incapable of helping ourselves. He is still looking for the lost and wayward.
  • Write your favorite sayings down – Rev.Peter Lord encouraged us to write down our thoughts. “The weakest pen is always better than the strongest mind.” Find what works for you. Perhaps you would like to use 3×5 cards. Maybe you want to put them all in a notebook. Or perhaps you want to type and make a blog. Reflecting and taking the time to write them down helps retain the value of the saying.
  • Include scripture verses as part of your sayings – Your uncle or granddaddy was very wise, but the scriptures also have nuggets of value for life. Memorize and keep some of the most precious revelations as road signs to keep you on the path of life. One of the go-to concepts for me in scripture is “Jesus has promised to never leave me nor forsake me”. I speak that often when I need wisdom or when I fail to be faithful or in times of crisis.

You don’t have to be original with new proverbs for yourself. There is great power in remembering some very short sayings. Choose wisely which sayings navigate your decisions.

Leave a comment of some of your favorite wisdom sayings from your past. You just might be giving a valued treasured saying for someone else.

Blessings Love y’all