“He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.” Proverbs 29:3
Devotional Thought For The Day
Remember that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” [Ps. 111:10] The nature of this “fear of the Lord” which constitutes wisdom must also be contemplated: “But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” [Ps. 130:4] Thus the wisdom referred to, in biblical context, is the knowledge of Jesus the Lamb of God, faith and trust that He takes away the sin of the world, that His blood cleanses us from all sin. From this wisdom alone springs all other wisdom – to heed His Word, to truly repent, to find constant joy in God’s gracious love and mercy, and to orient and commit one’s life to the ways of love, the fulfillment of God’s law [Rom. 13:10]. The one who comes to love such “wisdom” surely makes our Heavenly Father glad, and this should be the ultimate aim of every human life.
However, when it comes to pleasing our earthly parents, much also depends upon them. The proverb assumes godly and wise parents, who surely rejoice when their children have faith in Christ, when they rely on His gracious mercy as they lead lives of integrity and repentance, and as they orient their lives to goodness and decency and fulfilling God’s will. However, wicked parents urge their children to other things – to greedy and prideful ambitions, to unbelief and conformity to this world. Such unbelieving parents may be thoroughly disgusted with a child who returns to God in repentance and faith. Godly parents are a wonderful blessing, but even godly parents may balk at the love their children have for wisdom and wish that they would have greater moderation. So again, our greatest ambition should not be to please our earthly parents but to make glad our Heavenly Father, and hopefully this will also make our earthly parents glad.
The contrast, the “companion of prostitutes,” presumably does not make his parents glad – unless, of course, his parents are thoroughly and disgustingly perverse and evil, even to the point of hating their own child. For the pursuit of evil – whether prostitution, drunkenness, gambling, drugs, theft and dishonest gain, violence, or even greed and pride – always ends up as a “squandering” of wealth. The one who pursues such things has punched a hole in his own ship, opened the door to his own bank vault, and few have the resources to persist in such perversions for long. However, the worst of this waste is not just of one’s financial resources, but rather of his soul and being, his time and his energy. Whereas he could have been investing in the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge of God, he instead pours evil and wretchedness into his heart and soul; and whereas he could have been engaged in productive and benevolent behaviors he instead lives destructively, toward himself and others – both the prostitutes, and his companions who are emboldened by his example. What a dreadful waste of life and being. Obviously the proverb warns against this, against any commitment and orientation to evil, and urges us back to repentance and the wisdom of faith in Christ.
While God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness, eternal life and salvation, are the gifts of God, established with certainty in what Christ has done for us, our life of sanctification is one of process along a continuum. Progress is measured by deepening repentance, stronger reliance upon the grace and mercy of God alone, and growing love for God and what pleases Him. Remember that Jesus told a parable about a young man who squandered his inheritance on prostitutes, but who turned to repentance and his father’s mercy even when it appeared that all had been lost. How delighted and glad his father was to see his return, and he was welcomed back into his father’s household as a son, with great celebration. It is never too late for us to repent and to grow in sanctification, and we are never without hope – nothing can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus. It is not performance alone that measures our love for wisdom, but rather principally our repentance and faith, our commitment and orientation. Our Heavenly Father always rejoices to see this in His children. Hopefully, we will also have earthly parents and friends who likewise are glad to have us as family in the household of repentance and faith, in God’s family, His church.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, keep us from squandering our wealth, not only our financial resources, but our energy and time, in the pursuit of immorality and evil. Keep us constantly growing in our repentance, our trust, confidence, and joy in Your gracious mercy and forgiveness, and in our zeal for what is good, right, and pleasing to You. Grant us earthly parents and true friends who are faithful to us and glad with us as we continue in this process of growing sanctification, rather than wicked companions who either lead us into evil or who reject us in the evil of hypocritical ignorance. Keep us mindful of Your love and growing in our love for wisdom. Amen.