May 11, 2024

Passage Read: Proverbs 10-13
Meditation Verse: 12:1

Thought

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. Those who desire to learn and understand more must love discipline and reproof and correction, but whoever loves their own way and their own wisdom hates reproof and correction and is stupid. Pretty blunt and pretty obvious. If I desire to understand things better, if I want knowledge and to be wise, then I must not merely accept reproof but love discipline and correction. Of course, I need to be careful who's discipline and reproof I listen to. Lots of fools hate knowledge, so they reprove those who seek wisdom. They don't want to know truth, and they oppose those who do. Stupid people have their own wisdom, which is what gets them in trouble and keeps them from accepting God's reproof.

Application

I need to love discipline and correction and rebuke if I really want to know and please God. Actually, whoever I really want to know and to please, it's their rebuke and discipline that I need to listen to and love. I can listen to the wisdom and correction and command of the world, becoming like them and learning to please them, or I can listen to the rebuke and discipline of the Lord, and grow in understanding of who He is and what is true knowledge in His Creation. Of course, learning to walk in the ways of the Lord has value for this life and eternity, so that's the only wisdom I want to seek. So if I really want to love His knowledge, I have to love His discipline, no matter how painful.