“This young man grew up in inner city Chicago. His mom left him with an abusive father when she left with his sister. He ran away himself, lied about his age, and joined the military. He was lucky enough to find some people who believed in and loved him. Went on to court and marry a beautiful girl from Nash, Oklahoma, who continued to love him the rest of his life. He’s an amazing turnaround story that left behind three pretty good kids, four amazing grandkids, and now what would be four great grands. What a great legacy for a kid most people would have given up on. (Written by my sister, Mary Myrick on what would’ve been my dad’s 94th birthday.) 

Though his academic knowledge was limited to a high school education, my dad was the wisest man I knew. His willingness to share his wisdom is perhaps one of the greatest aspects of his legacy. His complete honesty with those who asked was such a valuable gift to those who knew him.

Wisdom is a great gift to receive. That is why I love the book of Proverbs. It’s a gift of knowledge I can use in my everyday life. Written in an easy-to-read fashion, its purpose is to present godly wisdom for everyday things of life.

King Solomon asked God for wisdom above all else. Apparently, this request pleased God because 1 Kings 4:29 says, “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.”

Thankfully, Solomon recorded some of this wisdom so we can still benefit from it today.

Solomon isn’t the only person who can ask God for wisdom. You can too! James 1:5 promises, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you.”

We will be reading Proverbs next in the Bible Reading Plan with a break in the middle for Exodus/Hebrews. (If you haven’t joined us yet, it’s not too late. You can start reading this plan anytime of the year. There is a link at the bottom of this post.) 

Proverbs contains thirty-one chapters making it easy to read one chapter each day of the month. As you read this book, my prayer is that you not only gain insightful knowledge, but you will also share it with someone who needs to receive a fresh word from the Lord.

Suggestions as you read each chapter in Proverbs:

• Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a single truth each day.
• Record your truth so at the end of Proverbs, you will have 31 truths.
• When you complete Proverbs, review your truths. See if there is a theme or a particular message from your recordings.
• You now have a truth a day that you can use throughout the year.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please share in the comments about what you are learning or how God is speaking to you.

2023 Reading Plan