Welcome to another edition of “Becoming Today”.
Motivated by far too many things occurring in the world, around us, to us and some even allegedly for us, I’ve decided to undertake a search and rescue mission for wisdom.
Understanding that enlightenment is within our reach we shall seek and find the knowledge and inspiration necessary to uplift, support and enhance our collective journeys as well as our own personal paths.
In an earlier discussion on Patiently Seeking Wisdom, I mentioned that to me it seems the best way to heal is by learning a lesson from the situation, then using it to be “Becoming”. Channel your thoughts, intentions, desires and energies into focusing on growth and building that momentum that moves both forward and upward.
Do not get stuck in the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” mentality. Hanging onto what should have happened, what could have happened, or what you wished would have happened, give yourself motivation to get over it. Release it and heal. Or keep a grip on it and be paralyzed; immobilized by feelings of pain and bad memories.
To let go of past hurts, you need to make the conscious decision to take control of the situation. However, this can take time and practice. Be kind to yourself as you practice refocusing how you see the situation, and celebrate the small victories you have.
So today we’ll be focusing on the search for wisdom. What it is. What it means. How to seek it and find it. Plus how to incorporate it into our daily living on this shared path we call “Becoming Today”.
This will be our proverbial search. Now if you Google that expression you’ll find things related to searching for “a needle in a haystack”, or “a bad penny always turns up”.
That is not our mission here. In our combined efforts to seek learning and knowledge I am basing this conversation around the Book of Proverbs.
Now as I am apt to do, even if you have studied Proverbs before, our undertaking may be a bit different, as we’ll be adding some passion to it…
Yes, a play on words because I am being called to focus this teaching around the The Passion Translation® book of Isaiah and New Testament with Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Songs translated from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic texts.
Done so by Dr. Brian Simmons who believes the” message of God’s story is timeless; the Word of God doesn’t change. But the methods by which that story is communicated should be timely; the vessels that steward God’s Word can and should change.
One of those timely methods is Bible translation. Bible translations are both a gift and a problem. They give us the words God spoke through his servants, but words can be poor containers for revelation because they leak!
The meanings of words change from one generation to the next. Meaning is influenced by culture, background, and many other details. Just imagine how differently the Hebrew authors of the Old Testament saw the world three thousand years ago from the way we see it today!”
As there is no such thing as a truly literal translation of the Bible, “the purpose of the Passion Translation is to reintroduce the passion and fire of the Bible to the English reader. It doesn’t merely convey the literal meaning of words. It expresses God’s passion for people and his world by translating the original, life-changing message of God’s Word for modern readers”.
With these explanations out of the way, now I hope and pray you will choose to actively join us along this portion of our shared journey.
The best place to start anything is at the beginning so, let’s read together Proverbs 1 from The Passion Translation”:
The Prologue
1
Here are kingdom revelations, words to live by,
and words of wisdom given to empower you to reign in life,[a]
written as proverbs by Israel’s King Solomon,[b] David’s son.
2
Within these sayings will be found the revelation of wisdom[c]
and the impartation of spiritual understanding.
Use them as keys to unlock the treasures of true knowledge.
3
Those who cling to these words will receive discipline
to demonstrate wisdom[d] in every relationship
and to choose what is right and just and fair.
4
These proverbs will give you great skill
to teach the immature and make them wise,
to give youth the understanding of their design and destiny.
5
For the wise, these proverbs will make you even wiser,
and for those with discernment,
you will be able to acquire brilliant strategies for leadership.
6
These kingdom revelations will break open your understanding
to unveil the deeper meaning of parables,
poetic riddles, and epigrams,
and to unravel the words and enigmas of the wise.
7
We cross the threshold of true knowledge
when we live in obedient devotion to God.[e]
Stubborn know-it-alls[f] will never stop to do this,
for they scorn true wisdom and knowledge.
The Wisdom of a Father
8
Pay close attention, my child, to your father’s wise words
and never forget your mother’s instructions.[g]
9
For their insight will bring you success,
adorning you with grace-filled thoughts
and giving you reins to guide your decisions.[h]
10
When peer pressure compels you to go with the crowd
and sinners invite you to join in,
you must simply say, “No!”
11
When the gang says—
“We’re going to steal and kill and get away with it.
12
We’ll take down the rich and rob them.
We’ll swallow them up alive
and take what we want from whomever we want.
13
Then we’ll take their treasures and fill our homes with loot.
14
So come on and join us.
Take your chance with us.
We’ll divide up all we get;
we’ll each end up with big bags of cash!”—
15
my son, refuse to go with them and stay far away from them.
16
For crime is their way of life and bloodshed their specialty.
17
To be aware of their snare is the best way of escape.
18
They’ll resort to murder to steal their victim’s assets,
but eventually it will be their own lives that are ambushed.
19
In their ungodly disrespect for God
they bring destruction on their own lives.
Wisdom’s Warning
20
Wisdom’s praises are sung in the streets
and celebrated far and wide.
21
Yet wisdom’s song is not always heard in the halls of higher learning.
But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life
its lyrics can always be heard above the din of the crowd.[i]
You will hear wisdom’s warning as she preaches courageously
to those who stop to listen:
22
“Foolish ones, how much longer will you cling to your deception?[j]
How much longer will you mock wisdom,
you cynical scorners who fight the facts?
23
Come back to your senses and be restored to reality.
Don’t even think about refusing my rebuke!
Don’t you know that I’m ready
to pour out my spirit of wisdom upon you
and bring to you the revelation of my words
that will make your heart wise?
24
I’ve called to you over and over;
still you refuse to come to me.
I’ve pleaded with you again and again,
yet you’ve turned a deaf ear to my voice.
25
Because you have laughed at my counsel
and have insisted on continuing in your stubbornness,
26
I will laugh when your calamity comes
and will turn away from you at the time of your disaster.
Make a joke of my advice, will you?
Then I’ll make a joke out of you!
27
When the storm clouds of terror gather over your head,
when dread and distress consume you
and your catastrophe comes like a hurricane,
28
you will cry out to me, but I won’t answer.
Then it will be too late to expect my help.
When desperation drives you to search for me,
I will be nowhere to be found.
29
Because you have turned up your nose at me
and closed your eyes to the facts
and refused to worship me in awe[k]—
30
because you scoffed at my wise counsel
and laughed at my correction—
31
now you will eat the bitter fruit of your own ways.
You’ve made your own bed; now lie in it!
So how do you like that?
32
Like an idiot you’ve turned away from me
and chosen destruction instead.
Your self-satisfied smugness[l] will kill you.
33
But the one who always listens to me
will live undisturbed in a heavenly peace.
Free from fear, confident and courageous,
that one will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life.”
The footnotes referred to above are posted at the end of today’s discussion here on Becoming dot Today.
Now that you have had a chance to read, study or at least skim through today’s passage, let’s focus on some of the enlightenment illuminated within it.
The opening of this chapter aptly titled , “The Prologue” give us the reference to who and why of this brilliant book as as verses 3 through 5 explain, there are rewards for us coming to know these teachings:
3
Those who cling to these words will receive discipline
to demonstrate wisdom[d] in every relationship
and to choose what is right and just and fair.
4
These proverbs will give you great skill
to teach the immature and make them wise,
to give youth the understanding of their design and destiny.
5
For the wise, these proverbs will make you even wiser,
and for those with discernment,
you will be able to acquire brilliant strategies for leadership.
Wisdom, understood in verse three as “righteousness”, is a great internal compass point to help set the course for our paths.
This is developed upon in verses 8-19, where instruction, timely and relevant still to this day is given for children; but is also extremely important for parents, guardians and grandparents as a reminder of our responsibility to raise up the next generations in the ewyas of truth, enlightenment, peace and Divine Love.
These instructions for us are also echoed in the Book of Titus, where we are given instructions that change as we do, taking us through the responsibilities of wisdom throughout our development and aging process.
As it is written in the first five verses of Titus 2, from the New Internal Version (NIV):
“You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”
This brings us back to our study today of Proverbs 1 which focuses us on “Wisdom’s Warning”:
20
Wisdom’s praises are sung in the streets
and celebrated far and wide.
21
Yet wisdom’s song is not always heard in the halls of higher learning.
But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life
its lyrics can always be heard above the din of the crowd.[i]
You will hear wisdom’s warning as she preaches courageously
to those who stop to listen:
You will hear the call of wisdom, however you must first choose to listen for it. Then take action to tune out the distractions and focus on the Truth.
Truth, understanding, enlightenment and wisdom are all very “becoming” traits. They empower us to grow and learn to be who we truly were intended to be. Which in turn enables us to continue moving on, with our momentum fully powered forward and upward.
As always I encourage you to actively participate. Please post your comments, questions, suggestions or concerns below. This is a safe space to share and there are protections in place to keep spammers out. I will respond to all who choose to participate.
If you do not feel comfortable sharing below, remember you can always reach out privately through the easy to use form on our Contact page.
I’d also like to take a moment to remind you of some of our new mini-features. Everyday of this year of “+2” we are adopting an attitude of Resurrecting Positivity. Each day you can look for an uplifting note to keep you motivated towards doing your part.
Also March is just flying by, however we are still Celebrating Women’s History Month. In case you hadn’t noticed the trend this week, all six of the notable women I’m discussing have something in common. They are all Native Americans.
Next week will bring us the start of a new month and no foolin’ we’ll share another month long celebration. I am declaring April to be “Resurrection Month”. As we prepare for and celebrate the observation of Easter, each day all month long I’ll share resurrection related Scriptures to aid your study and hopefully appreciation for the One who made the supreme sacrifice for you, so that you might live.
I pray each and every one of you enjoys a safe and blessed day.
Enjoy, rest, rejoice and then join us tomorrow for our first “Free Form Friday” on this shared journey we call “Becoming Today”.
Footnotes For TPT Proverbs 1
1:1 As stated in the introduction, the Hebrew word for “proverbs” means more than just a wise saying. It can also mean “to rule, to reign in power, to take dominion.”
1:1 The name Solomon means “peaceable.” There is a greater one than Solomon who gives peace to all of his followers. His name is Jesus. Solomon was the seed of David; we are the seed of Jesus Christ. Solomon had an encounter with God after asking for a discerning heart (1 Kings 3:5–14). This pleased God, so he gave Solomon wisdom, riches, and power. God is ready to impart these same things today to those who ask him. See James 1:5–8.
1:2 There are six Hebrew words translated “wisdom” in the book of Proverbs. Some of them require an entire phrase in English to convey the meaning. The word used here is chokmah, and it is used in Proverbs forty-two times. Forty-two is the number of months Jesus ministered and the number of generations from Abraham to Christ listed in Matt. 1.
1:3 The Hebrew word translated “wisdom” here also means “righteousness.”
1:7 Many translations render this “the fear of the Lord.” This means much more than the English concept of fear. It also implies submission, awe, worship, and reverence. The Hebrew word used here is found fourteen times in Proverbs. The number fourteen represents spiritual perfection. The number fourteen is mentioned three times in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:1–17). It is also the number for Passover. You will pass from darkness to wisdom’s light by the “fear” of the Lord.
1:7 Or “foolish ones.” There are three Hebrew words translated “fool” in Proverbs and another six that are related to a fool or foolish acts. A fool is described in Proverbs as one who hates true wisdom and correction, with no desire to acquire revelation knowledge.
1:8 Many expositors see this verse as the words of David to Solomon, yet we all must give heed to this command. The words of our Father (God) and our mother (the church, the freewoman) will bring us wisdom. See Gal. 4:21–31.
1:9 The Hebrew text here is literally translated “adornment for your head, chains for your neck.” The head is a metaphor for our thoughts, the neck a symbol for willing obedience that guides our decisions, in contrast to being stiff-necked or proud. See Phil. 2:5–7.
1:21 Literally translated, this verse reads “Wisdom sings out in the streets and speaks her voice in the squares, crying out at the head of noisy crowds and at the entrance of the city gates.” This is a parabolic statement of wisdom being heard everywhere and in every place.
1:22 Or “Childish ones, how long will you love your childishness?”
1:29 The Hebrew word used here can be translated “fear,” “dread,” “awe,” or “worship.” Nearly every translation uses the word fear or reverence while ignoring the other aspects of the Aramaic word dekhlatha. The New Testament is clear that there is no fear in love. See 1 John 4:18.
1:32 Or “your abundant prosperity.”
Thank you for choosing to share this part of your path with us here at “Becoming Today”.
Becoming Today with Rochelle Jeanette 
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