Proverbs 22:23

Proverbs 23:22 and 23 "Hearken to your father, who begot you, and despise not your mother when she is old. Buy the truth and sell it not; not only that, but also get discernment and judgment, instruction and understanding." First of all, let's look at the first instruction to hearken to our father and despise not our mother. Isn't that a commandment? Honor your mother and father and all will go well for you. It's a commandment with a promise. Some of you might say, "Well, you should meet my parents before you tell me to honor them!" And you might be right. Sometimes our parents are not the best examples. I know today is not a day I want to go down in history with my boys as an example of what to do when they are parents. But perhaps, if I pray enough, it won't come up in counseling when they are adults. (: So, assuming your parents were fairly good examples, humans who tried really hard and then gave up and relied on God, you should "hearken" and "despise not" because, let's face it: old people have lived longer and generally have more knowledge of what works and what doesn't.

Hence the next verse. "Buy the truth and sell it not; not only that but also get discernment and judgment, instruction and understanding." Sounds like a great shopping spree to me! Have you ever thought about the implications of this verse? Buying something costs you. Getting the truth may cost you. And then, once you have it, others will try to convince you to part with it. "Do you really believe all that Bible stuff? I mean, isn't it just a book of stories?" You know what that is? I think many times it is someone who sees that you have something of value trying to convince you that it is not valuable so that you will part with it and be in the same place as they are--without the truth. So, buy truth and sell it not. But the verse goes on and says, " . . . also get discernment and judgment, instruction and understanding." This is where the hearkening and the despising not of those older than you, like maybe your parents, may come into bigger play. Notice how it doesn't say we get this discernment, judgment, instruction and understanding from our own minds. Find people you can trust, ask questions, read the word of God, spend time in His presence and you will grow in all of these things.

Verse 24 of the same chapter says, " . . . the father of a wise child shall have joy in him." The context of these verses are that they are sandwiched between other verses about watching out for who you hang out with and how hanging out with drunks may cause you to be a drunk, etc. So who are you hanging out with? Maybe not drunks, but think about it. How are they influencing you? Are you buying truth and getting discernment? Who is instructing you? Are you listening? I know my Father God loves me no matter what I do and that I am in Christ and forgiven for my mistakes, but I still want to be that wise child that makes my father have joy in me. I still want to please my daddy. So, Lord, help me to hearken, despise not, buy truth and not be talked out of it, get discernment, judgment, instruction and understanding tonight. Amen?