Book Review: In Search of Wisdom: Life-Changing Truths in the Book of Proverbs by Joyce Meyer

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BOOK review

Started on: 22 December 2021
Finished on: 3 January 2022

 

In Search of Wisdom: Life-Changing Truths in the Book of Proverbs by Joyce Meyer

 

Title: In Search of Wisdom: Life-Changing Truths in the Book of Proverbs

Author: Joyce Meyer
Publisher: FaithWords

Pages: 272 pages / 270 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 395,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 5/5

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"The search for wisdom is a journey, and having its principles worked into our character and become our natural responses to the issues of life require time, thought, and practice."

The book of Proverbs is full of both spiritual and practical wisdom that gives us what we need to guide our steps each and every day. Knowledge is important, but if it's not turned into action, it will fail to help us on an earthly level. That's why it's essential to gain understanding of the seven foundational principles frequently seen in Proverbs: Wisdom, Understanding, Prudence, Knowledge, Discretion, Discernment, and Fear of the Lord. If we desire to have these qualities, we must make a commitment to slow down. We must give sincere thought regarding action to be taken, remembering that each action produces a result.

"Reading about and knowing biblical principles is good, but knowledge that does not lead to action will not help you on a practical level."

"In my opinion, we look at far too many things in theory without applying them practically in our daily lives. Everything God says is good and worth hearing, but if we do not apply it to our lives, it does not benefit us or anyone else."

In the beginning of a new year, I thought it would be fitting to read a book about wisdom—to help me realign my mindset and the way I live with the Word of God. I've also read several books written by Joyce Meyer in the past and really enjoyed her writing style, so I didn't hesitate at all to start reading this book. As the title suggests, we will be learning through the book of Proverbs—which is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it has a lot of practical wisdom that will be beneficial for our daily lives. In this book, each chapter will focus and explain several principles from the corresponding chapter in Proverbs and these principles will help us obtain and grow in wisdom in our day-to-day lives.

"Wisdom does not rebuke us to make us feel guilty, but to urge us to make a positive change in God's direction."

"If God withholds knowledge from us, He has a good reason for doing so. If nothing else, His silence serves as an opportunity for us to grow in learning to trust him."

The book of Proverbs includes teaching on many different aspect of our lives, such as how to treat people; how to think, the importance of our words; how to manage finances; how to behave in marriage; how to cultivate good relationships; how to handle offenses, correction, and discipline; the importance of having understanding, discretion, and discernment; and more. In this review, I will be discussing several topics mentioned in this book that I especially took note of. The first one is the quality of being prudent—which means we are to be good managers of all our resources, including our finances, time, and energy. The author warns us about the importance of staying out of debt by managing our finances wisely. We also need to find balance in using our time because overworking is not healthy, while laziness never leads to anything good either. More often than not, we are too focused on staying busy and neglect our need to rest. It's also nice to be reminded that material goods that we possess are transitory—here today and gone tomorrow. Even though there is nothing wrong with wanting things and asking God for them, to say that we cannot be happy without them is not a godly attitude. 💯

Another topic that I think we need to be constantly reminded of is the power of our words. If we believe that our words are so powerful, we will be very careful about what we say. One of the quotes that I love regarding this topic said:"Words can be free, but the way we use them may cost us.". There are times when we didn't consider thoroughly the effects or consequences of the words we speak. But the book of Proverbs emphasized that if we think about what we are going to say before saying it, we will speak wisdom instead of foolishness—so God will be honored and our lives will benefit greatly from it. This year, I want to intentionally speak kind and encouraging words to those around me, because I know that what I say can make or break someone's day. ❤️

"All we can do about our mistakes is to confess them, ask God to forgive us for them, and then learn from them. Our mistakes can probably educate us more than most other experiences if we will let them."

"Wisdom is available in every area of our lives, and if we seek it we will find it. When we find it, we need to apply it to our lives in practical ways."

The last one that I will be mentioning in this review is the theme of obedience. The author asked: 'Have you ever disobeyed God and then perhaps given an extra offering, thinking it would make up for your disobedience?'. I have to admit, I used to think that way back when I was a lot younger; but now I know these kinds of sacrifices are not acceptable to the Lord and we can never 'pay' for our mistakes. God wants our obedience and He desires for us to sincerely repent for our sins. When we repent, we are not merely sorry we have sinned. Repentance should mean that we desire to turn completely in a new direction and become obedient to God. I think this is another important reminder that will help me to start the year walking in God's wisdom.

Throughout this book, the author ask simple questions about the lessons Proverbs teaches that will help us reflect and ask ourselves how we are living relative to the principle in that section of the book. I always love a book that helps me consider which part that I still need to work on and start finding ways to apply these lessons practically. I love how the author encourage us to have a meeting with ourselves occasionally to examine our heart and motives. I personally enjoy writing in my journal to keep my thoughts and actions in check and analyze whether I've made wise decisions or not. The author assured us that we need to keep making good choices even if it doesn't appear to be producing the desired outcome in the moment; because in due time, it will. 😊

"The Book of Proverbs is a wonderful book of the Bible, filled with practical wisdom for everyday living. Remember: Wise people do now what they will be satisfied later in life. To walk in wisdom is to live without regret."

One of the main takeaways from this book is the statement that says: Wisdom always thinks about the result of our actions and asks: 'Will I be satisfied later with what I choose today?'. By living a life full of wisdom, we will be able to live without regrets. And since God has already given us the instructions that we need in His Word, we should refer to it and live for God and His will instead of living our lives carelessly. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learned so much from it. The writing style is very easy to read and the author also gives practical examples which helps us to understand the message better. I think this book will be a great companion for those who want to read through the book of Proverbs.

by.stefaniesugia♥ .