If you’ve spent time in nature, hopefully you’ve had the experience to walk along or side beside a bubbling brook. It’s calm and relaxing. Not overly rough but not too still – it perfectly peaceful in its bubbliness. I’ve also had the pleasure of standing in the ocean shore at night and watching a storm out much further on the water. The deep waters are rough, turbelent, choppy, dangerous.
Solomon compares God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom in Proverbs 18. He says man’s wisdom is like the deep waters. This is referring the turbulent dangerous storms of the ocean. Deep waters is a poetic way of describing trouble, unsteadiness, and danger. On the flip side, the fountain of God’s wisdom is a bubbling brook. The calm waters of a peaceful stream. Not dangerous. Not troublesome.
This is how we should view man’s wisdom versus God’s. Man’s ideas and wisdom are always changing. Depending on the era, the region, the culture, and the person – you can get a wide range of wisdom for man. But because man’s wisdom is so turbulent, we should see it as a dangerous source. And, it can also get us into more trouble depending on who we got our advice from. Man’s wisdom is dangerous.
But God’s fountain of wisdom is like a peaceful brook. It won’t drown you. It won’t create more trouble for you. It isn’t dangerous. It’s calming and relaxing. It’s safe and secure. But, it is bubbling meaning it is moving and it will challenge us at times. But those bubbles are meant to keep us refresh and clean just like the babbling brook.
When we have a problem or need advice, we often go to man first. I’m not sure why that is – perhaps it is simply because we like to actively hear the responses and engage in the conversation. Maybe even justify our perspective. But, when we do that – we often don’t just stop with one person. We go to multiple people because well we need and want options. We get multiple opinions and go from there. Remember, man’s wisdom is turbulent – it’s always changing.
Instead, we should first go to God’s fountain. We won’t be multiple options. Just the peaceful reply that will lead us to the best and more secure outcome. God doesn’t always tell us what we want to hear and His wisdom often challenges us but the end result is safety and peace. Remember, God’s wisdom is the bubbling brook.
Where do you go for help? The deep waters of man or the bubbling brook of God? One leads to danger; one leads to peace.
Adonai's Appeal 