I awoke to the rumblings of thunder in the distance, the room darker for the time of day than it has been recently. Craving a cup of hot tea and some quiet time, I crept out of bed and grabbed my Bible. On a friend’s suggestion of reading through the Proverbs when seeking wisdom and guidance, I cracked it open.

What are the Proverbs for? Have you ever really studied them? While they are certainly a collection of wise and pithy sayings, they, like everything else in the Word, are written for a purpose which is recounted here from the first chapter:

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.

5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance
6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 1:1-7 NLT

As I began to read this first chapter, I had to stop with these first seven verses. The word “discipline” is mentioned three times – two of them in the first and last sentences! I so struggle with discipline in myriad areas of my life. It’s the subject to which the Lord continually brings me back. I’m all about being wise and receiving guidance, but apparently, if I don’t submit to being disciplined, I really despise wisdom…I’m a fool.

When I pulled up my blank Blogger page to fill it this morning, I was a little unsettled, the word “fool” still ringing in my ears. With what should I fill it that was really worthy of saying? Then it occurred to me that my days are like blank pages. Like pages numbered in a book, my days are numbered as well. Authored in the heavenlies, they are still mine to fill. My desire is to script them with a life that reads like a Proverb; life stories that show lessons learned, directing the reader to Source of all wisdom. However, it starts with “fear of the Lord”, and, like it or not, that includes discipline; otherwise, the rest of the pages of my life story will be unfit for reading.

A folly.

So, the blank page of my day is set before me, a new chance. I’m praying that I will submit to outlining it with discipline at the beginning and the end, allowing the middle to be filled with a story that reads like a Proverb and points its reader to the King.