Focus: Heart That Hearkens

Text: Prov.1:33

"Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil."

Wisdom is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. Paul declares that in Christ are "hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col.2:3).

It is absolutely a disaster for one to live in this world without an iota of wisdom. Every aspect of life requires deep thinking and clear understanding. In 1Cor.1, Paul presents Jesus Christ as "the power of God, and the wisdom of God," and He has become the believer's "wisdom" (1Cor.1:24,30). Following the leading of God in whatever we do in this life is of vital importance.

Here in our text, wisdom is making a public proclamation. Standing in the public sphere of our lives, he declares, "Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." Hearkening means hearing with the intention of doing what one hears. It is hearing and heeding the voice or counsel of wisdom. Peter, James and John heard God's voice from heaven saying to them, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; HEAR YE HIM." Jesus Himself says, "Therefore whosoever HEARETH these sayings of mine, and DOETH them, I will liken him unto a WISE MAN…" (Mt.7:24). 

It is wisdom to hear and do what God says, and to go in the way He leads or directs. Obedience is the other side of belief, and to obey implies hearing and heeding. It is the action part of faith. Faith is imperfect until it believes and obeys.

We are informed by the Scripture that "by faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place… obeyed; and he went out…" (Heb.11:8). That is faith! And that is wisdom!

Hearts yielded and loyal to God certainly hearken to His voice.

Now here is the blessing of hearkening to wisdom: the hearkener shall dwell in safety and will be secured from the fear of evil. Wisdom defends and protects its adherents. Those who walk in wisdom shall know peace and experience security. They avoid a lot of dangerous and costly mistakes. They don't easily get hurt. They are not exposed to danger, nor live in fear of evil. This is the blessedness of hearkening to the voice of wisdom. A life governed by wisdom escapes a lot of trouble and sorrow.

Look at the immense suffering and sorrow of man in this world! Everywhere man is suffering, and the suffering seems to be increasing on daily basis. Is it not true what another had said that "man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains"? Chains of addiction. Chains of drug abuse, and chains of alcoholism and smoking. Chains of all kinds of bad habits. Our chains are many and diverse. Our suffering seems incurable. Suffering is killing man slowly. All of these chains are mostly the consequence of not heeding the voice of wisdom. A wise man said that "there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Prov.14:12).

Life of rest and quietness is the gain of living by the dictates of wisdom. For us who believe in Jesus Christ, He is our wisdom. He is the fountain of divine intelligence. He is all we need to live free of all kinds of evil shackles. Christ in us is our hope of glory. The Scripture makes us wise unto salvation as we follow and obey its instructions. Jesus Christ, in whom God's wisdom is embodied, speaks to us from the pages of Scripture. I declare that through Christ the wisdom of God you will live in safety and enjoy a life of peace.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter