Reflections From The Proverbs Soul Pleasure

Soul Pleasure

Proverbs Chapter Two7. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8. for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair–every good path.
10. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. NIV

"Then" is always an interesting word. It connects two actions together. After "such and such" happens then "this" will happen. In this case the "such and such" is the act of becoming acquainted with the protecting, guiding and enlightening leadership of the Father. After that happens, then you will understand what is right and just and fair–every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

The old saying that ignorance is bliss certainly does not apply here. The more we become acquainted with God’s loving care for us, His guidance, His protection, and the closer we draw to Him, the more we see His heart. The more we see His heart, the more we begin to let our hearts become like His. We begin to understand what is fair and right from God’s perspective. We begin to be more interested in what is genuinely good and not just what is good for us.

After we get a taste of how wonderfully our heavenly Father loves us, our inner being increasingly desires to be more like Him. The desire to become more faithful grows in us. From this kind of a maturing relationship with Him wisdom will enter our hearts, and a pleasant awareness will begin to grow in our soul.

We live in a very cold and calculating world where much is done according to how it will benefit the doer. Our time is spent earning money to heap gain in our own laps. We fight and finagle our way to the top of many types of ladders. Trying to gain positions that will bring more prosperity, power or recognition. We carefully measure and maneuver outcomes depending on how they will affect us. Even acts of kindness and charitable giving can be done expecting some type of benefit in return.

Heart wisdom is a clarity of vision that goes beyond ourselves, it sees past our own circumstances. It sees with the eyes of God, and feels with His heart. Sometimes it is not logical. Sometimes it is not practical. Heart wisdom becomes aware of the bigger picture. It sacrifices self for that bigger cause. Soldiers are familiar with this concept. They leave their lives behind to fight for causes bigger than themselves, and sometimes beyond what they understand.

When you do something and you know that it comes from the desires of God’s heart and by the direction of His hand, it brings a pleasantness to your soul that nothing else can match.

I pray that we will be a people filled with pleasantness in our souls.