Proverbs 4:10-11 (ESV)
10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
Merely listening isn’t enough. Application of truth is necessary to embrace wisdom. When one chooses to obey the commands of God, her life will be full. The wise woman may not have the longest life in days, but God will certainly reward her life with abundance. The Hebrew word derek, translated “way” and used continually in Proverbs, points to a whole lifestyle. The paths of uprightness are ancient courses on which the godly have journeyed for centuries. Let’s not neglect our need to apply wisdom in every area of our lives for another moment. What have you been telling yourself that you are “going to do” for days, weeks, months, or even years? Why wait? It really won’t be easier to be obedient tomorrow than it is today. Now is the time to live out what you know is right. Let everyone see you walking on the path of wisdom in all that you think and all that you do.