Listen At The Gate

Proverbs 8:1-3  “Listen as Wisdom calls out!  Hear as understanding raises her voice!  She takes her stand at the crossroads;  By the gates at the entrance to the city, she cries aloud, “Listen to me I have important things to tell you.”  
 
Proverbs 8 opens with a striking picture of wisdom standing at the entrance gates of the city, calling out for all to hear.  In Bible days, the city gate was not merely a doorway in the wall.  It was the center of public life.  People gathered there to hear news, conduct business, settle disputes, make decisions and determine the direction of the community.  
 
The gate was a place of influence, it was where people decided what would be allowed in and what would be sent out.  Wisdom was not hidden away for a select few.  She was not whispering in secret, she is standing in the busiest and most influential place, calling to anyone who will listen.  Wisdom stand at the place of decision because she knows the decisions you make today will shape the house you build tomorrow.  
 
We also stand at gate every day.  We stand at the gate of our thoughts, the gate of our homes, the gate of our schedules, the gate of our conversations and the gate of our hearts.  Each day, vices are trying to gain entrance.  Opinions, news, social media, fears, emotions, distractions, and the constant noise of the world all compete to shape our thinking.  
 
We live in a generation with more information than ever before, yet less wisdom in operation.  Information is not the same as revelation.  Knowledge is not the same as discernment.
 
The enemy would love for us to treat every other voice as our source of counsel.  But wisdom cannot be found in scrolling.  Wisdom is found by digging in God’s Word, in prayer and quiet moments with the Holy Spirit.  
 
The loudest voice, isn’t always the right one;  The voice of wisdom may not shout above the noise, but it will always lead you in the right direction.  Whatever we repeatedly allow through our gates will eventually shape the house we live in.  
 
Wisdom Statement:  Be careful what we allow in through the gates of our lives.  The voices we welcome today will help build the house we live in tomorrow.