THE PRICE OF WISDOM

Welcome to Charted Ways and to Ageless Wisdom. Wisdom is neither scarce nor hidden! She calls aloud in the street She raises her voice in the public squares She cries out at the head of the noisy streets She makes her speech in the gate ways of the city. WHY THEN DO PEOPLE LACK WISDOM? People are who they are because of what they love. Simples ones love simple ways. Change what you love and you will change your life. Mediocres (neither wise nor foolish) are the way they are because they love mediocrity! “my people love to have it so”. The poor love poverty; that is why they always defend it. Whatever you love, you defend. People do what they do because they delight in it. Mockers delight in mockery. Drunkards delight in wine. That is why they spend their time with drinks. What do you delight in? Is it empowering or disempowering you? Switch your delight to what will profit you. People are where they are because of what they hate. Fools hate knowledge. The wise hate folly. What you hate cannot come to you or give you what it has. You stay away from anything you hate-just as you spend time with what you love. If you are not running towards knowledge, then you hate knowledge. Read, ask questions. If you love simplicity, delight in mockery and hate knowledge, there is no way you can hear the voice of wisdom. WHAT WILL IT COST YOU TO GET WISDOM? Just one thing? "Turn at my rebuke; surely" One of the things that wisdom does is to rebuke; and the purpose of rebuke is to get you to turn. Wisdom is not surprised that you could make a wrong decisions. What wisdom wants from you is to turn at his rebuke or confrontation. All were born in sin, and live sinful lives. The word of God comes to confront and redirect us. Two strong promises await those who turn (repent) at the confrontation of wisdom: 1. "I will pour out my spirit upon you." The purpose of this outpouring is to make it possible for you to operate at the level and standard of the expectation of wisdom. The out-pouring takes beyond you the your normal human level. When the Spirit came upon Saul, he was turned into another man. When the Spirit came upon David, exploits followed. When the Spirit came upon the earliest apostles and disciples, they spoke with other tongues and prophesied. The Spirit of wisdom will move you to a supernatural realm of mental exploits. 2. "I will make my words known to you" Unless God reveals His word to you, you cannot know it. God is the teacher and interpreter of His word. After Jesus rose from the dead, he opened the scriptures to the disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:27-32). It is your turn to be enlightened. Wisdom will become your Private Tutor. - Nkem Okemiri. Read Proverbs 1:20-31

SEEDS AND HARVESTS

Plotting evil against others is like spreading a net to catch birds in full view of the birds. It scarcely works. Although a human prey may not know what his human predator is plotting, there are eyes above the earth that see for the innocent. God frustrates the plots of the wicked against the innocent and makes it fall on the wicked instead.  Those who plotted against Joseph ended up embarrassing themselves. Saul died chasing after David. Haman was hung on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai. Those who sought the death of Daniel, Shedrack, Meshack and Abdnego died in their stead. The pursuit of evil or the practice of wickedness takes the life of those who engage it.  Proverbs 1:18 says, "these men lie in wait for their own blood; they way lay only themselves”.   Those who go after ill-gotten gain do so to their own hurt. Proverbs 1: 19 says, “it takes away the lives of those who get it”. They may get what they say they will get but end up losing their lives. That is the rule when cults demand the lives of those they helped. They are fulfilling scriptures. In that way, even Satan is made to serve God's purposes. He does things that confirm the word of God; though he means to work against God.  What shall it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul? For what can a man give in exchange of his soul”. Those who are prepared to give up their lives for things do not really know the value of life. Those who know the value of life would give up all they have for their lives. - Nkem Okemiri Reference:PROVERBS 1:17-19

BEWARE OF THE TEMPTER

 There are things you would never think of doing if you were not tempted. Temptations intend to bring out the worst in us.  Most of our misbehavior happen because we listened to a tempter; someone who claims he knows what you want, points you to the wrong road as if it is the right one and persuades you follow him as he leads you. So, one major thing you must watch out for, always, is the presence of the tempter. Solomon calls tempters sinners.  The tempter is the one going the wrong way and seeking the company of others. He wants to recruit you to travel the wrong road with him or her. He tells you the way he is going will get you want  and even faster. He may show you 'proofs' that he is on the right track but he never tells you the whole truth. He never even tells you he just wants your company and not really your welfare. The temper is that person who persuades you to do what you already know you should not do. There is just one thing to do with the tempter: DO NOT LISTEN. If you give attention to the temper, he will convince you eventually.  God warned Adam against eating from the forbidden tree. But he was not warned against the tempter. This passage warns us against the tempter or the enticement of sinners the mother of troubles. Do not consent to sinners.

  HOW TO IDENTIFY THE TEMPTER

 Although TEMPTER does not appear on anyone’s face, you can always recognize the sinner or tempter by what he suggests to you.  He encourages you to what is forbidden by society, the law of the land or your faith. He knows it is a wrong thing he is suggesting but assures it is the quickest way to get what you want. He always tells you what you stand to gain - power, wealth, fame, pleasure - hoping to prove toy that the end justifies the means. Anyone who speaks only of gain but says nothing about price is a deceiver. The price you have to pay for what he is suggesting makes it worthwhile or not. He tells you to join their company. He does not want you to do anything privately. He wants you to unite with their company. He is not thinking about but their company. His company wants to use and everything you have. The tempter is not trying to help you; he is looking for you. They want you to make a commitment that makes it difficult to pull back or out. Unity is a very good things but who you are unity with is even more important. Unity must not be at the expense of purity. The counsel of wisdom is to avoid the tempter. Do not go his way. Keep off his path. - Nkem Okemiri Reference: PROVERBS 1: 10-16

STARTING POINT

Every journey has a starting point. True knowledge has a starting point. Knowledge does not begin with learning numbers or alphabets. Knowledge begins with reverence for the Creator. If you know everything else but have no knowledge of, or reverence for,  your Origin, you do not know anything yet. Respect for your Origin and Source is the prime demonstration of knowledge or wisdom. It is also the most important learning. If a man does not regard his Maker and Root, he is cutting off the Source of his life. The fear of God is respect for your Origin and Source. It is the entry-point in the school of knowledge. It is the one thing that makes a man to choose good instead of evil.  The fear of the Lord is another name for the word of God (Psalm 19:9). It means that  the word of God is the gate of knowledge. That is where knowledge comes, or is generated, from. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge-just as the son is the beginning of the creation of God. That the son is the beginning of the creation of God does not mean He was created first;  but rather that creation issued from Him. So, in the same way, knowledge issues from the fear of God which is the word of God. It is from the word of God that we know the origin of the earth, of man, of sin, of death, of nations and so on. Wisdom starts with acknowledging God. The fool says in his heart that there is no God. When we acknowledge God, the next step is to live by His rules, wisdom or principles. It is dubious to believe there is God and yet, not live by His rules. If the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, it means there are dimensions of wisdom above the dimension of the fear of God. There are three levels of wisdom. The first is the level of the fear of God. This is the level of receiving and obeying His commands without question. The second is the level of the knowledge of God. This is the level of trusting God. The third level is the level of the love of God. This is the level of preoccupation with, and undying devotion to, God.

FOOLS DESPISE WISDOM AND INSTRUCTION

Men trust knowledge from God’s word but despise the wisdom and instruction from the same Bible direction and guidance. They want to be hearers not doers of the word. Eve knew what God said but she was not willing to be directed by God. She wanted knowledge but not life. Instructions and commands are God’s way of giving direction to our lives.Without them, our lives would lack direction. If we disregard them, we crash. God’s commands and instructions are the compass for men. Our lives turn beautiful (ornament on the head and chain in the neck) through obedience to the commands and instructions of God. This is what is written in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. However, when we disregard God’s word, shame and reproach replace honor in our lives. The entire Bible is about what happened to men for knowing and regarding or disregarding God’s commands or instructions. Obedience decorates but disobedience disrobes. - Nkem Okemiri Reference: Proverbs 1:7  " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but  fools despise wisdom and instructions"

GETTING, USING AND GIVING

Life is about getting and giving; it's about inflow and outflow. What flows in should flow out. That is what keeps the flow. When you get, you must give also. Solomon the great king of ancient Israel sought wisdom and found it. His motive in searching out wisdom was "to know wisdom and instruction"; "to perceive the words of understanding", and "to receive the instructions of wisdom, justice, judgment and equity". He wanted to learn and improve himself. After learning wisdom, he took time and wrote what, today, is called 'The Book of Proverbs'; so that others may learn and succeed with the principles that made him successful; and also take caution to not stumble where he did. He also stated the purpose of writing 'the proverbs'. He wanted to give prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young man; so that he would understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. Having learnt, he wanted to teach others. The goal of knowing is improving self and teaching others. The end of perceiving is showing to others.  The ultimate purpose of receiving is giving to others.  It is through giving, rather than through receiving, that the world is made richer and better. Solomon's book of Proverbs has made the world richer and better. Many people have found help reading that book. People may take notes when they learn; but they write books to teach others. Their notes helped them but their books help others. The libraries of this world are filled with books and journals packaged to help others. After you have built yourself up, do something that will build others up. After you have been increased, do something that will increase others. It's a duty. Solomon said, "a wise man will hear and increase learning; and a man of understanding will attain to wise counsels". If you say or write something of what you have learnt, a wise man will hear it and increase in learning and thereby be able to give more to his world and generation. A man of understanding that has access to the same information will arrive at answers for himself and his generation. The world changes and develops as people increase learning. Increasing learning means going beyond the knowledge level of the previous generation. One thing you learn today can take you beyond where your father stopped. That 'one thing' can come to you through someone else who is willing to share what he had gathered or learned.  Make your world better: share what you have; give what you receive; teach what you learn! You grow by growing others. Life is about getting, using and giving! - Nkem Okemiri

Charted Ways

Every destination in life has a way that leads to it. If you miss the way, you miss the purposed destination also. If you are struggling to reach a destination in marriage, career, business, or finance but seem to be getting no where, it might be necessary to take another look at the way you are following. If you are on the right road, it's only a matter of time, you will arrive at the intended destination. If it's the wrong road, you will never arrive at the purposed destination. The more you persevere on the wrong road, the farther from the purposed destination you go. There's a popular thought that "the end justifies the means". Is it really true that the end justifies the means? Is it not rather true that it is the means that justifies or condemns the person? There are wrong desires or dreams. It is often the way to the dream or desire that is questioned. For example, everybody wants money; but some serve others to get it while others rob others to get money. They all got the money alright but how they made it is what counts. Everybody wants to be happy; some seek happiness by finding their role and fulfilling while others pursue happiness by burning themselves in sex, drugs, alcohol and all kinds self-pleasing habits. It is important to arrive at a purposed destination, but getting there safe and alive is more important. There is a way that leaves its travelers disappointed, wounded, battered, broken and full of regrets. There is way that leads its followers to death though they want life, to sorrow though they want joy, to trouble though they want peace, to misery though they want happiness, to poverty though they want wealth. Those are deceptive ways and you do not want to follow such ways. Each week, Charted Ways will bring you wisdom from the book of Proverbs. Wisdom is hidden in proverbs. In any society when the elders utter proverbs and dark sayings, they express wisdom. Great truth is embedded in each of those short sayings. Behind those sayings are generations of learning experiences, observations, investigation, reasoning, experiences of success and failure, growth and decline, joy and sorrow, happiness and misery, life and death, wealth and poverty, health and sickness,  To have a look in the Holy Bible titled, Proverbs, means that that is the store of divine wisdom. What is my motivation for sharing this wisdom from the book of proverbs with you? I had searched for wisdom for dealing with issues in life. I browsed pages of books on different subjects looking for answers.  It occured to me that The biblical book of proverbs might be one place to scout for wisdom; moreso, as it was compiled by the wise king of ancient Israel, Solomon. I took a journey into the book of proverbs that lasted about three years - reading and meditating at least one verse a day. Those meditations turned my life around. In that book, I saw all the principles I have been learning from other books and more. In this book, I saw why things happen, how they happen and ageless principles undergirding change. I found answers! The purpose of Charted Ways is to shed light from Ageless Wisdom about ways that truly lead to happiness, sound health, wealth, peace, safety and unending life. Charted Ways will point you to the surest, safest and best way to get what you desire.  Charted Ways will guide you out of harm's way as you pursue your dream. The point of Charted Ways is that the way you are following to your desired end is the reason for your results and experiences. The way you are following is the reason you are happy or unhappy. The way you are following will determine where you arrive. So many well meaning people ended up where they did not intend. The way they followed brought them there. Charted Ways will lead you safely and surely to your dream. Follow the Charted Ways and you will have no regrets. Welcome! - Nkem Okemiri