“If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit; if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.” Proverbs 9:12 HCSB
When a person exceeds the speed limit he can expect the consequences of getting a citation from the police. If someone fails to stop at a red light he may face the consequence of causing an accident. When a person makes unhealthy food choices and does not exercise, he can expect to be overweight and in poor health. When someone fails to take the medicine prescribed by a doctor he can expect to have the consequences of not getting well at all or becoming sick. There are positive or negative consequences for just about every action a person takes.
This verse clearly states that there are consequences for rejecting wisdom and making poor choices. Benefits will come to those who seek and find wisdom. Mocking wisdom will bring pain, suffering, and even death. There are competing voices in today’s culture that make recognizing and selecting wisdom a true challenge.
Challenge: You have a choice. Making wise choices will bring blessings. Making poor choices will bring negative consequences. Recognizing godly wisdom is a way to a blessed life on earth and eternal life with Christ in heaven.