Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say, first, that, although Solomon's words in the book of Proverbs were divinely inspired, the speaker of the words quoted in the question was not identified directly as God, but as a personification of the quality of wisdom.

I would then say that the possession and exercise of wisdom in a person's thoughts, words, and actions are God-pleasing atributes (as noted by God Himself in 1 Kings 3:5-14) that are in all cases preferable to the absence of such wisdom, and that, in an ideal world, would lead to the type of continually "comfortable" life spoken of in the question.

However, there are (and always will be, until the close of the present age) human and spiritual forces at work in a fallen world that seek to disrupt or destroy that comfort, especially with respect to the comfort of those who seek to follow God and do His will.

This is evidenced by the words of Jesus in passages such as John 16:33 and John 17:14-15, and indicate that, although God makes all things work together for the ultimate good (which may mean eternal good rather than temporal or earthly good) for those who love Him (Romans 8:28), a matter of even greater importance to God than the assurance of the comfort of His followers is the dissemination of the gospel message of salvation through faith in Christ (whatever earthly hardships or opposition that mission may entail or cause for those who perform it).

(Paul, despite His being called to his ministry as an evangelist directly by Jesus Himself (Acts 9), presented an extensive listing of the subsequent trials he endured because of His service to Christ in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, and was also ultimately martyred (beheaded) for his missionary activity by the order of the Roman emperor.) (In fact, at the time that God called Paul, He stated, "I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of My name." (Acts 9:16))

January 28 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report