Ring the School Bell

Long ago, when children attended one-room school houses, the teacher would stand at the door ringing a hand bell beckoning the students to class. Children who had been playing in the schoolyard and others were hurrying to cover that last distance between home and school would line up at the front door of the schoolhouse. They would exchange greetings with the teacher, enter the room, find their desk or bench and begin getting ready for a day of learning.

When the sound of the bell ringing is heard, everyone is aware that it is now time to learn. However fun the playtime has been, it is time to seek after knowledge and wisdom. Obedient children come quickly and the instruction begins. Gaining that knowledge and wisdom was the day’s goal.

Fast forward to the current time. The school is no longer surrounded by a dirt playground and the bell is no longer being rung by a lone teacher standing at the door. Vehicles are pulling off of busy streets and into parking spaces to drop the children off. There is an abundance of noise as young ones shout goodbyes over the traffic noise to their parents and race to the building doors as a loud bell rings over the intercom. It is time to hurry inside, down the hall, past the lockers and into the classroom. There is a great urgency to the once quiet, inviting school bell. The bell is louder and the pace is quicker.

A picture similar to this chaotic morning schoolyard is found in the book of Proverbs. The noise of life has attempted to drown out wisdom’s voice. Like truant students refusing to attend school, many wander the streets avoiding the voice of wisdom. Still, “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the markets; She cries at the head of the noisy intersections [in the chief gathering places]; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: How long, O simple ones [open to evil], will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge? If you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you.” (Proverbs 1:20-23 AMP)

 Our response to the call of wisdom is critical. Like David do we greet wisdom from God’s Word every day? “O GOD, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is.” (Psalm 63:1 AMP) Or do we follow our own ideas and in doing so become worse than foolish? “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes and conceit? There is more hope for a [self-confident] fool than for him.” (Proverbs 26:12 AMP) Do we have hearts to learn and correct our erroneous thoughts and actions?

 We must value wisdom above other activities and interests. King Solomon stated, “Receive my instruction in preference to [striving for] silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, For skillful and godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” (Proverbs 8:10-11 AMP) We cannot seek the Lord as just one of many passions. Our hearts must be undivided. “With my whole heart have I sought You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; Oh, let me not wander or step aside [either in ignorance or willfully] from Your commandments.” (Psalm 119:10 AMP)

Our lives are busy and many things pull us in different directions. There is the noise of media via televisions, computers and cell phones. There is an excess of job commitments, hobbies and other activities to fill our minds and take up our time. Knowledge has increased exponentially in recent decades, but we still lack wisdom. We must not let anything prevent us from seeking and listening to wisdom from God’s Word. She cries as loudly today for our attention as she did in the days when Solomon wrote Proverbs.

  “Get skillful and godly Wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth. Forsake not [Wisdom], and she will keep, defend, and protect you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation). Prize Wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her. She shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness; a crown of beauty and glory will she deliver to you.” (Proverbs 4:5-9 AMP) Will you listen to her call? Will you receive her benefits?