Proverbs 1:20

Letters to the Faithful - Proverbs 1:20

Berean Standard Bible

Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;

King James Bible

Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

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To all who are called by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to those sanctified by truth, quickened by the Spirit, and set apart as a people zealous for good works, grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied to you in abundance. I write to you with solemn joy and holy burden, compelled by the word of the Lord as revealed in the Proverbs, that treasury of divine instruction given through Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel. Let us give our attentive ears and yielded hearts to the voice of wisdom, as it is declared in Proverbs 1:20: “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice.”

O beloved, this verse is no gentle whisper—it is a trumpet blast, a divine summons that pierces through the noise of everyday life. Wisdom is not hidden in a temple, reserved only for the scholar or the secluded. She is not tucked away in books that gather dust, nor does she speak only to monks in silence or sages in seclusion. No—wisdom cries aloud in the streets. She lifts her voice in the markets. She positions herself at the heart of human activity. She is found at the city gates where business is transacted, where choices are made, where crowds gather, and where paths diverge. This is no passive presence. This is a deliberate and passionate appeal from the living God, calling men and women to listen, to turn, to live.

And how tragic, then, that though her voice is raised, so many do not hear. Or worse, they hear and dismiss her. The tragedy of our generation—and of every generation—is not the silence of wisdom, but the deafness of those who refuse to heed her call. For the streets are filled with voices. The markets overflow with philosophies. The gates of the city are crowded with opinions, distractions, and noise. But wisdom still cries aloud—unchanged, undiminished, unwavering. She is not intimidated by the multitude of voices that compete for our attention. She speaks above them, not with arrogance but with urgency, because she knows that her counsel is life.

Let us not misunderstand: the voice of wisdom is the voice of God Himself. It is the Word made plain, the Spirit speaking to our conscience, the echo of eternal truth reverberating through time and space. It is the call to righteousness in a world of moral confusion, the invitation to understanding in a culture of opinion, and the path of life in the valley of death. Wisdom is not neutral; she demands a response. She offers shelter to the humble but brings judgment to the proud. She offers discernment to the seeker, but leaves the scoffer to his own ruin.

And where does she cry out? In the street—in the ordinary, public, visible spaces. Not merely in pulpits or pews, but in the workplace, the school, the marketplace, the media, the political square. She speaks into our decisions, our ethics, our relationships, our habits, and our future. She does not withdraw from the crowd; she enters into it with boldness. The gospel of the kingdom is not a private religion. It is a public proclamation that Christ is Lord, that His Word is true, and that His way is life.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, we must become people who recognize and respond to the voice of wisdom. In a day when deception is dressed in sophistication and error is cloaked in tolerance, we must sharpen our ears to hear the cry of wisdom amid the clamor. And hearing her, we must not delay in obeying her. For to ignore wisdom is to invite calamity. As Proverbs continues to say, those who refuse her call will eat the fruit of their ways. But those who listen to her will dwell secure and be at ease, without dread of disaster.

How then do we grow in wisdom? We begin with the fear of the Lord, for that is the foundation upon which all true knowledge stands. Reverence for God is not optional—it is essential. Apart from it, there is no lasting wisdom, only fleeting cleverness. We must immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, for they are able to make us wise unto salvation. We must cultivate prayerful dependence upon the Holy Spirit, who gives insight beyond natural understanding. We must walk in humility, for wisdom is given not to the arrogant, but to those who are teachable. We must also listen to godly counsel, walk with the wise, and live with integrity even when it costs us.

Practical wisdom, dear friends, is not theoretical. It shows up in how you speak to your spouse, how you raise your children, how you manage your finances, how you respond to offense, how you conduct your business, how you treat your neighbor, how you endure hardship, how you resist temptation, and how you finish your race. It is tested not in the classroom, but in the furnace. And it is confirmed not by applause, but by fruit.

Do not think you are too young or too old to hear her voice. Wisdom is calling to the youth who stands at the crossroads of temptation, to the adult burdened with responsibility, and to the elder tempted to grow complacent. She is calling to the rich, lest they trust in riches; to the poor, lest they despise their station. She is calling to every race, every nation, every class, for the God who speaks through her is no respecter of persons. All who hear and obey will walk in light. All who refuse will stumble in darkness.

And let us not miss this: if wisdom is crying out, then we as the people of God must echo her voice. We must not be silent where wisdom speaks. We are not merely to admire wisdom—we are to embody her. In Christ Jesus, the wisdom of God has been made manifest. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, to follow Christ is to walk in wisdom. And to walk in wisdom is to become a voice of wisdom in our own generation. Let the Church not retreat from the streets. Let us not keep our faith confined within walls. Let our lives cry aloud, as wisdom does, declaring the way of the Lord in the public square, in the face of opposition, in the face of apathy, and even in the face of rejection.

Beloved, the days are evil, and the time is short. Let us not be those who delay until wisdom’s voice is withdrawn. Let us not harden our hearts as others have, who mocked the voice of truth and perished in the flood of their own folly. Let us seek wisdom while she may be found. Let us treasure her more than silver, value her more than gold, and embrace her more tightly than any earthly gain. For in her right hand are length of days, and in her left hand are riches and honor. Her paths are peace, and her end is eternal life.

May the God of wisdom fill us with the spirit of understanding, that we may walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, ready to answer wisdom’s call with faithful obedience and fearless proclamation.

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ChatGPT said:

O Sovereign and Eternal God, Fountain of all truth and Author of all wisdom, we bow before You with reverent hearts and open spirits, humbled by Your majesty and drawn by Your mercy. You are the One who was, who is, and who is to come, the Ancient of Days whose understanding is beyond measure, whose counsel is perfect, and whose voice still echoes through the corridors of time. We come before You today, stirred and sobered by the words of Proverbs 1:20, which declare: “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice.” Lord, may we hear that voice—may we not only hear it but be shaped by it, moved by it, awakened by it, and transformed by it.

O God, we confess that too often we have silenced wisdom in our hearts. We have turned aside from her invitation, distracted by the noise of this world. While she has lifted her voice in our public places, we have drowned her out with lesser sounds—the chatter of culture, the pursuit of vanity, the lure of comfort, and the false confidence of self-reliance. You have not hidden wisdom in the heavens, that we should say, “Who will ascend for us to retrieve it?” Nor have You locked it away in temples or reserved it for the elite. No, You have caused wisdom to cry aloud in the street, to raise her voice where all can hear—in our workplaces, in our cities, in our homes, in our relationships, in our decisions. And yet, how slow we have been to stop, to listen, to heed.

Forgive us, O Lord, for the pride that refuses instruction. Forgive us for the complacency that shrugs at eternal truths. Forgive us for the fear that hides from wisdom’s demand for holiness. We have preferred comfort to correction, opinion to truth, and reaction to reflection. We have turned our ears to voices that flatter and entertain, but turned them away from the voice that convicts and calls us higher. We have forgotten that to walk in wisdom is to walk in reverence, to submit ourselves to Your ways, to surrender our wills, to embrace discipline as love, and to treasure understanding above all earthly gain.

Yet You are merciful still. You do not cease to call. Wisdom still raises her voice—not in judgment first, but in invitation. And so, Lord, we ask You now to make our hearts tender to her call. Give us ears to hear in the midst of the street noise—the clamor of culture, the debates of the day, the anxieties that cloud our souls. Let us not treat Your voice as common. Let us not grow numb to truth. Let us not ignore the warning signs that line the path of fools. But let us incline our hearts toward wisdom as one searching for hidden treasure. Let us seek her as a thirsty soul seeks water. Let us pursue her as the pearl of great price.

We ask You, Lord, to send forth wisdom into every space of our lives. Let her stand at the door of our workplaces and cry out over how we labor, that we may work with integrity and diligence. Let her speak in our homes, so our marriages may be guided by understanding and our parenting may be led by discernment and patience. Let her lift her voice in our friendships, so that truth may be spoken in love and offenses may be resolved in grace. Let her resound in our churches, that leaders may shepherd with humility and the body may grow in unity and maturity. Let her fill the public square, so that justice may be upheld and truth may not fall in the streets. Let her rise even in the dark places where deception has reigned, for Your light shines in darkness, and darkness cannot overcome it.

O Lord, we ask for wisdom not as a mere possession but as a living companion. Let her walk with us in the morning and sit with us at night. Let her shape our speech, order our thoughts, and govern our actions. Let her be the standard by which we discern the counsel of men and the choices we face. For many voices will cry out to us—voices of fear, of pride, of compromise, of flattery—but only one voice leads to life. Help us to know the voice of wisdom, which is the voice of Your Spirit, and to follow it no matter the cost.

We pray especially for our young—our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters just beginning their journeys. May they not be seduced by the empty promises of this world. May they not be drawn to the wide gate that leads to destruction. May they hear wisdom's cry early and respond quickly. Clothe them in discernment, surround them with truth-tellers, and mark their paths with righteousness. May they become a generation that hungers not for applause, but for understanding. Not for fame, but for faithfulness. Not for shortcuts, but for sanctity.

And Lord, let us, Your people, not merely be hearers of wisdom but vessels of it. Let our lives become voices that echo hers. Let our conduct in the public sphere reflect her purity and peace. Let our speech, both in the marketplace and behind closed doors, be filled with grace and seasoned with salt. Let the world know that wisdom does not come from age alone, nor from intellect, nor from experience, but from the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Holy One.

We know, Father, that Your wisdom has ultimately been revealed in Your Son, Jesus Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And so, we ask You, conform us to His image. Make us wise not by the standards of this world, but by the mind of Christ. Teach us to embrace the cross as the wisdom of God. Teach us to find glory in obedience, not in ambition; in humility, not in power; in service, not in status. May Christ be formed in us, so that we may reflect wisdom not merely in what we know, but in how we live.

O Lord, let wisdom’s cry not go unanswered in our lives. Let it bear fruit—lasting fruit. Let it lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Let it preserve us from ruin. Let it guide us through peril. Let it anchor us in peace. Let it prepare us for eternity. For she cries not only for this life, but for the life to come. To walk with her now is to walk with You forever.

So we surrender to wisdom’s voice. We embrace her path. We receive her discipline. We cherish her instruction. And we give You all glory, O God, who gives wisdom generously to all who ask. Fill us, lead us, change us, and be glorified in all we do.

In the name of Jesus Christ, who is our Wisdom, our Righteousness, our Sanctification, and our Redemption, we pray.

Amen.