February 27, 2025 -- Austin Puckett
Proverbs 12:11
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
Introduction
This proverb is certainly profitable for all Christians, but I’m not sure any Christian understands it as well as a farmer does. If you’re a pastor in a rural context, you might just have a member or two that can tell you all about working his land. It is the type of work that requires physical labor, intense planning, and endless perseverance. If you know a farmer, you should consider sitting down and asking him what he thinks of this proverb.
Pastors can learn so much their congregation. Local churches all around the globe are made up of a beautiful array of Christian diversity. There are farmers and businessmen, rich folks and poor folks, stay-at-home moms and successful politicians, introverts and extroverts, men and women, adults and children, and much more. My goal is to encourage you, rural pastor, to observe wisdom where it is found, to look for it intensely, to crave and to desire it, and to protect it once you have it. Therefore, I have three exhortations for the rural pastor based on wisdom from the book of Proverbs (though there could be countless more).
1. Search the Scriptures
The book of Proverbs puts forward a curriculum with which the godly parent can aptly instruct his children. Chapters one through nine capture the main themes of the book and point the reader to the God of creation and to Christ, ‘the wisdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:24), as the foundation of wisdom. Therefore, when one reads Proverbs ten through thirty-one, those themes and the foundation ought to be recalled.
At the beginning of Proverbs chapter two, we read,
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding…. then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding… (Proverbs 2:1-2, 5-6)
Pastor, earnestly seek wisdom in the Word of God. In this passage, the father tells his son that wisdom (c.f. knowledge and understanding) comes from the mouth of the LORD. We can hear it most clearly from the Word. This does mean that ultimately, we must always be in pursuit of Jesus Christ, who is himself the wisdom of God. He is the clearest image and the full embodiment of the wisdom of God as he is himself God Almighty in the flesh! Pastor, if you ever grow weary of getting to know Jesus Christ, then you will find that you must make yourself a student of the written Word of God. We never graduate from the school of God this side of heaven, so take heart and seek wisdom in the Word.
2. Observe the World
We also gain wisdom from the world. That might sound a bit odd as ‘worldly wisdom’ is probably something you’ve heard a time or two, and you have learned that worldly wisdom is anything but true wisdom!
This is correct, but the book of Proverbs puts forth the created world as a signpost to all observers that the wisdom of God is embedded in his creation. This is why the Holy Spirit can inspire the words, “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread…” (Proverbs 12:11) When one operates within God’s created order—when our lives accord with the natural law—we will generally do well in life because God made it so. This is why even non-Christian households with a married mother and father in the home will fare better in general.
Another bit of wisdom from the world comes in Proverbs 6:6-11:
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Pastor, don’t take your time on earth for granted, but rather use your imagination. In other words, observe the glory of God in nature as it shines forth the order with which he has made it all. In so doing, you should be able to find ways to preach better as your imagination gains strength through observation. We don’t typically use the term imagination this way, but Sinclair Ferguson clarifies what I mean when he writes,
Imagination in preaching means being able to understand truth well enough to translate or transpose it into another kind of language or musical key in order to present the same truth in a way that enables others to see it, understand its significance, and feel its power—and to do so in a way that gets under the skin, breaks through the barriers, and grips the mind, will, and affections, so that they not only understand the word preached but also feel its truth and power. (Some Pastors and Teachers, p. 757)
Observe the world and seek wisdom in its design, so that you may better preach to your congregation.
3. Fear God
The thesis of Proverbs comes in chapter one, verse seven:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
In order to access wisdom, you must fear God. You cannot force the issue; you cannot connive your way into wisdom; you cannot sneak around the guards into the vault. You must come in fear and reverence of God Almighty. This means that you first must lay aside every sin which clings so closely. Repent of sin. You cannot fear man in pastoral ministry, timidity is not pleasing to God. As well, you cannot be a bully in the pulpit, for that too does not please God. The timid must fear God alone. The prideful bully must also fear God. This route to wisdom levels us all; we must all pursue wisdom first on our knees in prayer. Seek the Savior—Christ who is the wisdom of God. Fear him and him alone.
Austin Puckett is the Student Minister at Arrow Heights Baptist Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He holds a B.S. from Oklahoma State University and an M.Div. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to Kathryn, and they have one daughter, Ann. Austin enjoys reading old books, putting together puzzles, and rooting for the OKC Thunder. Thunder up!
Comentários