Proverbs 3 ends with this,

The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools.
Proverbs 3:35 NKJV

Or below is The Message’s translation. The Message is a contemporary language translation, and I love adding it into to my study sometimes. It often gives me a chuckle to hear the Bible in today’s words.

Wise living gets rewarded with honor; stupid living gets the booby prize.
The Message

I searched for pictures titled “wisdom,” this owl appeared and lots of books and libraries. That’s funny because I don’t think books necessarily make one wise. So instead, I love this guy- The Wise Old Owl!

Side not: why are owls considered wise? Hmmm.

Wise- having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgement.
Glory- high renown or honor won by notable achievements.

versus

Fool- a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly or stupid person who lacks judgement or sense.
Shame- a painful feeling or humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.

The wise shall “inherit” glory. This is long term or long suffering, not immediate. This proverb speaks of someone who doesn’t worry about the now but, instead, knows that their choices and long suffering will be rewarded in the future. Likewise, the fool may get a laugh at the moment, but it is only temporary and eventually leads to a “legacy” of disgrace.

Eyes on the prize, my friends.

And by the way, I guess owls are somehow connected to the ancient Greek goddess Athena, who symbolized wisdom. Depictions of Athena sometimes have an owl. So, there ya go.

The owl is the wisest of all birds because the more it sees, the less it talks.

African Proverb

My takeaway: I will seek to please the Lord even if I look foolish to those around me, even when I am a salmon swimming upstream, and even if this world offers me no applause.

Let us remember what is truly important.

🦉👀
Heidi xoxo