Proverbs in April

Proverbs 1

Wisdom is there for those who listen...

Proverbs are to be recited as helpful tools, words to live by.
5-6 "let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise"

Wisdom is this beautiful gift that is always there if we ask for it. And most times, we don't even ask. ...fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs is written to a son and I love this passage that I can totally imagine a father saying to his child,
15 "my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths..."
This parent figure is talking about how people will call you to follow them, that they have so much to offer - it will be great fun, we'll all be rich, we're all in this together. This is the lie that they believe but in reality, "these men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves." (18)

This proverb talks about wisdom as a female appealing to simple young men... "at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech..." she's screaming but is anyone listening? Wisdom is throwing itself at these people ("the simple ones") but do they respond at all?
23 "If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you."
We walk around all the time saying 'I don't know, this is so confusing, frustrating, annoying...' or whatever else it may be. We never take 1 second to stop and just listen to the God that's been calling us all along; the God who has always had our best interest.

But then we ignore this beautiful wisdom and "disaster sweeps over us like a whirlwind."

It's one of these simple things that is really difficult to grasp. Wait so, if we just ask for wisdom and listen, we'll get it? Huh?

The last verse of this proverb confused me a little at first
33 "but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
I was confused because I thought that we were never promised a life of ease and this pretty much says we are. I have a hard time believing that this is a promise of a life of ease when there are countless examples of righteous God-fearing men and women who would listen to wisdom and sometimes that wisdom would lead them into dark and scary places. But I don't think that's exactly what it's saying. I think in contrast to the "whirlwind" we create for ourselves by ignoring wisdom and choosing our own way, that living by wisdom will be an easier path and that God will protect us along the way.