Proverbs 15:32
“He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke get understanding.”
The word for “disdain” in the KJV is the word “refuseth” and it is translated from the Hebrew word #6544 “para’. This word actually means to become the leader, to let loose the reins or go unbridled, to become naked with the intent of discarding restraint. The word translated here as despise simple means to reject.
I hear the Lord every day. He tells me all sorts of things from the answers to questions to guiding me through situations. He tells me when people are lying and what is going to happen. I have cultivated hearing the voice of God and I cultivate it every day. The main thing I have gleaned from hearing God speak to me {apart from the actual instruction itself} is that when I hear Him and I ignore what He says to me, then afterward, I reject myself. Let me make this clearer. Recently my husband was packing for a business trip. I generally pack all of his things for him but this time he had gotten out his attaché case and set it on the bathroom sink. As I was scurrying about attempting to get everything done so he could leave on time, I snatched up the case and threw it into his suitcase. About ten minutes later, as my husband was loading his car, I heard the voice of the Lord say that he {my husband} had forgotten his toothbrush. I completely ignored what I heard and kissed my husband goodbye…. I didn’t even take the time to look in the cabinet to see!!! Then about the next morning when my husband was at his hotel getting ready for his meetings, He phoned and asked why he didn’t have his toothbrush!!! Immediately I had to admit that God warned me, I ignored Him and I that I was mistaken. After I hung up, I had to repent to God for disobedience and I became extremely frustrated at myself. I rejected my own thought process at that moment and was disgusted with my actions not because my husband had to get another toothbrush from the hotel, but because I blatantly ignored God- the Creator- God almighty!! This is the first- and simplest- explanation of the first half of this verse. We will discuss the second half shortly.
However, No let us understand the Lord on a deeper level. When we hear the voice of God instructing us, directing us, answering our questions, and we refuse to respond appropriately we are not affecting God! We are only hurting ourselves as it were! God does not need us to obey Him for Him to be God. He will accomplish His will with or without us, the choice is ours. When He instructs us, even with little things, like the toothbrush story, and we obey Him, we establish ourselves to hear from Him on greater and grander issues quicker. This is loving our own selves. How wonderful for us is it when God directs our steps, we listen and respond to Him and our days and our lives are full of victories over would be attacks? What peace, what joy, what fulfillment there is for the human soul {mind, will & emotions} to live in a constant state of victory. Consider the confidence in God that would be built into your life were you to actually experience life in this way! This notion is fine and encouraging as long as we are diligent to hear the voice of God and move in response to His direction. However, what is the scenario if we do not as I myself do not have a 100% positive response rate?
The answer is that there is grace. When we chose to disdain the word of the Lord that comes to us and then afterward realize that it was God and if we would have only acted in accordance with that word we would be in a better situation, the natural reaction is to reject our own mind, will and emotions {soul}. We wind up, as I did, rebuking ourselves in our disappointment and frustration. Therefore, the second half of the verse explains in no uncertain terms that when this is the case, if we will “learn from our mistakes” then we will get understanding. Notice that the verse DOES NOT say that God is the one who is rebuking us in this moment! Further take notice that the understanding we will get is multifaceted. The verse does not designate what we will get understanding of in these situations, but I can speak to this personally. When we heed the rebuke that we, ourselves direct toward our own minds, wills, and emotions, then we understand the following:
What the voice of God sounds like more clearly in our hearts
Understanding of the precise word He gave us for that particular situation and why
How to hear God in the future and ignore our own objections {this is taking down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God- 2 Cor 10:5}
So we can see that it is a wonderful thing to be taught by God about everything in life and if we are wise, we will respond, if we foolishly ignore Him, His grace yet resounds and allows us to turn and learn from our mistakes!
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