Proverbs is definitely one of the books of the Bible that in the past, I would dip in and out off but probably wouldn’t have sat down to study as a book from beginning to end. I would have felt more confident studying the first 9 chapters, while not really knowing how to tackle the subsequent chapters full of the pithy proverbs. Kathleen Nielson’s commentary on Proverbs as part of the 'God’s Word For You' series changed that for me.

Kathleen opens up the Proverbs to show we should understand wisdom literature and its place in the bible. She carefully unpacks the structure of the book and how it all fits together. This particularly helps in the parts of the book which seem more randomly put together. Kathleen explains how swirling nature of Proverbs mirrors the swirling nature of life. She says, “life actually comes at us in the same kind of fluid chaos that Proverbs presents as it teaches us that wisdom is applying God’s truth to all of it, all of life, in all its messiness”.

Above all Kathleen helps us see the beauty and necessity of God’s wisdom and how it is only in relationship with the Lord that we can correctly apply the wisdom Proverbs offers. Fearing God and listening to his words is what shapes a wise life. Throughout the book Kathleen points us to Jesus as the perfect model of that wise life.

I love the God’s Word For You series. They are personally beneficial for my own devotional life and are accessible for learning how to teach a book to others. I am glad I can add 'Proverbs For You' to my growing collection.

Rachel Sloan, Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh & FIEC