It was a simple challenge, or so I thought.

My uncle challenged me to read and write out the entire book of Proverbs, word for word, as a way to position myself to hear God more discerningly.

I thought it would take me a few weeks, but that was two years ago.

Here’s what he challenged me to do:

• Read through and write out the entire book of Proverbs.
• Stop if questions came to my attention. Write them down.
• Look up words that didn’t make sense. Write them down.
• Pray if I found myself with confusing thoughts. Write them down.
• Journal things I was learning about God and myself. Write them down.
• Talk through my thoughts and questions with someone wise I trusted.

With 31 chapters and 915 verses about wisdom to work through, and me thinking it would be an easy challenge, the first thing I learned is how unwise I really am. Go figure.

Take for example the word forsake, a word I spent a long time mulling over.

Forsake: to abandon someone or something, to desert, leave, dump, ditch, renounce, relinquish, disclaim, disown, disavow, discard, drop, ditch or scrap.

Sounds like a mean word except when it applies to control – to forsake the need to have control, and instead, place everything into God’s very capable hands.

So there I was worrying about my kids. I was having a parenting moment that caused me to wonder if they were/are going to turn into teenage delinquents. But forsake floated through my mind and I knew. The Holy Spirit was asking me to forsake control and pray instead, to release them into His hands.

There I was in the middle of a meeting, panicking about the number of tickets that were not selling for an event I was planning.

No sooner had the words came out of mouth, “I’m not sure how we’re going to pull this off, guys,” the work forsake reminded me to trust instead.

And there I was tossing and turning in bed, again, for the third night in a row, with anxious thoughts about the future, when the word forsake quickly jumped into the mix to remind me …

The wisdom of Proverbs is not just 31 chapters to write out, it’s a lifestyle to embrace.

The truth of the Bible is not something you half-heartedly read, it’s a book you study, think about, wrestle with, dig through and search.

It’s wise counsel you absorb, promises to hold onto and trust to lean into.

Searching for wisdom in a culture of too much information takes work and determined focus, especially when people’s opinions are at our disposal around every turn. But moments of wisdom don’t happen easily or effortlessly. They happen when you purpose to put daily practices of wisdom into your day-to-day life and determine to seek it out. You may think this is a simple challenge, but trust me; fools think everything is simple. Wisdom gives you the clarity to discern the difference.

When you Seek and Hide His wisdom in your heart, moments of wisdom will naturally implement themselves into every area of your life.

So …

“Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my  words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”
— Proverbs 4:5-9

How This Guide Works

Seek and Hide is a daily reading challenge and journaling practice based on collecting wisdom from the book of Proverbs. It’s an invitation to stop scrolling through and start searching for knowledge, insight and discernment amidst a culture of too much information. By hiding Proverbs in your heart and storing it as truth, you create space for wisdom to rewrite established assumptions, redirect misguided perspectives and redefine what’s false for that which is true.

How It Works

• Buy a journal.
• Begin reading through the book of Proverbs.
• Stop if questions came to your attention.
• Write down your questions in your journal.
• Look up words that don’t make sense.
• Write down these words in your journal.
• Pray if you find yourself with confusing thoughts.
• Write down your confusing thoughts in your journal.
• Meet with someone with whom you consider wise and discerning.
• Bounce your ideas, thoughts and questions off of them.
• Journal what you are learning about God and yourself.
• Repeat this process until you’ve written out the entire book of Proverbs.

“Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
— Proverbs 3:6

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
— Psalm 119:11

Welcome to Seek and Hide.