Today’s word reminds us that bad things can happen at any time, but wisdom let’s us control some of the controllables:

Ecc 10:9  When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax.

Ecc 10:10  Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.

While we might indeed die in any kind of strange occurrence on the job, Solomon tells us that we can apply wisdom and diligence in our day to day lives.  Taking precautions like putting on a seatbelt, or investing in a 401K…all of these little things as Solomon says can help us succeed, those are the fruits of wisdom. 

Wisdom is defined as fear of the Lord, in other words humbling ourselves and knowing that God is greater than we are.  

Once we have this worldview as part of our lives that we are lower than our creator, but our Creator loves us, and gave Himself up for us, so that we could have eternal fellowship with Him, once we have that in the forefront of our minds, it puts all these other things in perspective.  

We begin to live to please Him, rather than foolishly trying to just please ourselves.  

New lives in Christ set aside impulsive behaviors, that “it is what it is” lifestyle, that we use to explain away our sin, is put on the back burner and we begin to live our lives more sensibly or as Solomon says, lives that are the fruits of wisdom.