Wisdom and Folly issue invitations–whose call will you heed?
I am a mocker. Bad news for someone attempting to entrench herself in Proverbs.
I mock Larry when he trips over his own feet; I mock politicians with whom I disagree; I even mock myself when I try to speak with both feet in my mouth. But I am also a seeker of wisdom. I seek wisdom through prayer, through reading the Scriptures, through reading books by spiritual leaders. My enjoyment of mockery has its place in my life, as does my search for wisdom. While the book of Proverbs considers both qualities as mutually exclusive, I see them as occupying two distinct arenas in my life.
Mockery provides an opportunity for fun whereby I use just a little bit of sarcasm and teasing to lighten the atmosphere of those around me. Wisdom is a solitary path for me, for I seek to increase my learning, expand my knowledge and thereby allow God to continue to mold me into His image. Prov 9:8 warns against rebuking a mocker for the result will be he will hate you. But for me, if I go too far in my mockery I want to be rebuked so that I can climb to the pathway of knowledge and be renewed and enlightened. May I always bend my will to yours, Oh God, and may I seek discipline whenever I go astray.
The fog settles in…
October is my favorite month. Perhaps it is the bright, blue autumn skies, or the crisp fall air, or maybe it is because my twin and I will celebrate another year on this earth. Today as I look out my window, the blue skies, if there, are far outside my field of vision because all I see is a deep fog that has settled in. But that is all right, because I know that eventually the sun will shine again.
Today we are looking at Proverbs 8 and we see that wisdom and understanding cry out to us to be heard. Is anyone listening? When I look at the state of our country I think of the folk song by Pete Seeger from the ’60’s, “Where have all the flowers gone,” but I substitute the word wisdom and hear these strains: Where has all the wisdom gone, long time passing, where has all the wisdom gone, long time ago, where has all the wisdom gone, gone to graveyards everyone, when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn?
Here I am again, talking about the two most taboo subjects (don’t ever bring up politics or religion in a group) and both in the same topic. For those of you who know me well, politics and religion are interrelated for me. My political beliefs are a direct extension of my religious beliefs, and therefore they are not easily separated. I have a question that pertains directly to wisdom. How did we, as a nation, stray so far from the wisdom of our forefathers? Why do our judges and courts and legislators and president fail to understand that the separation of church and state was not to protect the state from the church, but to protect the people from being told by the state who, and how, and where to worship? How did we move from a people who are independent and strong to a people who can’t get a job because then they would lose their “benefits” (Medicaid). How do we help those who truly cannot help themselves without aiding those who just don’t want to work? How do we help those who are slaves to alcohol or drugs gain their freedom, escape their lives on the streets, and become acclimated to mainstream America? Or am I still living in the 1960’s and there is no more mainstream America?
Each believing American citizen should get down on their knees and pray like they have never prayed before for wisdom from on high. Proverbs 8:11 says wisdom is more precious than rubies. V15 says by wisdom rulers make laws that are just. Do you see any justice in America? This land that I have loved since my youth is quickly becoming a land I no longer recognize as home. How do we stop the erosion of our freedoms, of our way of life? Again, I say, drop to your knees. Plead for mercy on behalf of this great country, plead for wisdom, not just for yourself but for the entire population that we would have the courage to replace our current leaders with those who are God-fearing, God-following men and women who want only the best for our country.
Prov. 8:22 says wisdom was the first of God’s works. Do you see how important that is? Love was not the first, grace was not the first, mercy was not the first–no, wisdom was the first of God’s works, from the beginning, before the world began. Prov. 8:32 says, “blessed are those who keep my ways.” God, our father, I pray that we turn from our wicked ways, away from abortion, away from greed, away from pride, and that we humble ourselves before you and seek out wisdom. May we find wisdom and life and receive favor from You once again. 
I just keep trusting the Lord….
Praise God, I think I see a sliver of sunshine. Proverbs 7 warns again of adultery. Can you tell I am growing weary of this subject? However, I love verse 4. After encouraging the young man to follow the commands and store them up within him, he is told to, “say to wisdom, ‘you are my sister,’ and call understanding your kinsman.” Here is the key to right living. Seek after wisdom and understanding, make them a part of you, a member of your family. Do not depart from the teaching you have received.
Again, we see that nothing good comes from straying from God’s laws. Adultery destroys individuals, families, and even worse our souls are damaged irreparably. Is adultery unpardonable? No. Forgiveness asked is forgiveness received. But you can never recover the innocence that was lost, or fully repair the lives torn apart. I thing this is the reason the theme of adultery is so prevalent in Proverbs. Turning away from sin is always the better course. Seeking holiness is always the wisest choice.
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and all that is within me…
It is another rainy day in Little Rock, but there is sunshine in my soul. Oh, I know it is corny, but that’s just who I am.
Today we look at Proverbs 6, warnings against folly, wickedness and adultery. Proverbs 6 begins by warning us of the folly of debt. Someone should pin these verses to the pillows of each of our elected officials. Perhaps if they had to sleep with debt and awake to see its ugly face every morning they would not be so anxious to keep increasing the debt to the point we will never be able to repay. But, I regress. In the light of today’s economy, it would do us all well to get out of debt any way we can. Debt is a form of slavery, and God did not deliver us from sin just so we would be under bondage of man. Verse 10 hits me hard: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest–and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
I sleep too much. It’s true. I should be out every day wading through the waters of Little Rock, gathering fish for the Kingdom, but I sleep. No one wants to think of being in poverty after working hard all of your life, but it happens. Sometimes the cause is a devastating illness of a loved one that takes all of the family’s resources; of late many of us have lost resources due to the decline of the stock market. But even worse is the poverty of our souls when we neglect the Word of God or spending time in prayer or helping others in need. God help me to stay alert and actively seek out opportunities to bring others to You.
Prov 12-19 warns of one who plots evil in his heart and always stirs up dissension, and goes one to tell of things that are detestable to God. Since I am a part of a Christian community, I feel insulated against the person who plots evil, but then I look at our government and think either the inmates have taken over the asylum, or there are people in Washington who are purposely bringing our country down. Only God knows the hearts of men.
We are told God hates haughty eyes (pride), a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. As Christians, people who follow after Christ, we should not exhibit any of these characteristics. The list before us are more than character flaws, they are sins against man and sins against our Lord and Savior. A man who stirs up dissension among brothers is one who causes problems in the church body–God forbid. May we pray each day that our hearts would be kept pure through the power of the Holy Spirt and that only the fruits of the Spirit would be visible in our lives.
Proverbs 6:20-23 are some of my favorite verses, where the son is told to keep his fathers commands and remember his mother’s teachings, for they will guide him, watch over him when he sleeps and the commands are a lamp and the teaching is light. I have one son and two stepsons and I pray this over them. I pray this over my grandchildren, that they would always walk in the light that God shines before them. And, I want them to remember that sometimes the light is only enough to show the path immediately before them. It is in these instances they should move slowly, never walking ahead of the light. God, keep my children and their children safe and may they all know You in your fullness.
New thoughts on holiness
As I continue in my efforts to intentionally seek after holiness, I find I am already being conformed by my journey. Seeking holiness is not a passive endeavor, nor is it something one can do without thinking. As I think of God’s holiness and pray that I would likewise be holy, I find that my choices are changing. No longer can I watch a television show that might be considered “racy.” No longer can I respond with anger when someone tries to bait me into an argument. Instead of staying at home on days when I do not feel well, I find myself attending church and feeling better for it. Let us pray that holiness is contagious, and as each one of us becomes more holy, let those around us catch holiness as if it were a fast spreading virus.
Seeking Holiness 