On the Way to Wonder

Proverbs 8

“At the highest point along the way, where the paths meet,

she takes her stand, beside the gate leading into the city,

at the entrance, she cries aloud. (v.2)”

Who is she?  Wisdom!  In Chapter 8 Wisdom speaks out, calls out raising her voice to us.  I find it interesting that Wisdom does not position herself in a library standing among the books of knowledge nor does she position herself in the Temple among all the religious traditions we comfort our souls with.  She is public, where paths meet, where we come to crossroads and must make decisions.  Wisdom is there in the crises of our life that force us to dig deep within ourselves and often force us to seek help from others. 

         When I hear that Wisdom is positioned at the city gate, I think of the story of Ruth from the Old Testament.  She was a foreigner, a refugee, who followed her mother-in-law Naomi who chose to return to her home town, Bethlehem, after the death of her own husband and her sons, Ruth’s husband.  Ruth stood at a crossroad – stay in her own country and try to start life over or go with Naomi to a foreign place.  She chose the uncomfortable road of being a foreigner.  The choice necessitated lead to gathering, gleaning, in the fields and collecting the leftovers for the poor. We might say she went to the food shelf to survive.  Boaz decided to marry Ruth and went to the city gate to speak with the elders and made the decision public and legal.  The city gate is another place of crossroads, of legal decisions.

         This Proverbs’ verse fleshed out in Ruth’s story makes me think that it is in the decisions of life when I must choose a path that I have an opportunity for Wisdom to speak into my life.  On what basis do we make those tough decisions, popular vote or do we looks to principles that draw us closer to experiencing God?  Ruth declares, “Your God will be my God!”  Secondly Wisdom speaks through the group of people that legitimize and legalize our decisions.  I do not believe God calls us to be a Lone Ranger fighting all the people we admire and love.  Boaz went to the city gate and Wisdom sits at the city gather, speaking through responsible community and leaders who counsel us.  Perhaps we might also add that Boaz was redeeming Ruth, protecting her, and not trying to take advantage of her.

         So let’s take a moment and thank God for the wise people in our lives to whom we can go in crisis.  It’s hard to admit we need help but we do and it is at those moments that Wisdom wants to speak into our lives.

         The chapter goes on to tell that Wisdom was one of God’s first creations and she was there from the very beginning before the creation.  Her depth of experience is massive.  She has seen it all and is a good advisor!  Blessings at your crossroads.

Proverbs 6, 7

“Go to the ant, you sluggard;

consider its ways and be wise!  (6:6)

February 6 was Sunday so I read Proverbs 6 and 7 for today.  Solomon is still pleading with his son to search for wisdom and avoid folly and specifically to avoid the adulterous woman.  In chapter 6 he advises his son to ponder the characteristics of an “ant”!  So by pondering ants we might grow insight into wisdom.  So let’s consider the ant.

         Ants are small and invasive.  They appear on the kitchen counter as the most inconvenient times and they are so hard to get rid of.  Perhaps that speaks to their industriousness and stick-to-it-ness.  Do we go hard after the dreams of our hearts or are we more like the sluggard who waits for life to happen?

         Ants live in colonies.  Their most distinguishing characteristic according to one source is their social behavior.  They communicate, avoid or fight enemies, follow birth roles in a kind of job class such as worker or soldier, and live in a nest.  Some scientists claim they have personality.  I’m holding my vote on that.  We might phrase this by pondering how well we are a “team player” working for the good of the group or are we self centered with life revolving around what is good for self? 

         Solomon continues to say, “It (the ant) has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers it food at harvest.”  A corollary for this is to ponder how we behave when the “boss” is not looking or when left to our own project.  Are we trustworthy to get a job done or are we lazy?

         For their size, ants are considered strong and ants have the largest brain of any insect.  We as God’s creation can do amazing tasks of strength and can be so creative.  The tower of Babel story in Genesis 11 tells how people working together can combine their strength and the efforts and build structures to reach for the skies to be like God.  Ants have good characteristics but they can be a problem and so can we. 

         Perhaps today we are challenged to ponder how we, though small, with God’s help can accomplish seemingly impossible tasks – space travel, medicine, and organize aid drives in the face of disasters.  We are social and need to pray that we use our socialness to help our neighbors.  May we be industrious and stick to our faith and follow God as our leader.

         Take the word “ant” and make an acrostics.  A is for…., N is for…., T is for….  Pray those qualities into your life.  Blessings.

Proverbs 5

“for your ways are in full view of the Lord,

and he examines all your paths. (v.21)”

In Chapter 5 of Proverbs, Solomon does not mince words.  He tells his son to avoid the adulteress.  He cautions against sex for sale, sex without relationship, or a neighbor’s wife.  He feels all are dangerous liaisons.  American culture today is much “freer” with sexual mores than many places in the world so Chapter 5 would probably be hard for many to accept as wise advice.  So rather than argue about the specific advice, we might ask ourselves what sources of advice I am willing to entertain.  If everyone does something does that make it right?  January 6 stands as a stark reminder that just because a group of people agrees, does not make it right.  Drive by shootings reminds us that just because my heart thinks it’s right, does not make it right either.  What advice merits serious consideration?  I would agree with Solomon that we find Wisdom calling to us from God’s Word.  We live in full view of God.

         Amy Grant combined with Michael W. Smith to write the worship song “Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet” based on Psalm 119:105 in 1984.  Her fans loved it.  Amy grew up as the youngest of four girls and at age 17 started writing and recording.  The family faith tradition was Church of Christ that did not believe in using musical instruments in worship.  Back in the ‘70s Christian music was not pop music but Amy was able to combine the two genres and win multiple awards.  For me and for many, the search for wisdom starts with the Word of God that is not only a light to our paths but also a light when life seems so dark.  I pray you listen and just enjoy.

Proverbs 4

Verse 18 says,

“The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”

I live at a retirement center in one of the oldest cottages but… the sunroom overlooks a lake just past the highway in front.  I wake in the morning and can tell by the color of the sky if I am close to 6 am and then I sit and watch the light start to glow over the horizon and trees around the lake.  I can see cars going to work.  If the weather is right, the horizon turns to shades of orange that gradually lightens as the sun rises.  If I am at the right time of the year, I see the sand cranes cross the street with their little fluff ball tots.  Sunrises are beautiful – over the ocean, over the desert, and over the lake.      Solomon reasons with his son, saying twice, “Listen, my son…” and once, “My son, pay attention…”  Solomon’s father, King David taught him and he has learned from experience that he now wants to pass to his son.  Listening to wisdom increases the length of our lives and protects us from stumbling.  And finally he urges his son to stay focused.  Don’t be distracted by evil.  Verse 23, “Above all else, guard your hearts, for everything you do flows from it.”

         Sunrises are experiences that grow and we must be patient and watch.  Wisdom is not the same as learning a piece of knowledge for it is a process to learn how to apply that knowledge in life for the benefit of all.  Sunrises bring illumination so we can see more clearly the traffic, the animals and all the things flowing past our lives.  Wisdom helps us not to stumble like people groping in the dark.

         So what are a couple adjectives you might use to describe a sunrise?  Do you have a favorite place you go to watch the sun rise?  Perhaps there is an issue eating away at you that you need the Lord to shine his light on it.  Spend time this morning and pray for enlightenment and watch the morning unfold and wait for his answer to unfold.  The sunrise may surprise you with beautiful colors and revealing clouds, birds and people you did not realize were right in front of you.  Blessings as you wait on Him!

Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3 continues the theme of the benefits of acquiring wisdom and the folly of evil.  The famous verse that has comforted many is Proverbs 3:5-6;

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways submit to him,

And he will make your paths straight.”

“Leaning” brings to mind the cute Christmas movie, “While You Were Sleeping.”  The female hero, Lucy, is given flowers by the guy downstairs, Joe Jr., but the man who is falling in love with her, Jack, sees her hug Joe Jr. and accuses her of “leaning.”

            Lucy : [to Jack]  Okay, um. What do you mean by the leaning thing? You mean because   he gave me flowers?

            Jack : And then you *leaned*

            Lucy : And then I leaned.

            Jack : Yeah.

            Lucy : Okay, how did I lean when I leaned?

            Jack : It was a lot different from hugging. Hugging’s very different. Hugging that    involves arms and hands; and leaning is whole bodies moving in like this

            Jack : . Leaning involves *wanting*… and *accepting*. *Leaning*…

What a beautiful description of spiritual leaning on Jesus.  It is more than hugging and involves wanting, accepting and leaning, perhaps depending.

         Are we embracing our own wisdom that comes from a self desire and self understanding foundation or are we leaning into the Word of God?  Are we wanting to hear from him daily by reading Scripture or listening to music or just spending time in prayer and meditation?  Are we accepting what we receive in an excited way and not arguing with God?  Are we leaning into God or away from him?  The proverb says that as we lean on God, submit to his authority, he makes our ways straight.  I think that means clearer and more understandable.  Leaning involves trusting God.

         A fun chorus was written based on “Leaning” that kids learn in Sunday school and often has the audience all lean to the left and then all to the right through the song.  Enjoy and never forget that we can lean on God!

Proverbs 2

Yesterday the Proverbs writer painted a picture of a father pleading with his son to search for wisdom so he does not fall into the pitfalls of life.  Evil would entice him into schemes that would backfire and boomerang the evil back on him.  Wisdom, in contrast, sits in public and calls and pleads with us to follow her advice.  Chapter 2 presents the benefits of searching hard for Wisdom.  The ultimate reward after a hard search will be an understanding of the fear of the Lord and knowledge of God.  This implies success, shielding from blame, protection, and justice. We will have developed discretion that will protect us.  As a bonus we will have the strength to refuse the adulteress, the non-wise woman.  He concludes, v.21, “For the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.”        

         Those are tough words to hear as we watch pictures of refugees and the innocent victims of evil fleeing for a safe place to live.  For many, faith is not a guarantee of no persecution from harm and death.   Bad things happen to good and innocent people.  We are broken people living in a broken world and wisdom does not eliminate evil but helps us to live wisely in the face of the evil we must deal with.  Wisdom directs our eyes and feet to the God who walks with us and is whispering “this is the way, walk in it.”  The path is not easy but it is more rewarding than following evil that definitely leads to a bad end.

         Think of someone whom you would consider wise and consider that person’s life.  What are three words you might use to describe the person?  What were a few benefits that you had from knowing that person?  Thank God for the person and pray for the person.  If the person is literary, you might still have learned a lot.  If the person is deceased, prayers of thanks can be offered.  Whom might you bless and who looks to you for wisdom?  Taking a month to meditate on wisdom may be time well spent.  Blessings. 

Proverbs 1: 8-33

Proverbs 1 opens with a father begging his son to listen to him and not forsake his mother’s instructions.  He pleads with the son not to fall in with “sinful men” intent on hurting and taking advantage of another.  The father wails in v.17, “How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!”  The Living Bible translates that, “When a bird sees a trap being laid, it stays away.” Avoid evil men!  While evil lurks in the dark places plotting evil against another, Wisdom personified is out in the open calling aloud in the public square.  Evil is dark and plotting to destroy while Good is open and public and accessible.  The writer continues to point out that often evil backfires on itself and the plotter will be the victim.  Then wisdom will have the last laugh. Wisdom concludes in v. 33, “but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease without fear of harm.”

         “”Listen” seems to be one of the important operative words here.  Who are we listening to?  Are we listening to the voices that desire evil to happen to another that promise personal gain for us?  Wisdom, on the other hand does not seek to destroy but offers life and comes from fearing the Lord.

         So who are the voices we are listening to today?  There are so many popular TV people preaching on Sundays, radio programs during the week, and daily Podcasts that opportunities to “listen” are not the challenge to most Americans.  We can listen in our own language almost 24-7.  But I think of Elisha after the encounter with the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel.  He retreated 40 days into the wilderness, into a cave.  He listened.  The voice of God was not in the wind, not in the fire, not in the storm but it came as a still small voice.  Wisdom “calls” to us but Solomon says that evil “entices” us.

         Perhaps today during your prayer time, try taking maybe just one minute to listen.  Like Samuel, we can say, “Speak, Lord, your servant listens!”  Blessings.

Proverbs 1:1-7

The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters and so one spiritual discipline when you are not sure where to read in the Bible is to pick the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month.  Tomorrow is February 1 so we will do a chapter a day for a month and see where we end up.  Proverbs is famous for being wisdom literature and a collection of sayings, proverbs and words of advice from Solomon, whom many consider one of the world’s wisest men, to his son.  It starts with a prologue in chapter one so I looked up prologue on the Internet.

         https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-a-prologue#what-is-a-prologue credits Euripides, a famous Greek playwright with the start of prologues.  The author continues to say:

“A good prologue performs one of many functions in a story:

• Foreshadowing events to come
• Providing background information or backstory on the central conflict
• Establishing a point of view (either the main character’s, or that of another character who is privy to the tale)
• Setting the tone for the rest of the novel or play.”

         Solomon introduces himself as son of David, king of Israel.  He lived 990 BC to 931 BC but the sayings gathered and recorded come from older times.   He writes the proverbs for “gaining wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight and for receiving instruction in prudent behavior doing what is right and just and fair.”  It is possible to read and reread a chapter in Proverbs daily and have a different verse “jump out” and speak to a situation you are facing.  We all need wisdom and understanding.  The prologue closes with the foreshadowing that the wise will gain understanding in fearing the Lord while the simple, the gullible, those without moral direction and inclined to evil will reject the wisdom.  Ouch!  We will see that dichotomy grow and certainly deciding who are the good guys and who are the misinformed is a topic of discussion in our country today.

         My daughter in first grade in Kenya would entertain us as we drove with “Kitenda Wili” sayings, riddles, and proverbs.  For example she would ask what house has no windows and no doors.  The answer is an egg.  We learned many as a child also, what has ears but no legs?  Corn!

         Proverbs prologue offers sayings that will help us be wise, points out the difference between wise and foolish, is shared by King Solomon and does set a teaching tone.  What proverb has impacted your life and helped form you?  I can remember my mother saying, “A stitch in time saves nine!”  Deal with my problems and don’t procrastinate because the problem will only grow.  What proverb would you share with someone if you could?  Lord may our ears be attuned to hear proverbs in our culture that are forming us today.

1 Peter

We’ve come to the end of another week.  We have gone through 1 Peter.  The apostle Peter writes from prison to young Christians around the Roman Empire who are facing rough times, trials and persecutions.  We all have bad days, bad weeks and bad years.  Some days it feels like the world is against us and doubts that God is on our side plague us.  We know he could do a miracle but it does not come and we suspect the fault is our little faith or our big sins.  Peter reminds us that we are not only inheritors of an eternal inheritance that is being stored for us and does not depreciate with interest rates but we are also inheritors of living hope.  That’s not wishing hope but living hope based on the proof of the resurrection and the knowledge that God, the judge, is impartial.  He revenges and vindicates and we don’t need to.  We are free to live in “reverent fear” that is respect for God who has true power and not fear of punishment.  We do not need to conform to the rules of the game for this world – an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth – but we can return good for evil because we have been forgiven our sins and been recipients of blessings.  Returning good for evil is the only way to silence those who accuse.  And ultimately, if we are to suffer, then let us suffer for doing good.  Our model is Jesus Christ and the cross.  He rose from the dead.  God is able to bring about good that we cannot even anticipate.

         In third grade I had to turn in my little Bible memorization award badges and I received a little wooden plaque with 1 Peter 5:7 on it.  That plaque sat by my bed, went to college, went to Africa and now sits on my dresser – about 70 years of comfort! 

1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety of him because he cares for you.”

Enjoy this worship song based on this verse.  It has comforted me many times when I am down.  Blessings.

1 Peter 5

Peter concludes his letter by encouraging humility.  Elders should humbly care for those under them in true love and not looking for gain or power.   Be a good shepherd even as Jesus is known as the Good Shepherd. Youth are to be humble towards elders understanding the the weight of responsibility they carry.  Peter reasons, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. (v 5)” 

         So I reflected on what God does oppose even if we do not see his hand in the situation.

Proverbs 6:16-19

16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
    seven that are an abomination to him:
¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
    and hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked plans,
    feet that hurry to run to evil,
¹⁹ a lying witness who testifies falsely,
    and one who sows discord in a family.

That has always seemed to me to be a list of attitudes that will lead me astray.  “Haughty eyes” are mentioned first.  Perhaps when we start evaluating ourselves better than others, we have started the process of dehumanizing them and devaluing them.  One of the challenges facing us today is how to incorporate the many fleeing dehumanizing lives to come to our borders in hope of finding a respectful life. 1 Peter’s challenge to us, even if we are not the person in trouble but the person able to help, is how we are keeping our focus on God and not on ourselves, trusting him as the impartial ultimate judge who sees our lives and cares.

         Perhaps our prayer today is “Lord, help me stay focused on you and help me keep my priorities pleasing to you!”  Blessings on your journey!