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WisdomSeptember 25, 2007My child, you must follow and treasure my teachings and my instructions. 2Keep in tune with wisdom and think what it means to have common sense. 3Beg as loud as you can for good common sense. 4Search for wisdom as you would search for silver or hidden treasure. 5Then you will understand what it means to respect and to know the LORD God. 6All wisdom comes from the LORD, and so do common sense and understanding. 7God gives helpful advice to everyone who obeys him and protects all of those who live as they should. 8God sees that justice is done, and he watches over everyone who is faithful to him. 9With wisdom you will learn what is right and honest and fair. 10Wisdom will control your mind, and you will be pleased with knowledge. 11Sound judgment and good sense will watch over you. -Proverbs 2:1-11 (Contemporary English) This week’s scripture passage comes to us from the book of Proverbs. The general objective of Proverbs is the sharpening of character. Proverbs seeks to shape and mold us into wise and upright people of faith. Proverbs believes that the heart of faith is found in wisdom. The only way to truly sharpen our character is to become wise in the ways of God. Real wisdom comes from God. Many people today profess to be wise and offer us truth. Oprah and Dr. Phil are prime examples of how people today are seeking truth and wisdom. Since people today are starving for truth, we are willing to listen to anyone who seems like they know what they are talking about. We are earnestly seeking, but we are searching in the wrong place. We need to realize that the hunger within us can only be satisfied by God alone. God’s wisdom isn’t offered to a limited few, but to all of us. We just have to seek it. The first step to finding God’s wisdom is admitting that we don’t know it all. We must seek wisdom with a spirit of humility, not with a spirit of boastful pride. Proverbs describes this humility as “fear of the Lord” (1:7; 2:5; 9:10). Fear is the prerequisite for wisdom. Wisdom in God comes to each of us through various avenues. There is not one way, but rather there are many paths to spiritual growth. Some people connect best with God within a community of other believers; while others need time alone to meditate on the word of God. Sometimes we cry out to God through song and prayer; while other times, we connect with God in the quiet stillness of the soul. We search for God in different ways depending upon the situation at hand. We must know that it is not HOW we search that concerns God; rather it is the act itself that pleases. Prayer: God, my ear is attentive and my heart is ready to receive your wisdom. You alone O God are wise and upright. Meet me in my seeking. Instill in me your truth. Amen. For more informationRev. Leigh Martin |
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