Saturday, June 15, 2019              

Today’s Scripture Reading  |  Proverbs 8:1–4, 22–31

Does not wisdom call,
   and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
   at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
   at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
“To you, O people, I call,
   and my cry is to all that live.

The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
   the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up,
   at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
   when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
   before the hills, I was brought forth—
when he had not yet made earth and fields,
   or the world’s first bits of soil.
When he established the heavens, I was there,
   when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
   when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
   so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
   then I was beside him, like a master worker;
and I was daily his delight,
   rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
   and delighting in the human race. (NRSV)

Reflection
In Proverbs 8, we encounter Wisdom, one who guides us and who wants God’s best for all of our life. She directs us in how to live our days and delights in all of us and the rest of God’s creation. Wisdom was with God during creation, and as we read this passage, we can feel her joy and enthusiasm for all creatures and humankind.

Where do we find Wisdom, and how do we hear her voice? My guess is that we all hear her in many different forms—from a conversation with a friend, through reading the Bible, by listening to teachers, pastors, children, even a stranger on the street. Wisdom is all around us, but do we slow down enough to listen to her? Our days are busy. We have to-do lists a mile long with numerous tasks to check off. Much of the time I get caught up in my busyness and don’t take time to call that friend, listen to the podcast of last week’s sermon, or stop and chat with someone while waiting for the bus.

A few weeks ago, I was walking home and waved to one of the CPS Safe Passage workers that I see on a regular basis. I was grumpy and in a rush—I had chores to do and a rehearsal to get to that evening, so it wasn’t the ideal time to stop and chat—but I did. We ended up talking for a good ten minutes about putting things in perspective and being grateful for the opportunities that we have. Our chat was exactly what I needed to hear, and I’ve got to say that was Wisdom popping in to give me some guidance.

As we go throughout our day, let us make room for Wisdom and do our best to listen to her direction.

Prayer
Gracious God, I thank you for your constant care and direction. As I go throughout my day, help me to be mindful of your presence, guidance, and love. Amen.

Written by Briana Belding-Peck, Family Ministry Coordinator

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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