Monday, May 27, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
Proverbs 15:16–33

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is
than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
Those who are hot-tempered stir up strife,
but those who are slow to anger calm contention.
The way of the lazy is overgrown with thorns,
but the path of the upright is a level highway.
A wise child makes a glad father,
but the foolish despise their mothers.
Folly is a joy to one who has no sense,
but a person of understanding walks straight ahead.
Without counsel, plans go wrong,
but with many advisers they succeed.
To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone,
and a word in season, how good it is!
For the wise the path of life leads upward,
in order to avoid Sheol below.
The Lord tears down the house of the proud,
but maintains the widow’s boundaries.
Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,
but gracious words are pure.
Those who are greedy for unjust gain make trouble for their households,
but those who hate bribes will live.
The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.
The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
and good news refreshes the body.
The ear that heeds wholesome admonition
will lodge among the wise.
Those who ignore instruction despise themselves,
but those who heed admonition gain understanding.
The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
and humility goes before honor. (NRSV)

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Reflection

God moves in mysterious ways. How often have we heard it? How often have we said it?

There is no question that the tools and methods by which people come to an understanding of anything will always be insufficient for achieving the depth of understanding that most people would like to have about our creator, the God of the universe. This is undoubtedly the reason that the Christian commitment has always been about both head and heart, faith and fact; precisely why we are told earlier in Proverbs to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

But conceding that we’ll never understand our God as completely as we might like isn’t the same thing as not understanding God at all. Many passages of scripture share critical pieces of information describing who God is, what God is like, and detailing God’s interest in our welfare. These 18 verses from Proverbs make it clear that God is profoundly interested in our lives as part of his creation.

A life lived according to these precepts couldn’t help but show the benefits of making such wise choices in every conceivable area of our lives, including improved physical health, greater emotional well-being, deeper levels of peace and joy, and significantly improved relationships with others. And just maybe the more each of us aligns our life in accordance with God’s wisdom, the less mysterious God’s ways appear.

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Prayer
Lord, thank you for all the ways your word reveals the depth of your love and concern for us. Open our hearts to see that the more we follow your wisdom, the easier it is for others to see your light shining in us. Amen.

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Written by John Marr, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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