Lady Wisdom

Tuesday is kind of my favorite day for two reasons. 1) It’s not Monday, and 2) my small group meets on Tuesday nights.

This morning, I made time to read God’s word. Some mornings I’m not as diligent, but I can tell the difference when I don’t. I’m not the best at keeping on track with Bible reading challenges, so I like to skip around some.

I’ve forgotten how much I love reading the Proverbs and Psalms. The Psalms are so rich with rejoicing, joyful declarations and praise. They equally express lament, fear and longing to be closer to God during life’s valleys. I relate to both since this life can be a strange dance between joy and suffering simultaneously. I feel overjoyed most of the time, but occasionally, pain, grief and loneliness settles in and makes a home where joy once lived. Perhaps more often during this particular season.

Proverbs 1-2 were the passages I chose to study closely today, and there’s so many treasures to be found within its lines. It begins like this:

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I used to wrestle with this passage because of verse seven— fear of the Lord.

I didn’t want to fear him; I thought He was loving? Shouldn’t it be the “love of the Lord?” Little did I know that fearing God meant having a proper awe, adoration, reverence of his majesty, power, and holiness. It’s like having a respectful, loving father that you listen to and who’s opinion you hold above all else. It’s knowing how awesome He is and realizing who we are in comparison— a sinful people in need of a great, merciful Savior.

I recognize that my own story of coming to Christ began with this strange concept of the fear of the Lord. I recognized His holiness and saw how infinitely sinful I was in comparison. I began to cling to His every Word, desperate to find a way to be reconciled to cover my past. I found the good news of the Gospel instead— the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.

This good news pushed me to desire obedience and to follow Him. I didn’t do this perfectly (and I still don’t), but I can see how my heart’s desire changed from rebellion to willful obedience. This verse proved to be a great reminder of his gracious patience with all of us. No matter how far we run, He is faithful to redeem and call his own back home. He is far more loving and kind than we can imagine, and He longs to make Himself known to us.

My day continued…..

I worked at the local Panera with spotty internet, and eventually took Charlie for a long walk after work. He’s loving this weather, too.

Tonight, we had small group at Hannah’s apartment in Downtown Birmingham, which happens to be my dream apartment.

We walked through Galatians 4, which also happens to be about wisdom. Paul writes about slavery and freedom, how the Gospel and knowledge of the one true God is freedom and how the way of man/working for your own salvation is slavery. How the Gospel is a free gift— why would the Galatian church turn back to slavery?

I don’t think it’s any coincidence that today’s theme has been wisdom and knowledge. I struggle greatly with wanting to take matters into my own hands and not trusting that God is working all things out for my good. (Romans 8:28)

Ultimately, man’s wisdom is folly and leads back to slavery. When we want to do things our own way (working for our salvation, sinning habitually) and rebel against God, we see the result is pain and disappointment. It’s not the freedom that we had expected. While we thought we might be free, we are just chained to our never-satisfying, temporary and fleeting joy.

As John Piper says, “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.” I’d like to present this idea — we are most satisfied when God is glorified above all.

When we value His word above all, when we follow Him when it’s not convenient, we find more joy than we could ever imagine.

Sorry, I’ll get off my soapbox!

Hannah did a great job of teaching and expounding on this passage. She’s a great friend who loves to encourage us to live and share the Gospel often. She’s younger than me, but I look up to her in so many ways. Maybe I should start calling her the lady of wisdom in our friend group.