Daily Delight
Opening Prayer
Be Thou my wisdom, O Lord of my heart.
Read Proverbs 8:22–36
22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
32 “Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
If God’s wisdom was around before the mountains and hills were brought forth and while the heavens were being prepared (25–27), how important must it be?
Think Further
Today’s reading comprises the last three of the seven stanzas of Proverbs 8. The first begins, “The Lord…” (22); the second begins, “I…” (27); and the third begins, “Now then, my children…” (32). An atmosphere of delight, of happiness pervades the reading. In the first stanza, I ponder all the “before” words—before anything was created, Wisdom was with God, as a child. In the second stanza, I note all the “when” words—the whole process of creation is saturated with joy and delight. The song concludes, “Listen, watch, wait, search, find” and verses 35 and 36 set out the alternatives starkly: “For those who find mefind life and receive favor from theLORD. But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.”
Wisdom takes me back to the foundation of the world and of my own life.
Before anything was made, there wisdom was! When the Lord made the framework of the universe and filled form with content, there wisdom was! It was delightful fun; everything was in its place. Johannes Kepler said of his astronomical researches, “I feel that I am thinking God’s thoughts after him.” I picture the naturalist, the scientist, the artist, the gardener enjoying his work, his discoveries, his skill—and I give thanks.
In the fourth century, the Arians used this passage to argue that Christ was a created being, not eternally divine. A knowledgeable Jehovah’s Witness attempt to do the same today, but this passage is metaphorical, not a predictive description of Jesus. Jesus is the Word, the Wisdom and the Power of God (Col. 1:15–17; 2:3; Heb. 1:1–4; Rev. 3:14). This chapter is the climax of the introduction to the book of Proverbs and the foundation for all the down-to-earth, worldly-wise sayings in the following chapters.
Apply
People need to de-emphasize emotion, passion and self-indulgence long enough to allow the sunlight of God’s wisdom to illuminate their decision-making process.
Closing prayer
Lord, I am listening; today, every day, in the hurly burly of life, help me to hear Your voice.
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