Day 68 |Tuesday, 26 May 2020

Day 68  |  Tuesday, 26 May 2020

 This is being sent earlier than normal as I have my infusions scheduled for today, tomorrow and Thursday early in the morning and I will be away from the computer until afternoon.

Last year we gathered together up at the Gazebo for a noontime picnic on Memorial Day.  I missed that opportunity this year.  I hope we might be able to get together for a picnic sometime this summer.

Today, going against my practice, I am going to put together some selected verses form the book of Proverbs. Quoted from the Common English Bible.

Proverbs 1:7
7 Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 2:2
2 Turn your ear toward wisdom, and stretch your mind toward understanding.

Proverbs 3:13 Value of wisdom
13 Happy are those who find wisdom and those who gain understanding.

Proverbs 3:19
The Lord laid the foundations of the earth with wisdom, establishing the heavens with understanding.

Proverbs 4:5
5 Get wisdom; get understanding. Don’t forget and don’t turn away from my words.

Proverbs 4:7
7The beginning of wisdom: Get wisdom! Get understanding before anything else.

Proverbs 4:23
23 More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.

Proverbs 9:10
10 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord; the knowledge of the holy one is understanding.

Proverbs 14:33
33Wisdom resides in an understanding heart, but it’s not known in fools.

Proverbs 16:16
16 Acquiring wisdom is much better than gold, and acquiring understanding is better than silver.

Proverbs 16:24
24 Pleasant words are flowing honey, sweet to the taste and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:31 & Proverbs 20:29b  31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is found on the path of righteousness. 29b gray hair is the splendor of old age. (these two are my favorites)

Proverbs 19:8
8 Those who acquire good sense love themselves; those who keep understanding find success.
“Several times, the writer of Proverbs tells us to ‘get wisdom’.  Throughout Scripture, we find passages in which the authors encourage us to use our reasoning capacities.  Wisdom is sometimes described in terms of a thoughtful and reflective woman who draws upon her experience as she carefully considers how best to live in relation to God, others and herself.  Jesus and authors of the OT tell us to love God with our minds, but sometimes Christians think that reason is opposed to faith.  John Wesley encountered people who valued emotional experiences over reason.  Wesley said that our reason is not opposed to faith, but helps us understand our faith.  Reason a gift of God; developing our mental capacities is one way that we show gratitude for that gift.”
CEB p 817

Gracious God, wisdom and reason are gifts you have given us.  During these trying times, we pray that we will put these gifts to good use.  We need wisdom more than ever as we decide how to move forward with our lives.  Hear our prayers.  Amen
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Today: Wisdom and Reason