Living in the Spirit

June 6, 2022

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 8:1-4

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.

Wisdom: the effectual mediating principle or personification of God’s will in the creation of the world: logos. Wisdom encompasses words like knowledge, insight, virtue, judgment, and prudence*.

I think this is the first time that I have looked up the meaning of a word and discovered that it originated from the personification of God’s will.  Jesus taught his followers in Matthew 10:16, ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. The “What would Jesus do?” fad that coursed through faith communities a few years ago was spot on. We do not always take the time to seek what Jesus would do.

Serious athletes follow a strict life plan that includes everything from getting enough rest and eating right to routine exercise topped off with a lot of practice. They develop what is called muscle memory so that when they are in the middle of a game their body and mind work together smoothly automatically. The Proverbs quote above is telling us we need to be as aggressive as an athlete about understanding and following God’s will in all that we do.

Prayer: Lord, create in us clean hearts so that when we communion with you we receive your messages rather than filtering them to what we want to hear. Amen.

*https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/Wisdom

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.