Thoughts for the Day

My child, if you accept my words
and treasure up my commandments within you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding....
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,
guarding the paths of justice
and preserving the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity ....

It will save you from the way of evil,
from those who speak perversely,
who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil;
those whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways....

Therefore walk in the way of the good,
and keep to the paths of the just.
For the upright will abide in the land,
and the innocent will remain in it;
but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We resume our look at the Book of Proverbs, as Solomon continues his teaching. The thinking is that his son, and indeed all of us who read these words, should make God's wisdom our own and store it up for when we need it. It's no good just hearing good advice we must make it our own so as to be ready to use it, in other words we need the word of God in our heart. Just as it's no good hiding the torch that will be needed if the electricity goes off, we need to be able to turn to God's teaching immediately when temptation or danger rears its head.

When we know what God wants we try to obey His words, and this acts as a shield for us. God also actively seeks to protect and guard those who follow His ways. As well as this it means that we have an understanding of the things that concern God - issues like justice, righteousness, and mercy. Because of this we begin to change, we turn away from wrong paths, and begin to care for the truth.

Ultimately, knowing what God expects will help us not to pursue the wrong path: where 'bad' is celebrated rather than 'good'; where lying brings no shame; where slander of someone is seen as having a bit of fun; or where another's misfortune is mocked. Wisdom protects us from all these things. We may be tempted but we will not give in when we know what God expects of His people.

Loving Lord God,
You teach us through the scriptures
how to lead the kind of life
that You would have us lead;
to follow the right path
and not the wrong one;
not to fall in with those who have
no moral compass;
but to pursue the ways of justice, peace
and love.
Help us so to do this day.
Amen.