I have a question for you. How many times in the last week have you found yourself saying, “I just don’t know what I should do – or what choice I need to make – or what path I should follow”?
Yes, I’ve been there and done that more times than I would care to admit. So, you can imagine how excited I was this morning when I opened my Bible to Proverbs 8 and there was the header at the top of the page which said, “Wisdom Speaks”.
“I am Wisdom—Common Sense is my closest friend; I possess knowledge and sound judgment. 13 If you respect the Lord, you will hate evil. I hate pride and conceit and deceitful lies. 14 I am strong, and I offer sensible advice and sound judgment. 15 By my power kings govern, and rulers make laws that are fair. 16 Every honest leader rules with help from me.
17 I love everyone who loves me, and I will be found by all who honestly search. 18 I can make you rich and famous, important and successful. 19 What you receive from me is more valuable than even the finest gold or the purest silver. 20 I always do what is right, 21 and I give great riches to everyone who loves me.” Proverbs 8:12-22 CEV
Wisdom and common sense, sensible advice and sound judgement, more valuable than silver or gold. These are the gifts of wisdom. When I read verse 17, it immediately triggered what James, the Apostle, said when he wrote his letter on godly living:
“ Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So he will give you wisdom. 6 But when you ask God, you must believe. Don’t doubt him. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is blown up and down by the wind.” James 1:5-6 ERV
God the Father, who is the giver of wisdom, enjoys giving to everyone who asks. The key in that is not doubting the wisdom God provides.
“ Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV
When we take our prayers to the Lord, He doesn’t want us to worry about anything – ANYTHING. We ask for everything we need – WISDOM. God’s peace will direct our decisions and guard our hearts. This is practical wisdom.
“Rain and snow fall from the sky and don’t return until they have watered the ground.
Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow, and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat. 11 In the same way, my words leave my mouth, and they don’t come back without results. My words make the things happen that I want to happen. They succeed in doing what I send them to do. 12 “So you will go out from there with joy.
 You will be led out in peace…” Isaiah 55:10-12 ERV
“Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. It is for peace that you were chosen to be together in one body. And always be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 ERV
I have long lived with trusting the peace of God. I’ve learned that if I’m not at peace about something, I shouldn’t proceed. God has been faithful to lead me by His peace.
Let’s close this with Wisdom’s words at the end of Proverbs 8.
“By finding me, you find life, and the Lord will be pleased with you.” Proverbs 8:35 CEV
Wisdom Speaks life into our situations!
I appreciate your comments on the Holy Spirit of God, and with your permission I would like to use your mustard tree image in my own website, SundayMassReadings.com for the gospel reflection for 19th July (Catholic, but I hope that doesn’t upset you!). Your reflection on wisdom above prompted me to send you this note. I have a virtual one-man-campaign concerning the Holy Spirit. As we are mostly unfamiliar with the original Greek in which our Sacred Scripture is written, I suspect many of us are not too familiar with the following. Our Lord spoke Aramaic, the common language of his time and place. All the early Christian writers wrote in the English-equivalent of their time, Greek. Latin came later with the dominance and expansion of the Roman Empire. Now, in Greek the word for Spirit is pneuma. We get pneumatic from that word in English, to do with air. Now, that word in Greek is neuter, and so, if we are being exact, the Holy Spirit of God should be referred to correctly as “it”, which is totally unacceptable. In Latin the translation is spiritus, from which we get spirit of course, but also that word, ending in -us, is masculine. I suspect that it the origin of “he” with reference to the Holy Spirit. Now here is my point. In Aramaic, all the words which refer to Spirit in the Greek Christian Scripture including the word itself, plus wisdom, flame (Pentecost), dove (baptism), wind (Pentecost), are all feminine. Every one! If Jesus had heard us talking about the Holy Spirit as “he” he would have been shocked, amazed – whatever. Look in the Book of Wisdom where every reference to wisdom is “she”. Hence my one-man band trying to get us Christians to include the feminine principle in the Holy Trinity. Wish me luck (I hope)! Your reactions?
Roger Callan
bayswater@aol.com
Roger, forgive this late reply but I have been on vacation and with very little cell or internet access. What the Lord gives me to share is meant for the benefit of all and you are certainly welcome to share it with those you minister too. To God be the glory for the power of His word!