Mother Elisabeth Sinclair
Sep 14, 2021
If only Wisdom would show up on my street..
Wisdom shows herself (“She” is often depicted with feminine imagery in the Old Testament, though the New Testament depicts Jesus as the personification of wisdom)...
Wisdom shows herself (“She” is often depicted with feminine imagery in the Old Testament, though the New Testament depicts Jesus as the personification of wisdom) in every one of our Scripture passages from this past Sunday. We know that King Solomon was wise, at least in some respects, but I wonder who else you consider to be wise. What constitutes wisdom in your mind? Do you think of yourself as wise? How about your best friend? What quotations or song lyrics about wisdom, or expressing wisdom, do you hold most true? How do you imagine a person grows in wisdom? Do you face situations in your life right now for which you need greater wisdom?
In the first chapter of Proverbs, Wisdom calls out in the street, generously offering her counsel to any who will listen, but people rebuke and spurn her, choosing instead their foolish ways. It seems strange that people would rebuff wisdom when it is offered freely, but we can probably think of examples that prove this to be common. After the recession of 2008, I remember hearing that many economists had predicted the crash, particularly related to the U.S. housing bubble, but their warnings had been dismissed. Nineteenth century scientists discovered the greenhouse effect and began warning about the use of fossil fuels and the reality of climate change, but some people still ridicule these claims, in spite of factual evidence confirming their truth. Epidemiologists had predicted the possibility of a deadly worldwide pandemic long before COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan.
Wisdom doesn’t always carry bad news. Wisdom wants to protect and bless us. If Wisdom shows us a path of destruction, her intent is to convince us toward a path of goodness and restoration. If Wisdom wounds our pride or hurts us with truth, it’s because she wants to heal us.
Have you heard any wisdom lately—either from the Scriptures, a friend, an authority figure, or the Holy Spirit within you—that you have dismissed or rejected? Perhaps it isn’t too late to slow down and consider again the counsel you received. If you lack wisdom in a situation that troubles you, God promises to give it freely to those who ask.