Meditation

Reader,

Up to this point, the blessings and benefits of wisdom have been stated as benefits to a life well lived. Health, vibrant life and freedom from fear. Now as the writer reaches the conclusion of this proverb he states a series of commands.

A series of admonitions that provide specific instructions on things to avoid. Notably, they are aimed specifically at personal relationships. How you treat those around you, your neighbors is an accurate index of the state of your spiritual condition.

Withholding aid is a power play fueled by spite. Envy, plotting harm, false accusations against a trusting neighbor are "foolish" not simply wrong. To be "foolish" is to separate yourself from the wisdom that animates the universe. To separate yourself from the Lord.

Today's text is Proverbs 3 :27-35

Proverbs 3

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.

29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.

31 Do not envy the violent
or choose any of their ways.

32 For the Lord detests the perverse
but takes the upright into his confidence.

33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.

34 He mocks proud mockers
but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.

Encouragement

In our modern, secular age, we associate wisdom with personal learning and experience. It is found not in the creation itself but only in us, humans. And then not in all of us but is often presented as the preserve of an exalted few.

Typically a few who have attained status in their careers or professions.

Proverbs speaks a different truth. Wisdom is an active force that is sewn into the fabric of the universe. It breathes life into every element of our world, our being, and our relationships. It is not something to be acquired by a few, but something all can submit to, and be blessed by.

Submission = wisdom.

Andy

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