Every Day Light

[Judy Harder]

May 29


Wise up and live
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 1:1-19
"For attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight" (v.2)

We set out to explore some of the great and thrilling themes of the book of Proverbs. I have no hesitation in saying that, as far as practical matters are concerned, it has influenced my thinking and colored my judgments more than any other book of the Bible. I shall never forget my pastor taking my aside just after I had been converted and saying, "I am going to teach you to steal, to drink, to lie and to swear." Seeing my astonishment, he quickly went on to add, "I want to teach you how to steal time out of every day to read something from the book of Proverbs. And then I want to teach you how to drink from its clear, refreshing waters, to lie on your bed at night and meditate on its great themes and to swear that by the grace of God you will put into practice its wonderful teaching." We begin with the question: What is the purpose of Proverbs? Our text for today gives us the clue. Listen to how the Living Bible paraphrases it: "He [Solomon] wrote them to teach his people how to live - how to act in every circumstance" (1:2). This then is what Proverbs is all about - wisdom for living. Multitudes know how to make a living but they do not know how to live. They know everything about life except how to live it. I tell you, the more you understand the book of Proverbs, and the more you put its truths and principles into practice, the more effective will be your living. I guarantee it.
Prayer:

O Father, help me come to grips with the wisdom that enables me not just to live, but to live abundantly. I want to know what I need to do as a person to get on in life. Through the ancient but inspired words of Proverbs teach me how. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
For further study:

Ecclesiastes 7:1-29; Psalms 104:24; Proverbs 3:19
1. What is God's creation built on?
2. What does wisdom preserve?

[Judy Harder]

May 30

Wisdom personified
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 1:20-33
"But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (v.33)

Before settling down to focus on our theme, which is the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, it will be helpful if we acquaint ourselves with some of the background material to the book - hence, these opening days will be more introductory than expository. You can't get far into Proverbs before you begin to notice a peculiar thing - wisdom and its opposite, foolishness, are personified as women, Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly, each of whom attempts to persuade people to follow her ways. This personification of wisdom and folly is a literary device which the writer uses to add punch and power to his points. We use a similar form of expression when we personify natural laws and refer to them as "Mother Nature." For example, we may hear people say "Mother Nature is bringing out the spring flowers," or, "Mother Nature is doing her thing." It is a poetic and colorful way of referring to the principles and laws which guide and govern our universe. Notice how wisdom is personified in these words taken from the passage before us today: "Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech" (1:20-21). Later on in Proverbs you will see how similar language is used of Lady Folly. The purpose of this personification is to make the reader vividly aware that over and against the fatal attraction of folly, wisdom brings true delight. Wisdom is the soul's true bride, true counselor and true hostess. Wisdom is good for us; it is what our personalities were designed for.
Prayer:

O Father, help me to grasp the truth that I am made for a certain way of living - Your way - and when I try to live against that way, then I am nothing but a fool. Make me wise, dear Lord, with the wisdom that comes from You. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
For further study:

Ecclesiastes 2:1-26; Job 28:28; Daniel 2:21
1. What is compared to light and darkness?
2. What does God grant to the man who pleases Him?

[Judy Harder]

May 31

Wisdom is a Person
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 2:12-22
"Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men '" (v.12)

We touched yesterday on the thought that in the book of Proverbs, particularly in the first nine chapters, wisdom and foolishness are seen as persons. Jesus was also using the device of personification when He said in Matthew 11:19, "But wisdom is proved right by her actions." Some have thought that the personification of wisdom in the Scriptures indicates that wisdom is to be seen as a personality, perhaps a member of the angelic hierarchy, who visits men and women and imparts to them divine wisdom, but this, in my opinion, is taking things too far. The writer is simply using a literary device to make a point. However, it is the opinion of most evangelical commentators that the device of personification as it relates to wisdom is to prepare the way for the apostle Paul's great statement in 1 Corinthians 1:24 that Christ is "the power of God and the wisdom of God." If this is so, then it suggests that the divine purpose underlying the personification of wisdom in Proverbs is not simply to acquaint us with an absorbing set of rules or helpful suggestions by which to run our lives, but to hint that true wisdom lies in a Person, that Person being none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity moves beyond the wisdom of Solomon, which, by the way, commends itself to non-Christians as well as Christians, and points to the fact that the highest wisdom comes from a relationship with the One who is the fount of all wisdom - Jesus. Knowing the principles of wisdom is one thing; knowing the Person in whom all wisdom resides is another.
Prayer:

O Father, how can I sufficiently thank You that by faith I am linked to the source of all wisdom - the Lord Jesus Christ? Let the wonder of this relationship - I am in Him and He is in me - sink deep into my soul today. Amen.
For further study:

1 Corinthians 1:18-25; Isaiah 11:1-5; Matthew 13:54
1. How does Paul describe Jesus?
2. What did people testify of Jesus?

[Judy Harder]

June 1

Wise fools
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 4:1-9
"Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you." (v.6)

Having understood that the main message of the book of Proverbs is to provide us with wisdom for living, it is time now to ask ourselves: What exactly is wisdom? How is it to be defined? Some say wisdom is synonymous with knowledge, and use the two words interchangeably. There is, however, a world of difference between knowledge and wisdom, as writers and philosophers down the ages have pointed out. Knowledge is the capacity to comprehend and retain what one is taught; wisdom is the ability to put that knowledge to best effect. If knowledge is the same thing as wisdom, then, as Paul Larsen points out, "There are many 'wise' men who are fools." Our colleges and universities cram information into the minds of thousands of people, so that they come out knowing a good deal about such things as the solar system, microbiology, bacteriology, psychology, the laws of physics, art and so on, but knowledge by itself does not stop them from making a mess of their lives. In the United States, a second year university or high school student is called a "sophomore," which is the Greek word for "a wise fool." How revealing. When we get into the higher stages of education, we think that we know it all, but if this attitude is not changed, then we will soon demonstrate what it means to be a fool. A "fool" in Proverbs is not someone who can't pass a simple literacy or numeracy test; he is someone who thinks he knows what life is all about but doesn't. Those whom the world recognizes as "wise" may, from heaven's standpoint, be the biggest fools.
Prayer:

Father, I see now what Paul meant when he said "we are fools for Christ" (1 Cor. 4:10). My Christian lifestyle may appear foolish to those around me, but help me never to forget that from Your perspective it is the highest wisdom. Amen.
For further study:

Ecclesiastes 10:1-20; 2 Timothy 3:6-9
1. List several things a fool does.
2. What will become clear to everyone?

[Judy Harder]

June 2



The "Wisdom Literature"
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 5:15-23
"For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths." (v.21)

We have just a few more important general points to make concerning Proverbs before settling down to focus on our theme - the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Proverbs is often referred to as being part of the "Wisdom Literature" - those books which are associated with a class of people called "wise men" or "sages," an important group in the life of ancient Israel. The Old Testament consists of three sections - the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings - answering to the three groups of leaders outlined in Jeremiah 18:18: "... for the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets." Included within the category of the Writings are the Wisdom books - Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. While the prophets and the priests dealt with the religious life of Israel, the wise men were called upon to give advice about more philosophical matters. They made the point that the world was designed for wisdom and those who followed wisdom would find that the world was made for them. The book of Proverbs, which was largely written by Solomon, is crammed with the best advice it is possible to get and it is a tragedy that it is not part of our secular education system. But perhaps the greater tragedy is the fact that in some parts of the Christian Church (though not all) Proverbs is an unexplored book. Any church that does not encourage its people, especially its youth, to dig into the book of Proverbs is doing them a major disservice.
Prayer:

Gracious Father, help me develop a love and regard for Your Wisdom Literature. Grant that these days of searching and exploring may result in a new understanding of what wisdom is all about and that new evidence of Your wisdom may be seen in my life. Amen.

For further study:
Romans 11:33-36; Daniel 2:20-23
1. What does Paul say is found in wisdom?
2. What did Daniel give thanks for?

[Judy Harder]

June 3

Portable medicine
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 28:1-17
"' a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order." (v.2)

We ended yesterday with the statement that any church which does not encourage its people, especially its youth, to dig into the book of Proverbs is doing them a major disservice. I was introduced to Proverbs within weeks of becoming a Christian and this book, perhaps more than any other in the Bible, has supplied me with wisdom for living that has enriched my life. Moreover, the teaching in this book has greatly empowered my ministry and my writing. Every young person in the Christian Church needs to be steeped in the book of Proverbs as there is nothing in the entire annals of literature that can so prepare them for life. Alexander McLaren, a famous preacher from a past generation, said: "Proverbs is portable medicine for the fevers of youth." How true. And we might add that with medicine what matters is that you take it whether you know the doctor or not. I have known a number of young men and women who have told me that they came to faith in Christ through reading the book of Proverbs. One such person told me: "When I applied the principles of Proverbs and saw that these wise and witty sayings really worked, I was drawn to search for the One whose hand was so clearly present in the book and also in my life. After reading the Instruction Manual I wanted to know the Instructor." Not everyone, of course, will react in that way, but I myself am convinced that encouraging and exposing people, especially young people, to the ideas and concepts of Proverbs is one of the greatest forms of evangelism that can be conducted.
Prayer:

O Father, help me use any influence I have with young people to motivate them toward reading and absorbing the book of Proverbs. But first, let me dwell deep within it myself. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
For further study:

Colossians 2:1-8; Luke 2:40,52; Isaiah 11:2
1. In whom is wisdom hidden?
2. What was the effect as Jesus grew in wisdom?

[Judy Harder]

June 4

Invoked or not
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 8:12-36
"Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors '" (v.34)

We spend just one more day acquainting ourselves with background information on the book of Proverbs before embarking on our theme - the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The more you read and study Proverbs, and the more you apply its words to your life, the more you will find that its wise and witty sayings "work." They work because that is the way the Lord has set things up. It was said of Jung, the famous psychologist, that written over the door of his study was: "Invoked or not, God is present." This interesting statement provides us with a clue to understanding Proverbs, for whether men and women invoke the Creator or not, His creative and sustaining wisdom goes on giving them a world where wisdom operates and where things make sense to humankind. Someone has described Proverbs as "the scrapbook of common grace." "Common grace" is the phrase theologians use to describe the grace that God gives to humanity in general so that, whether they turn to Him or not, they are enabled to live more effectively and wisely on the earth. "Wisdom," says Charles G. Martin, "writes the handbook of instruction in God's workshop and when people despise wisdom, that is, true wisdom, they blot the copy book of life." Of course, we must accept that some may pursue wisdom for the wrong reason -self-interest - or just because wisdom "works," but as Archbishop William Temple put it: "The art of politics is so to arrange matters that self-interest prompts what justice demands." Heaven aside for the moment, our lives would be a lot better if wisdom, rather than folly, prevailed.

Prayer:

Father I am so thankful for this concept of "common grace." Your love reaches down to help people live life in a sensible and profitable way even though they may never come to know You personally. What a wonderful God You are. Amen.

For further study:
Matthew 7:24-29; Hosea 14:9; 1 Corinthians 2:6-9
1. Who did Jesus say was a wise man?
2. What sort of wisdom did Paul speak of?

[Judy Harder]

June 5

Come into my house
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 9:1-9
"Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars." (v.1)

We are ready now to begin focusing on our main theme. I would encourage you to read through the whole book of Proverbs, preferably in two or three sittings. This will better prepare you for the meditations that are coming up day by day. Our text for today tells us that wisdom is like a house built on seven pillars. There are two ways of interpreting this text. One view says that both wisdom and folly have a house to which humankind is invited. Wisdom has a much larger house than folly, being built upon "seven pillars" - a sign in ancient times of wealth, status and prestige. There is no doubt that this is one meaning of the text, but the other view - and this is the one I am following in these studies - is that wisdom has seven major aspects. The book of Proverbs does not state categorically what these seven aspects are, so, based on my study and understanding of this great book, I am going to give you what I consider to be the seven major aspects of wisdom. Never in the history of the human race have there been so many problems, so much confusion, and so many conflicting philosophies of how to live. Those who lack wisdom do not have the perspectives that enable them to discern the connection between cause and effect and therefore they don't understand what they are stumbling over, or, if they do avoid problems, they don't understand why they avoid them. We need wisdom to live and Proverbs will show us how.
Prayer:

Gracious and loving heavenly Father, my appetite is whetted and now I am ready to begin. Grant that as I expose myself day by day to the truths of Your Word, wisdom may be more deeply imprinted into my spirit. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

For further study:
Job 28:1-28; Psalms 119:169; Ecclesiastes 1:13
1. What question did Job ponder?
2. What conclusion did he come to?

[Judy Harder]

June 6

The first pillar of wisdom
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 3:1-18|
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding '" (v.5)

We turn now to consider the first of the seven pillars on which I believe that wisdom is built - trust. The theme of trust is everywhere in Proverbs; it punctuates almost every passage. The word "trust" itself occurs quite often, the frequency varying according to the translation you read (in the King James Version, for example, "trust" appears ten times) and its synonyms, such as "lean," "acknowledge," "depend," are found scattered through the book. According to Rabbi Bar Kappa, the verse before us today is the pivot around which all the essential principles of Judaism revolve. He claims that these words summarize the teaching of the whole Old Testament and give a clear focus to the fact that the wise are those who trust God and follow His directions for living. But what exactly is "trust"? How important is it to daily living? Why do the word and its synonyms occur so many times, not only in Proverbs but in other parts of Scripture as well? The dictionary defines trust as "a firm belief in the reliability, honesty, veracity, justice and strength of a person or thing." Basically "trust" is confidence that what we believe about a person or thing is true. We tend to think of trust as a spiritual quality, but actually it is an essential posture of life for everyone. It would be very difficult to get through a single day without the exercise of trust. All government, all economics, all institutions, all marriages, all relationships between people, are fundamentally governed by trust. We cannot relate well to God or others unless the capacity to trust is present within us.
Prayer:

Father, I see that trust is an essential thread that runs through the whole of living. Teach me that art of trusting, for an art it is. Help me to relax and maintain a complete confidence in You - hour by hour and day by day. Amen.
For further study:

Psalms 37:1-11; Isaiah 2:22
1. Where is our trust to be directed?
2. What must we stop doing?

[Judy Harder]

June 7

Trust is good for us
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 14:14-26
"A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps." (v.15)

We saw yesterday that all relationships, both human and divine, are fun-damentally governed by trust. Without trust, society would deteriorate into paranoia - the feeling that everyone is out to get you. Mental health specialists see an inability to trust as a symptom of emotional illness. Erik Erikson, a famous psychiatrist, says that the capacity to trust is the foundation of good emotional health, and conditions such as chronic anxiety, high nervousness or paranoia could be caused by an inability to trust. Although people may let us down and betray our trust, we must be careful that we do not allow those experiences to lead us to the conclusion that everyone we meet is a conspirator. On the other hand, you will no doubt have come across the expression "a trusting fool" - a phrase used to describe the person who is unable to discern the diabolical schemes that might be hatched up to exploit him. Erikson also says: "Unless we have a balanced approach to life - a basic trust together with a certain degree of caution - then we will never achieve emotional maturity or wholeness." Note his words carefully - "a balanced approach to life." Therein lies the secret. We must learn how to trust while at the same time exercising a certain amount of caution. Our text tells us that "a simple man believes anything," but that does not mean we should go to the other extreme and believe that everything people tell us is a downright lie or fabrication. Truth is a narrow column and we must watch that we do not lose our balance and fall off.
Prayer:

O Father, help me to be a balanced person - one who stands on the narrow column of truth without falling off into one extreme or the other. Remind me that error is often truth taken to an extreme. Keep me in the truth. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
For further study:

Matthew 26:20-30, 37-46, 59-68
1. How did Jesus respond in moments when His trust was betrayed?
2. In what ways have you betrayed Jesus' trust in you?