Daily Devotionals
Living Wisely, Living Well
Posted in Wisdom
Does This Book Have a Main Character?
“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….” Proverbs 1: 20-21
EXCERPT FROM AS KINGFISHERS CATCH FIRE: “Pithy Proverbs sharpens our observations and insights regarding all that is going on around us so we realize that … undramatic dailiness is sacred: work and family, money and sex, the use of language and the expression of emotions. We are reminded in detail that there is meaning in the ordinary, in the everyday, in being responsible for and alert to what we have been given to do in this life of faith.” (Kingfisher, p. 167)
In Genesis, you have Abraham– a man of faith, a devoted husband to Sarah, a loving father. In Exodus, you have Moses– the conduit between God and the Israelites. In Ruth, you have… well, Ruth– Moabite turned Mother of Obed, who became father of Jesse, father of David the King. And we all know about David. But then we arrive at Proverbs, a completely different book of the Bible, with no setting, no plot and no main character. Or so it seems.
If you’ve read Proverbs and don’t find yourself drawn back to it like a camel to water, you may want to read it again. It’s all about life, real life, your life, and mine. And it’s all about how to live it well by living it wisely.
Proverbs 1:20-21 probably stands as one of my favorites in all of scripture: “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….”
No main character in Proverbs? Her name is Wisdom, and she’s neither the quiet nor pious sort. She gets down to our level. She cries aloud in the streets– your street and mine — which serve as the setting for this book. She doesn’t mind noise; she walks confidently through the craziest chaos as she searches relentlessly for you and for me. This is not her younger sister Knowledge that is found in textbooks, how-to books and universities, small or large businesses with the surname “Inc.” No, this is Wisdom who is gifted from God to all who seek and respond to her. She is more precious than rubies and yields better returns than gold (3:14-15) She brings health to bones (3:8), she brings long life (3:16).
Strangely, people all around us — including us — search day and night for what will give them honor, success, and abundant life. But the answer is right here in the center of the greatest bestseller of all time — the Bible — and more specifically, in this 31-chapter book of Proverbs. And this awesome book’s main character, Wisdom, is calling out for you.
Prayer: Lord of my life, help me never tire of seeking Wisdom that only comes from you. As I read Proverbs this Summer, help me gain discernment, grow with humility, and constantly seek to do your will– which will always lead to the right path. In your Son’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Submitted by Caroline Bennett