As4Me Thinking through the process of finding wisdom.

This morning, I drank my coffee and did not feel one bit more spiritual. I knew from my lack of energy last night that I was likely going to be battling a hormonal shift, and I could already feel myself accepting in resignation that today was “not going to be a good or profitable day.”

Not a good start

But in God’s grace, I had enough forethought to ask myself what Scripture would be most helpful in my frame of mind. Where would you turn? I turned to Proverbs to find all my laziness verses. And I settled on this one:

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. Proverbs 14:1

I reminded myself that if I was going to have a good day, I would have to be deliberate, in order to overcome the natural tendency before me. After a brief moment of discontent for my personality, I then asked what I could do in order to build a wise house today. Here are a few things:

• Put on music.
• Get a good momentum going. If I can get all accomplished by 2:00, I can coast a bit. I still need to consider what I’ll do during the evening time (Lee is on call tonight and will not be here). Perhaps I’ll
• Stop thinking negatively. Instead of assuming I’m at the mercy of my own mood, I can see that God has provided a way to finish my day loving my husband and children.
• Take a shower and take the time to look nice. Sounds silly, but I know I feel better when my makeup is on and my hair is done (teeth brushed is good, too), even if I’m not going anywhere. It’s extra important to do that when I’m feeling that slump.
• Turn off the computer. Now to do that and get back to work, so I don’t lose my margin.
• Pray that God will help me as I build my house wisely. I’ll let you know how my day went later…

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Well, our children haven’t had another wisdom party (i.e., unlimited candy every time they practice saying their honey verse). But I do let them say their verse and get a piece of candy one or two times each day. They have learned Proverbs 24:13-14 well that way! Usually, we followup their saying a verse to asking a question about wisdom (what is it? where does it come from? how do you get it?).

My son, eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; Proverbs 24:13-14

I’ve been wanting to find a new verse for them to memorize, but I’ve not found one I like. Then I found this one:

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

That’s the one we’ve been saying the last few days. I’ve been pointing out when I hear pleasant words. I’ve given them examples at breakfast when we talk. I’m getting to where I love the analogy of good things and honey/candy. I want them to know the eternal things that are truly delightful and satisfying. The next passage with honey is in Psalm 19– God’s Word is sweeter than honey.

Today we had candy and pleasant words. We’ve also had whining and complaining. I’m thinking (since this is Wednesday) that I need to have pleasant words too. Sometimes I correct more than I praise. I want them to know how much joy I have when they choose to do right.

I cuddled Bethel this morning and told her, My daughter, when your heart is wise, my heart also shall rejoice.

Here is the question I’m asking myself: Are my actions showing a joy in knowledge and wisdom this week?

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On Friday morning, I told the children that we were going to do something fun. I gathered them on the couch and told them that I read something in my Bible that delighted me. I read them Proverbs 24:13-14, and told them I thought King Solomon must have given his children something sweet when he was teaching them this lesson about wisdom.

My son, eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; Proverbs 24:13-14a

I explained that Solomon wasn’t just telling us how good candy was. He was teaching us something about how delightful wisdom is. Then I announced that we were going to plan a wisdom party.

At this announcement, they perked up. They wanted to know what a wisdom party was like. (So did I– I was making it up as I went.) I decided that when we went to the grocery store, we’d get a bunch of candy. I told them that I wanted to learn this verse and what it meant. Every time I wanted a piece of candy, I’d practice my verses before I got a piece. I asked them if they’d like to have a wisdom party and practice the verses with me.

All of them wanted to play along. So off to the store we went, coming home with (far too much) candy. Lee came home, so he got to play, too. I printed off the verse in big letters on a sheet of paper. We put all the candy on the coffee table. Then we just practiced the verse. Each time everyone practiced the verse, we all got a piece of candy. We did it about ten times before leaving to run some errands. When we came back, they wanted another wisdom party. So we practiced again, and they ate more candy.

I put the verse on the refrigerator, and when they want a piece of candy, they have to say the verse. I’ll probably keep asking them questions about what the verse means. What was Solomon talking about? How is wisdom like honey, or candy? Do we look forward to reading God’s Word the same way we look forward to having a piece of candy? Is finding wisdom something fun, or something boring?

Now, I think I’ll go practice my verses. All this talk about candy makes me want some!

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Love this passage from Proverbs:

My son, eat honey, for it is good.
Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
Know that wisdom is thus for your soul. (Pr. 24:13-14)

It’s another object lesson, and one I’ve never tried before. We’ve used other objects for teaching about wisdom, but never compared it to candy. I think today when we go to the grocery store, we’re going to prepare for a wisdom party. Want to have a wisdom party, too? I’ll tell you how ours goes.

[If you've never read The Bee Tree by Patricia Pollaco, you might want to check it out from the library. It's about a Grandfather who teaches a similar lesson in the same way to his granddaughter.]

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Wisdom does not equal knowledge. That’s what  I’ve been meditating on this week. I’m slowly reading through Job, and I’m once again delighted with his discussion of wisdom. It’s beautiful writing in itself, but it’s also challenging.

Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

²¹Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
²²Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
²³God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
²⁴For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
²⁵To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
²⁶When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
²⁷Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

²⁸And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:20-28)

What I’ve been pondering is that I often equate wisdom with knowledge. I think that because I read a good verse (like the ones above), I’ve gained wisdom. On the contrary, the fear of the Lord and understanding, components of wisdom in this passage, include a clear call to action. This passage reminds me of James’s discussion of faith: if it doesn’t have action, or works, it’s not true faith. Likewise, wisdom that doesn’t include action, or obedience to the Word, isn’t true wisdom.

That thought has been motivating me to act, to obey what I know is right: loving my husband by getting up to make him coffee and lunch, making dinner (and not mac and cheese five times a week!), blogging at night so my mornings aren’t chaotic, and so on. I know a handful of right actions that I don’t always do because I don’t feel like doing them. Funny thing, that’s something I’ve been talking about with my children!

Specifically, how is Scripture changing you this week?

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Here are the passages I’ve been meditating on this week. It starts with mom’s book, Glimpses of God, that I talked about the other day.

In Sunday school, we started the chapter discussing Lord Sabaoth, or Lord of Hosts. The chapter opens with a discussion of Joshua before going to Jericho.

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. Joshua 5: 13-15

The Lord of Hosts goes before us in battle. That’s a great thought to begin a week with. On Sunday night, God gave me a new challenge, and I needed the strength of His Word. I read Psalm 46, and was tickled to see the Lord of Hosts there! (I checked, and mom did talk about it later in the chapter. I just haven’t read it yet.)

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
³ Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.  Selah

⁴ There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
⁶ The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah

The Lord of Hosts is our refuge, but we cannot take refuge in the Lord of Hosts if we are trying to worry through [e.g., fight] our own battles. I do have the responsibility to do right in matters I can control, but I can trust God in matters I cannot control. This has been a restful thought for me, and I know God is using His Word to keep my eyes focused on Him and not myself or my circumstances. Praise the Lord!

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Lee was out until late last night taking care of a sick baby in the hospital. You would think I would have taken the time to write one of the ten posts I’ve been thinking of. Maybe cleaned the kitchen better? Or gone to sleep at a decent hour? No, I did none of these things. However, I have had a cup of coffee and a good quiet time with my Bible this morning, and since the children are not awake yet, I am ready to write before getting started on the rest of my day.

Here’s the question I’ve been pondering, and it rather relates to a conception I had before I became a mother, that the best mothers use a gentle tone of voice for any reprimand of their children, no matter how serious. Is there any occasion where a godly mother will righteously and effectively raise her voice when reprimanding her children? I imagine Caroline Ingalls saying in a slow voice, “Girls…” and knowing that on the outside at least, all the Ingalls children quickly stepped back in the line of good and right. On the other hand, my own mother, whom I hold in deepest regard, did on occasion raise her voice. I remember clearly that for at least some of those occasions, it served to demonstrate to me the seriousness of my offense, even though I didn’t completely understand exactly why it was a problem. In other cases, I remember thinking about everything except the lecture. Perhaps the intensity was appropriate, but it was not necessarily effectual.

Here are a few scenarios:

• Several children are making a great deal of noise in the car and cannot hear a normal tone of voice instructing them to be quiet.
• A young child is swinging a metal chain around a group of children.
• A young child has impulsively run out in a busy street to get a ball.
• A young child accepts candy from a strange adult at the park.
• A young child is biting offensive peers in retaliation.
• A teenage girl has stayed out late innocently chatting with her coworkers after work, while mom and dad sit at home worrying.
• Parents find out that a teenage son has been accessing inappropriate images on the computer.

Here’s what I’m thinking. In many, if not all of these cases, children may not truly understand the gravity of the offense. To them, the offense is the same as a relatively minor infraction even though in some of these cases, the offense has grave potential consequences. An occasional raised voice can be very helpful in signalling to them the importance of obedience and trust in a particular matter. We sometimes say that there are no differences among sins, but beyond a basic acknowledgement that Christ died for all sins equally, it is not biblical to suggest that God does not dislike some sins more than others or that all sins have equal consequences.

In fact, passages such as Proverbs 6 lose their meaning if we suggest that the writer’s use of abomination is hyperbole when refering to God’s attitude toward certain sins. Knowing that God HATES a proud look does help me understand its importance to Him, especially since I don’t readily see this sin as something of significant destructiveness in my life.

My tendency as a mom is to be intense (raise my voice) too often. I do struggle sometimes with selfish anger at my children’s sins. Because of my tendency to be self-deceived and selfish, I desperately need to be walking in the spirit, to be seeking for wisdom in my dealings with my children. Yet, it does not follow that it is impossible or undesirable to raise a voice or be righteously angry with our children on occasion.

There are six things that the LORD hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16-19

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