Read
19By his wisdom and knowledge
the Lord created
heaven and earth.
20By his understanding
he let the ocean break loose
and clouds release the rain.
Reflect
Throughout the book of Proverbs the author exhorts us concerning the merits of a life lived with wisdom at the core. In these verses he stops and presents us with examples of how God used wisdom, knowledge and understanding. It might appear obvious that God would use these tools to create the majesty of the mountains, rivers of earth and the far flung reaches of space with its spectacular displays. And of course the complexity of the natural laws and the systems in our human bodies would require immeasurable wisdom and knowledge.
But I think there is a wonderful lesson for us today when you see this in context. Proverbs walks us through so many aspects of life giving suggestions and highlighting how we must use wisdom and understanding rather than simply reacting or living out spontaneous self-centred desires.
It may seem silly to imagine a scenario where God would simply say, “You know I really feel like doing something spectacular today” and create a new galaxy, an incredible display of colour and complexity, and then simply throw it out into the universe without thinking about how it might fit or work. But as humans we are prone to this sort of activity. We look to showy displays that draw attention to ourselves, we try to build or buy things that give us stature or presence. And then we find ourselves suffering through unintended consequences through poor examples for our children, disrespect for neighbours or community and more.
We have been created with an amazing array of talents, emotions, abilities and desires. And all of this and more functions best not when it is turned loose with reckless abandon but rather enjoyed to its fullest in wisdom and understanding.
Respond
Father God, We thank you for creating us with such intricacy but also with the capacity for emotion, desire and creativity. Our prayer is that you will lead us to enjoy all of this to the fullest by seeing beyond ourselves and embracing wisdom and knowledge.
Laurie Cook
Laurie has had a successful career in retail management and consulting. He has served on the Board of World Relief Canada and later became President. He was a founding Chair of the Integral Alliance, an international alliance of Christian Relief and Development agencies and has served on the Board of Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Laurie is an avid cyclist and is married with three adult boys.