Read
10 Respect and obey the Lord!
This is the beginning
of wisdom.
To have understanding,
you must know the Holy God.
11I am Wisdom. If you follow me,
you will live a long time.
12Good sense is good for you,
but if you brag,
you hurt yourself.
A Foolish Invitation
13Stupidity is reckless,
senseless, and foolish.
14She sits in front of her house
and on the highest hills
in the town.
15She shouts to everyone
who passes by,
16“If you are stupid,
come on inside!”
And to every fool she says,
17“Stolen water tastes best,
and the food you eat in secret
tastes best of all.”
Reflect
Wisdom begins with an understanding of God—who he is and how he responds to the world around us. In Jesus, we have the perfect example of who God is. Seeing the world through God’s eyes requires us to know him personally through his Son. We can do this by having a living relationship with Jesus and reading the Bible.
There are many ways to interact with the world around us. Some are wise and some are foolish. Our world continually bombards us with ideas of what we need to have for successful living. God tells us to seek him first and the real necessities of life will follow (Matthew 6:33). It is only when we see our world as God sees it that we make wise decisions and act in responsible ways that have a positive impact. If we follow “wisdom” that does not reflect the values of God’s Kingdom, we head for disaster.
Respond
God, You alone are truly wise. Help me to understand you by following your Son, Jesus. Show me your world through your lens so I can make good decisions that please you and make your world a better place. Help me to discern between what is wise and what is foolish; what will be a blessing to others and what will cause destruction. Show me the difference between what comes from you and what is a product of my fallen nature. I want to make good decisions. In the name of Jesus hear my prayer. Amen.
Ted Seres
Ted Seres received his B.A. in Political Science at McMaster University in Hamilton. He earned an M. Div at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon. He is married to Susan and has two sons: Trenton and Brett. Ted is an ordained minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. He has been involved in pastoral ministry including church planting.