Devotion: Wisdom
Proverbs 1:7
“How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord! Only fools refuse to be taught. Listen to your father and mother. What you learn from them will stand you in good stead; it will gain you many honors.”
Proverbs 3:13-18
“The man who knows right from wrong and has good judgment and common sense is happier than the man who is immensely rich! For such wisdom is far more valuable than precious jewels. Nothing else compares with it. Wisdom gives: a long, good life, riches, honor, pleasure, peace. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who eat her fruit; happy is the man who keeps on eating it.”
When I asked my husband, Ray, what he got out of Sunday’s sermon, he responded, “Practice, you must practice 10,000 hours if you want to master your craft.” I thought he might be suggesting he needed to golf even more! Since I was assigned the topic “Wisdom” from this scripture lesson, I studied the words more intently, watched videos about wisdom, and read definitions of wisdom. Wisdom is a hot topic! I took copious notes to connect the two words-practice and wisdom.
Then I reread the last selected verse-“Wisdom is the tree of life to those who eat her fruit; happy is the man who keeps on eating.” There it is! Practicing -keep on eating! Since I know a lot about eating (I practice it as often as possible), I can see how practicing my faith can lead to wisdom. I can do that by attending worship, taking Bible study classes, talking to God, acting out my Christian values, the list is long. One of the things I appreciate about Sheridan Lutheran Church is the wide range of opportunities offered to practice our faith. It leads to being in community with other Christians.
You hear of “practicing Catholics”, practicing Jews, even doctors call what they do, their practice, lawyers too. But rarely do you hear someone say, “I’m a practicing Lutheran!” Gaining wisdom is a life-long endeavor. A wise Christian is one who experiences life with all its problems, fears the Lord, and listens to God’s voice, and follows His commandments.
Last Sunday was Rally Sunday. As an educator and a Christian, it delighted my soul to see so many families encouraging the faith walk of their children, just as they encouraged their first baby steps. All of us need to practice our faith and only then will we find the wisdom to live a happy life. Yup, the sermon had it right, practice is the key!
Dear God, Thank you for all the opportunities we have to grow our faith. Let us practice daily our mission, to love deeply, grow spiritually and give generously. Help us to be happy as our tree of life grows. Amen.
Written by Cindy Swanson
Cindy and her husband, Ray, have been members of Sheridan Lutheran Church since 1978. They have 3 sons, Ben, Andrew and Patrick who were confirmed at Sheridan. They enjoy spending time with their 4 grandchildren (ages 2-7). Cindy retired from teaching writing to middle schoolers for Lincoln Public Schools in 2014. She savors a good cup of coffee, a well-written book, a lively discussion and chocolate. She lives near a cemetery and knows each day is a gift!