Focus
Experience silence in the midst of your busy day. Take some time to relax into a time to be with God.
Read
Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-33
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
For learning about wisdom and instruction,
for understanding words of insight,
for gaining instruction in wise dealing,
righteousness, justice, and equity;
to teach shrewdness to the simple,
knowledge and prudence to the young—
let the wise also hear and gain in learning,
and the discerning acquire skill,
to understand a proverb and a figure,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
and because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when panic strikes you,
when panic strikes you like a storm,
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
would have none of my counsel,
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
and be sated with their own devices.
For waywardness kills the simple,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but those who listen to me will be secure
and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Reflect
We live in a society that values education and intelligence. The higher the score of someone’s ACT, SAT, or IQ, the more value we assign to that person or what they do. When I was in college, I expected nothing less than an A and I felt like I had failed if it was not. Once, we watched a video in class about “hothousing” genius babies. There are products on the market that parents buy and use to help teach their baby to read. That is great for those parents who can spend time flipping flashcards to their infant to take advantage of all those synapses that are firing in their little brains. I spent a lot time playing and making great memories with our two boys, but it was most important to my husband and I that we taught them to love the Lord more than anything else. Fortunately, our boys turned out to be quite intelligent anyway and both love and serve the Lord!!
After my experience in college as a nontraditional student with high standards for myself and graduating with academic honors, I tell you that all the education this world has to offer cannot compare to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified. All the A’s I made and recognition I received are meaningless if at the end of this life my Savior can’t say to me, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Pray
Lord, help us to place our trust in you today and not in our own understanding or abilities. Education can be of value to all of us, but all the knowledge in all the books of the world is of naught if you are not known. Show us the value of the “true knowledge” of fearing and knowing you.
Go with God!
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