One Word
This winter on The Daily Pattern we’re in a series called One Word. Each day we take one word – a feeling or circumstance – and bring a word from God to it. Let the Word of God speak to your life.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5) O Lord, I am lowly and humble. You alone are my inheritance. Amen.
Word: Proverbs 1:7
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Meditation
Wisdom by Jeff Cloeter
In times of stress and crisis, people tend to do stupid and irrational things. For the last two years, the societal stress level has been in the orange-to-red zone. Think about your friends, family, or colleagues. Do you know anyone who has suddenly taken an extreme view, acted impulsively, or done something out of character?
Times of turmoil call for godly wisdom. We need a compass to navigate the uncertainty. We need a guide to traverse the misty road. The Bible has a whole genre of help called “wisdom literature.”
In the Bible, wisdom is not equated with cerebral intelligence. The smartest people can be the greatest fools. Biblical wisdom is not information, but knowledge. True wisdom is to know God, his will, and his ways. The wise person doesn’t just know the right answer, but the right way.
The crisis of our day is that we are rich in information, but poor in wisdom. There are many smart people, but few are wise. All the information is housed in a small handheld device, but we don’t know what to do with it. So where do we begin? Proverbs begins here:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Prov. 1:7)
“The fear of the Lord” is the theme throughout Proverbs. “Fear” means “holy awe.” It is to trust, honor, believe in, and seek One who is greater. Holy fear assumes a posture of humility. It makes me think of the time Jesus said:
“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.” (Matt. 11:25-26)
In Jesus’ earthly ministry, so many of the influential and learned didn’t get him. Rulers and religious leaders missed him. They were wise to the world, but fools before God. On the other hand, who received the gospel of the kingdom? Humble teenage Mary. Elderly Elizabeth. Working class Peter. Short Zacheus.
We need more wisdom in our day. And wisdom begins with the posture of a child. Don’t forget. Before you are anything else, you are a beloved daughter, a beloved son, of the Father in heaven. This is the “beginning of wisdom.” Here you begin to lean on him, trust him, and seek his ways in a time of turmoil.
Lord, all your ways are wise. In a world full of foolishness, teach me to know you, your way, and your will. I assume the posture of a child, and I look to you for everything. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer for Family
· For my immediate family (parents, spouse, siblings).
· For extended family (cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents)
· For close friends that are as family to me.
· For those who don’t have families, or whose families are broken.
· For forgiveness and reconciliation where there is division in my family.
· For provision where there is need in my family.
· For God to be the foundation, and the cross the center of my family.
· For a generation yet unborn, future members of our family.
Closing Prayer
O Lord and King, your Kingdom comes even without our prayer. But we pray that it would also come among us. We are desperate for your reign and rule, for all we see is rebellion. Come into my heart, my home, my family, my work, my church, my community. Rule with justice and with mercy. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.