August 1
Proverbs 1
Solomon writes a metaphorical warning from the perspective of “Wisdom.”
INSIGHT
To be free to sail the seven seas, you must make yourself a slave to the compass. Every freedom has a corresponding slavery. We can be free from the toothbrush and a slave to cavities or a slave to the toothbrush and free from cavities. For everything we want, we must give up something else. Wisdom calls us to slavery. If we become a slave to wisdom, we must heed the Word of God and shun sin. If we neglect these, distress and anguish will come. We will experience the natural consequences of our actions. There is no escape from this cause-and-effect law. Rededicate yourself to becoming a “wise” person. Wisdom begins with “fearing” (respecting) the Lord. It is to His glory and also to our best interest.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you ponder your need for wisdom:
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord is right,
And all His work is done in truth (Psalm 33:2-4).
Now pray this confession to the Lord:
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- That His will be done on earth as it is in heaven
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
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