November 27, 2022 -- Proverbs 1:1-6 -- Jesus in the Proverbs: a journey to Christmas

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.
Proverbs 1:1-6 ESV

Shortcuts. That’s what everyone wants. It is the addict’s way of thinking. Just give me one book that will increase my holiness. The Bible. Um, I wanted a slim volume that I could read in an hour or so and become holy. I don’t want to work at it. Give me to the one treatment program so that my alcohol addiction will be done. After three or six months I’ll graduate and then be good. The problem is, three or six months of treatment is fighting 60 months or 180 months of hard addiction and the life patterns that go with it. You might protest, I don’t have addictions. Really. Anger. Gossip. Self-absorption. Gluttony. Trust in self rather than God. Thinking yourself better than this person or that one.

Look at the quiet way of wisdom. It is the path of wisdom, where day in and day out, formally and informally, one yields his life to the guidance of God. The proverbs and sayings take time to puzzle out. Re-read the passage. Listen to the words. Ponder what they mean in a world where a man will give forty hours to work. Even a job he hates, in order to gain money, striving to stay just ahead of his debts spent on toys and gadgets that hinder his steps of holiness. The average Canadian spends just over 21 hours a week on screen time, outside of work activities. That is half the hours of a full-time job. Yet the Christian believes he has no time for godly activities.

One beautiful reality about Jesus is summarized in Luke “the Child grew and become strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40 ESV). In a world with as many distractions as this one, in a time when hedonism was as common as it is now and godlessness reigned, Jesus submitted Himself to the way of wisdom. He grew strong. That is, strong in the LORD. He dedicated Himself to the Living God so that this man, Who never wrote a book while He walked this earth, became the single-most influential Man in all of history. His wisdom and humility remain respected today even by the godless, who call Him a good teacher.

Today, as you journey to Christmas, take up the challenge to tithe your screen time. Give 17 minutes a day to God. Read through Proverbs and the Gospel of Luke. (Seriously, I dare you, set a timer if you must. At the end of these four weeks note the changes the Spirit of God will bring into your life.) Fight the encroaching darkness with the Light of wisdom. Find Jesus. Be refreshed in His presence.

Faithful Father in heaven may Your Name be praised on earth as it is in heaven. Thank You for the glorious prize of wisdom, made flesh in Jesus Christ. Thank You that You chose to draw near to us, so that the blessed Name “Immanuel” God with us, is reality in Jesus Christ. Thank You, mighty God, for the Holy Spirit Who teaches yearning hearts the way of wisdom. Such powerful wisdom that defies all the darkness of this world and all exposes the broken promises of evil so that the radiance of Jesus Christ fills the imagination. Triune God, help us to change the pattern of our days so that You are our priority and joy. Spirit of God, move our conscience to give the time we have pledged for the reading of Scripture and prayer. Let such reading and prayer times change us so that the wonder and majesty of this Christmas will be for us more than tinsel and illusion, it will be for us the magnificence of deeper relationship with Jesus, the joy and crown of every true believer. Amen.

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Michael Card “Immanuel”

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