WATCHWORD:
1 My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment, 2 for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions. 3 For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child. 4 My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live. 5 Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. 6 Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. 7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. 8 If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. 9 She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.” Proverbs 4:1-9
16 So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” […] 19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. Daniel 6:16,19-22
Meditation:
The Way of the Wicked
Our Bible study discussion was on Daniel chapter 6, and, as was typical, our discussion led us on a tangent, as we reflected on the way of the wicked in our society. The news had given us mental pictures of vast areas of discrimination, graphic images that are hard to get our civilized minds around, and left us with the unanswered question, Why?
Members of our group draw on a base of Christianity throughout our lives. The variety of our life experiences has informed our discussion in the past, but never to the degree of what we hear and see on our television screens. We are simply not prepared for the senseless, deep and broad acts of hatred.
We’ve proven over and over again that our human experience and knowledge will never be enough to rescue us from evil. Throughout society, though we may have amassed knowledge and maybe we have wisdom and remarkable insights, it seems that we can’t stop the pain we inflict on one another. We can’t halt the way of the wicked, this foolish, repetitive path that leads to darkness throughout the world. Despite our best thinking, we have no idea what makes us stumble, and so we ask “Why?”, and the echo comes back to us empty.
While Proverbs tells us, Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment, and we agree. That may fit us and our cozy corner of the world, but we still have no answer for the “Why?” and the “How?” in response to the discrimination and violence we see in our country and throughout the world.
Too often, it is the lions of hatred and discrimination that lead us into darkness and discouragement. Let us remain true to our Creator, and pray that God will send his angels to shut the mouths of those lions so they cause no harm and their roars are just so much noise, signifying nothing at all.
So, it is possible that our best course is to acquire wisdom and a calm reliance on the Lord. Such wisdom will teach us what to do with knowledge. True wisdom comes from God. We know that our knowledge always falls short, but His wisdom provides what we need.
Prayerfully consider how might God’s wisdom instruct you in a better, truer way to live. So be it.
Consider This:
How does our pride and the exclusiveness of our cozy little world, combined with our unwillingness to step outside our comfort zone, further the cause of the “lions of hate”?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we have sinned and turned our backs upon You. We have put our agenda before Your assignment. We stand in Your presence to acknowledge our failures and our rebellion. Now look upon us with Mercy and pardon our transgressions. We choose to humble ourselves before You. Do not respond to us according to our deeds but respond to us from Your great love. We choose this day to walk a new path, to live up brightly before You, to walk in righteousness. Bring healing to our hearts, our homes, and our land. In Jesus name, amen.
