Daily Readings and Thought for March 30th. “WHOEVER FINDS ME FINDS LIFE”

 Today we read nearly 50 verses in Proverbs on the wonderful value of Godly wisdom.  It is written as though wisdom is a person – and of course the Lord Jesus is the one and only perfect example of such a person. Solomon himself was invited by God to ask for a gift and was commended because he asked for “a wise and understanding heart” [1Kings 3 v.5-12] 

We picked out several powerful points in these proverbs. Wisdom says, “I love those who love me, those who seek me diligently, find me.” [8 v.17] Wisdom has to be sought for!  “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.  The fear (awe) of the LORD is to hate evil.” [v.12,13] 

We can add to this wisdom’s further words, “wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them” [v.7,8].  And surely that applies to written words also, such as emails! Wisdom grants “an inheritance to those who love me” [v.21] Our Bibles’ reveal the nature of that inheritance.  It is very obvious that Jesus is a living example of true wisdom. 

Verses 22 to 30 give us a powerful account of the absolute knowledge and wisdom that was used in creating all that exists on this earth.  “Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth” [v.23] In these days scientists are discovering more and more of the boundless extent of the interlocking working of nature, so many forms of life are utterly remarkable and, what’s more, they depend on one another. But tragically, so many have a blindfold over their minds, failing to see it all as the handiwork of God.

In the final 2 verses of Ch. 8 wisdom says, “For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favour from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures him (or her)self, and all who hate me love death.”  Let us seek and “find” Jesus as the embodiment of wisdom. We can read v.32,33 as being his words, “… blessed are those who keep my ways.  Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.”  2