Tiny Devotional for Tuesday, 11/09/2021

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, just take a breath.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10, NASB

(Religious training isn’t fear of the Lord, and the word “Wise” doesn’t mean wisdom. I know this, because I couldn’t make a good pun on this verse about my friend Kurt driving a Wise Potato Chip truck after seminary. )

Kenneth, Exploring Options

Tiny bugs are born knowing everything needful to their survival. Newborn cats, walruses, and giraffes require some nurture in order to make it. And then, there are the humans. 

We have to learn SO much more, than how to recognize and obtain food and mates. Dolphins talk about fish, cows talk about grass; we talk about the meaning of Life, The Universe, and Everything (LTUE).

Wisdom has a HIGH survival value. Throughout the Book of Proverbs, the pattern is “here’s WHY you should do this and avoid that.” “What” is knowledge; it’s simple. “Why” is wisdom; it’s complex.

We give our kids all the answers we can, and that’s a good thing. It’s not all there is to imparting wisdom, though;  that requires teaching them how to recognize what they DON’T know, and how to get help. 

In the simplicity of honoring the Father for Who He is, the beginnings of complex solutions to LTUE are found. You and I CAN’T provide all the answers for our children. We CAN live in such a way that they see how we seek wisdom, when our knowledge isn’t enough. 

And when we see our children reach out for help, we WILL give thanks. 

Amen?

Peace be on your household.

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