Day One
I’m a little giddy as I begin writing about Wisdom. In some way that seems paradoxical because I imagine wisdom as stately, grounded, serious. And, well, giddy doesn’t seem to belong in that group of images. Maybe it’s a daughter-like awe of her Father in me: knowing that in all his holiness and sovereignty, God loves to be with me. In Knowing God, J.I. Packer suggests that God’s wisdom does not abandon his first purpose…to bring us to a place where he is our all in all. In that place, God and humanity continually rejoice together in the knowledge of each other’s love—we rejoice in God’s saving love and he rejoices in our responsive love. Packer goes on to summarize Abraham’s life with a frame of wisdom. He writes,
“What Abraham needed most of all was to learn the practice of living in God’s presence, seeing all life in relation to him, and looking to him, and him alone, as Commander, Defender, and Rewarder. This was the great lesson of which God in wisdom concentrated on teaching him. “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward…I am God Almighty, walk before me…” (Genesis 15:1, 17:1).”
I remember being a part of a group discussion about the importance of having a daily quiet time with God. We defined quiet time as a time set apart to pray, meditate on scripture, and listen for God. At that time in my life the picture that described the necessity of quiet time with God was the pace car at the beginning of a grand prix race. If my days were like race days with roaring noise, round and round laps, speed decisions, and only quick pit stops to breathe, then my quiet times with God were the calm before the madness—the pace car. But it was a friend’s response that rings true for all of us. He said, “The wisest thing I can do every day is spend time with God.” It doesn’t matter what our days look like, the Indy500 or a stroll around the lake, the wisest thing we can do is live in God’s presence for each one of them.
God reveals his wisdom in a wide variety of ways. In the days ahead we will look at wisdom’s origins, how we obtain it, and what it looks like when we do. But I’d like to begin this section on wisdom by looking at two parables for our daily scriptures—the wise virgins and the wise man. In both stories Jesus reveals what defines wise people—living in his presence. The five wise virgins had enough oil for their lamps as they waited for the delayed, coming bridegroom. When he appeared, they were ready and known with burning lamps. The wise man is anyone who hears the words of the Lord and does them. When we listen and obey, it is like building a house on a rock instead of shifting sands. We buy oil and lay foundations in Christ as we spend time living in his presence.
As you read the daily scriptures this week, consider the practical steps to buying oil and laying wise foundations. What does spending time with the Lord look like for you? How are you gaining wisdom every day?
Day Two
Matthew 25:1-4
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
Day Three
Matthew 25:5-9
As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’
Day Four
Matthew 25:10-13
And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Day Five
Matthew 7:24-25
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Day Six
Matthew 7:26-27
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Brave Sparrow 