A Daily Dose of Good News
Monday, January 4, 2021
After 10:30am today, this devotional will be offered online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFGFA41W7yA
A printer-friendly version of today’s devotion is available at DDGN 20210104
Additionally, if you’d like to talk about this Daily Dose of Good News further, or previous ones, have questions, or additional thoughts, please feel free to email me at sara.wunsch@engagedbygrace.org. I’d love to interactively engage with you about them.
Good morning! It is January 4 and it’s time for our Daily Dose of Good News which is from Proverbs 3:1-12.
My child, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments;
for length of days and years of life
and abundant welfare they will give you.
Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good repute
in the sight of God and of people.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.
Honor the Lord with your substance
and with the first fruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
for the Lord reproves the one he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.
Here ends the reading.
So, in this text, there are multiple points that are touched on, but I think an important component in this, is the idea of wisdom, and how we think of ourselves, and what we use as guidance in our lives. As we enter into this new year, a new page, as I mentioned briefly in my sermon yesterday, I think it is really a time of lots of confusion for people and lots of heaviness, as we try to figure things out, and determine the right way to go and what to do, what this world looks like in front of us, and what our place is in it. So, I think there are some important components related to that here. One part specifically, is about: “write this on the tablets of your heart”. That component relates to the Ten Commandments. There were two stone tablets that were the law, that were for the Israelites to keep with them to know how to live. Proverbs is taking that a step farther and saying: “integrate that”. Integrate this into your heart, write this on the tablets of your heart, in a place that you have with you always, and keep it there. This isn’t something separate from you. But this is how you are to operate, how you are to function and focus. Engrave it on your heart. So, it emphasizes the importance of that.
The other piece that I think is really valuable, is a confrontation on don’t be arrogant in your thinking. Don’t think that you know. Don’t assume that your wisdom is the correct wisdom. But rely on God to give you wisdom. Don’t do what’s wise in your own eyes, because that might not be wise at all! That might be detrimental. But if you rely on God’s wisdom, and wait for that wisdom- that light- to show you the way; if you adhere to God’s wisdom, that will be healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body. I really want to underscore that, because I don’t think, in general, people right now are feeling like they’re healed and they’re refreshed. I think people are feeling worn out, frazzled, disoriented and fragmented. God offers beautiful health, wholeness, and restoration instead. So, why would we choose anything else? So the idea of: if we can rely on God, turn to God, focus on God, for guidance in our lives, that is healing for us and refreshing for us. And I thought that would be a great way to start the new year! So enjoy the day, everyone, and enjoy your healing and refreshment as you center on God’s wisdom in your life. Take care. Bye-bye.
