Wisdom Is Calling

According to Proverbs eight, Wisdom is personified as a woman who goes into the busy streets of the city calling for those who would seek her. Many destructive voices constantly call mankind away from an upright life but Wisdom, according to the Message Bible, draws us to a life defined by good counsel, common sense, insight and virtue. These qualities are certainly needed in our current generation.

Wisdom's neighbors are listed as Sanity, Knowledge, Discretion, Wealth, Glory, Honor and a Good Name. She and her companions live at the intersection of Righteous Road and Justice Avenue. The real estate value of this space cannot be estimated! It is priced far above all wealth possible to obtain in a lifetime.

Proverbs also tells us Wisdom begins with fearing the Lord (Proverbs 9:10; 15:33). Fear, as the word is used here, does not mean to be afraid, but to show respect and honor. Proverbs 8:13 defines the fear of the Lord as hating evil, or hating the things God hates. Some of the evil God hates, is defined in chapter six and several other places in Proverbs. If I truly honor God, I will love what is good and hate what is evil, according to the standard that He sets, not the standards of society, culture or the world.

James said if we need wisdom we should ask God for it and He will give it generously to those who believe (James 1:5). If Wisdom is on the street corner calling loudly and God is so willing to give it to me, it shouldn't be hard to find. Many voices compete for attention above Wisdom's, but if I am listening intently and diligently seeking, Wisdom and I will discover each other and become good companions; in doing that I receive abundant life and God's favor.

So the important question is: what am I seeking and what voice am I listening to today?

Proverbs 8:34-35 (MSB) Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me [Wisdom], awake and ready for me each morning,alert and responsive as I start my day’s work. When you find me, you find life, real life, to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.

Psalm 51:6 (NKJ) You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Lessons from My Garden-Embracing Change

When we moved from New England to Florida, I was astounded at the difficulties I encountered  gardening. I assumed the Sunshine State, the place where it doesn’t snow and temperatures rarely fall below freezing would be a gardener’s paradise, but when I tried to follow my northern habit of a summer vegetable garden, I was discouraged to the point of giving up.  

Because gardening was so different here, from the other places we have lived, I began consulting knowledgeable sources to enlighten me. I was determined to learn. My first surprise was the realization that it is pointless to plant in the summer months. Tropical plants thrive then, but typical vegetable plants that go into a northern garden can’t survive the harsh conditions of this sub-tropical season; it is too hot, humid and buggy.

I quickly learned that sand is the soil of Florida and nothing but native plants grow well in it, all soil has to be amended for planting flowers or vegetables. For that reason, the easiest way to grow a veggie garden is in raised beds or containers. I also discovered that pests and plant disease are multiplied by the year-round mild climate. Without a long season of winter freeze to kill off major populations of pests, they survive and replenish to destroy a vegetable garden in short order.  

Once I figured out what works, gardening became easy and fun. To my delight, there are two growing seasons, fall and early spring. Fall vegetable gardens are planted September through early October and can be replanted in mid-February through mid-March after the danger of January’s few frost and freezing nights are past. Having two crops a year doubles the joy. 

There are times and seasons when it is necessary to let go of the old way of doing a thing and try something new. We often balk at change, but someone has defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Wisdom to know when to hang on to something or let it go is a struggle we all face. If my relationships, my mind, health, spirit or any area of life seems withered and wilted or non-productive it is worthwhile to consider that my attitude, behavior, approach or strategy needs to be altered. 

Is it time to let go and try something new? Go to Jesus, the source of life, and become a student of the One who created you. Spend time with Him and learn of Him (Matthew 11:29). The Master Gardener of the human heart knows exactly what is needed to cause the garden of your life to bloom; all you need to do is ask.

James 1:5 (NLV) If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.