Proverbs 2

Lady Wisdom urges you and I to pay attention to her words of wisdom, to give our attention to wisdom. "Turn your ear toward wisdom, and stretch your mind toward understanding" (Proverbs 2:2, CEB).

The Heidelberg Catechism says that because we belong to the Lord, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, "makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him" (Q&A 1). So Proverbs isn't talking about earning our salvation or making brownie points, but rather teaching us that as God's dearly loved children we have the power--yes, let's use that word--we have the power, by God's grace, by the Holy Spirit, to seek after discernment, wisdom, understanding. This reminds me of the title of a great little volume of theology, Faith Seeking Understanding by Daniel L. Migliore.

The promise is this, "...If you seek her [wisdom] out like silver and dig for her like buried treasure, then you will understand the fear [reverence] of the Lord and attain to the knowledge of God; for the Lord bestows wisdom and teaches knowledge and understanding. Out of his store he endows the upright with ability as a shield for those who live blameless lives; for he guards the course of justice and keeps watch over the way of his loyal servants" (Proverbs 2:4-6, NEB).

God "guards the course of justice." Now that is quite a promise!  In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached the Baccalaureate sermon at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. In closing, he said, "The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."

Seeking understanding means listening to each other. For an inspiring story about one place where this is happening, see:

Bending Towards Justice :: A story about a large and diverse group of churches doing interfaith ministry in Charleston, SC area.

Here's my personal takeaway from the first two days...

Wisdom, for me, begins on my knees, in reverent worship, in prayer, in self-offering to the Source of all wisdom. Lady Wisdom urges me onward and upward, saying, "Listen to my voice. Stretch your mind towards understanding." She urges me to diligently seek understanding so as to learn what is just and right and true and fair. In the end, God's justice road will find a way to win the day!