Great Plains Daily Devotional for 8/24/2021

The sacred Scriptures are primary to us, but not the only way to know God and develop our beliefs for faithful living. The Book of Proverbs references the importance of “Wisdom” throughout its chapters. The opening four chapters are well worth a 15-minute read. Try it.
 
We live in a so called “Information age” where we are flooded daily with information and knowledge. But information is not the same as wisdom. What is your idea of wisdom and how it is different than information and knowledge?
 
I think “Wisdom” is an intentional act of seeking clear perception, openness to dig deeper in understanding and arriving at insight! (I once heard a psychology instructor say “insight” is key to human life and without insight we cannot or will not change.) For me this quest after wisdom starts with doing the work of reflection and self-reflection; regularly, honestly and even more so when life gets difficult.
 
This Proverbs 4 text states: “Get wisdom and insight! ... do not abandon wisdom … Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do.” These words encourage us to be intentional in our life and to stop, look and listen. And to move beyond a life and ministry of human doing to a life and ministry of human being where The Spirit moves within us giving wisdom and insight that forges our beliefs, practices and relationships as we do the work of reasoned reflection and self-reflection.
 
So, we can recognize the way of wisdom as another way, in addition to scripture, to come to our beliefs, to understand ourselves and our world, and to arrive at knowledge of God and faithful living. May we continue a lifelong journey to be wise
 
 

Prayer for Reflection

1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
Psalm 84 (UMH 804)
Ephesians 6:10-20
John 6:56-69